petegardner_901 Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 Anyone know any good names who can overhaul the diff off my Spitfire 1500? Surrey area really - I know Mike Papworth is good but I can't get to Coventry... Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 What is wrong with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petegardner_901 Posted December 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 Not sure quite yet. been getting a huge clonk from the rear when taking up the drive or taking my foot off so it’s either UJ’s or diff. Also a slight regular knocking. I’m halfway through dismantling right now so should have a better idea soon. How much backlash can you feel in the diff by rocking it by hand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 Id be surprised if its an internal diff problem as they always have some backlash and it may well get slightly bigger over time as the gears and bearings wear a fraction but usually the diff will make a lot of noise/fail catastrophically long before backlash becomes a excessive. It could be a u/j but you should be able to feel this before dismantling or possibly play in suspension or diff fixing points.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petegardner_901 Posted December 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 Agreed - but somehow I need to check absolutely now while I have the back end up in the air... - I will take the diff. out if it is really necessary but it's a faff. On the other hand it would be a faff to put it all back together back and find it WAS the diff......👹 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 The rythmic knocking is likely to be a UJ, and may just need oversize circlips. You can't really feel the movement, but trying to fit oversize clips is easy enough, even on the car. The clonk could be a UJ, halfshaft or prop. And obvious once the tension from the spring is released. If the diff is quiet ie not whining, it could be re-shimmed. A friend can do that BUT we can't find any of the dished shims, just not available anywhere. The rebuilders must have a stash of new and used ones that they won't part with As to backlash, there are 2 types. The obvious one is in the actual diff gears, and shimming sorts that. Can be maybe 1/2" or more on the outer edge of the flange. The subtle one is in the crownwheel/pinion. That is usually tiny if it can be felt at all. If that is way out, the diff is howling and not recoverable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 yes agree with all the thoughts , diffs dont knock unless a tooth has failed , then its constant not as and when, if the knocking is more noticeable on corners its not diff.its drive shafts UJ the main and well documented cause of pretty much all myths about diff noises heres a link to canley classics views on diff not noises https://www.canleyclassics.com/technical-archive/rear-end-noises pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerH Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 Hi Peter, you could try Hardy Engineering in Leatherhead. Well recommended by many TR owners. They do all sorts of sports cars AH, Jag, Triumph, MG TES in Wiltshire are also very well recommended. http://www.testransmissions.co.uk/tes-transmissions-manual-2008.html Be careful though. Rebuilding a diff is a black art an it may come back worse then when it was delivered to the workshop. Regarding the cupped washers I read somewhere that those on the Ford Escort diff are of a similar size. That may be only for the TR diff but perhaps universal. Or make your own. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 sorry you must seriously check the well knowns before you dive into diff rebuilds Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 2 hours ago, RogerH said: Be careful though. Rebuilding a diff is a black art an it may come back worse then when it was delivered to the workshop. True. I'll happily replace the bigger bearings - axles and pinion, plus oil seals - but even there, setting the preload is something I'll take to someone else once the unit is reassembled. I know it's not a reconditioning by any means but often it's only an oil leak that's the bother; no whining or other strange noises mean I'm happy to soldier on for another few thousand miles. When my GT6 was last on the road there was a clonk on taking up the drive and especially when reversing; it's not diff internals, but probably either mountings - gearbox or diff - or UJs, which have now been in almost 20 years. Modern mountings are very soft and seem to need replacing quite often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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