Diff is coming out

[Superjuiced]

I've been planning this for a while and have read nearly every thread and guid I can find. I haven't even done it yet and think I've been having nightmares about the bushes which seem to be hardest part. I have some help and access to lots of different sizes and lengths of pipes so hoping to fabricate something that will smash them out rather than going down the flamethrower route or is that too optimistic. any advice welcome!!

[pmessling]

I made a drift up, which is floating around the pistonheads members some where. Made light work of mine when i used it, was able to hammer it out from the outside of the car.

[TimJM]

Having recently done this job and having spent weeks doing it the method I used in the end would be my approach. Have a look half way down this page:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I would say once the diff is out the way it's about 10 mins work - it just took me a couple of weeks of failed other methods before I came up with the quick way!

Also, no flames...burning the diff bush rubber out which is right under the petrol tank doesn't sound like a good idea especially when you can cut it out cleanly with a hole saw in under 30 seconds.

[camel_landy]

There's no real way of predicting what your experience is going to be like.

With mine, even though I had the body off, diff out and all other components stripped off the chassis, shifting the top bush was a right bh! Even beating the st out of it with a range of very hammers didn't shift it.

In the end, I cut it out.

M

[ridds]

Personally, melting the rubber out (protecting the tub above with plumbers mat) then hacking out the remaining rubber, cutting the outer sleeve with a mini hacksaw (take your time and have a few breaks) and then beating the remaining sleeve with pry bar worked for me.

It's more agro getting all the bits out the way to get access to bush than it is to actually remove the bush.

If you're getting the one piece Powerflex bush to put in then buy a few large panel repair washers and some M10 studding to help get the new bush in. Plenty of copper slip on the outside of the bush.

[rev-erend]

Silly question time - why are you removing it?

[Superjuiced]

Thanks for all the advice. I have options for all eventualities! I have all the exhausts off and oil drained. It was the weekend project but I've just been informed that we are going away for it so will have to do it next week.

Why am I doing it? Because I'm giving the car a big tidy up I might not get another opportunity and if I paid someone it would cost a fortune. The chassis and engine are in good nick but its a little tired in places. The diff is the only major thing that needs looking at so I might as well do as much as I can while I'm back there.
A lot of the hoses are tired, so I've got a fried making up a lot of new ones with all the fittings, brakes are being skimmed, callipers repainted, little bits of peeling and that's about it.

Some pics

[Superjuiced]

[Superjuiced]

And before