drivetrain refurbishment questions

[jesfirth]

so i am still chasing down my drivetrain clonk on take up or lift off and this winters job is to refurbish the whole drivetrain.

the GKN diff is on the garage floor ready to be swapped for a refurbished one. I have new diff brackets and have pressed the bushes and sleeves in.

I want to remove the drive shafts and the prop to check/refurbish the UJ's etc.

My questions are:

I assume the drive shafts just unbolt from the hubs in the same way as they bolt to the diff or is it also a splined shaft?

how does the prop come out - does it just slide backwards - if so any tips - what is the best method of pulling it back

do the hubs ever clonk?

finally - renewing the top diff mount - does it just tap out and a new one tapped in or is a pig of a job - I have easy access form above though as my rear shelf is removable

thanks

[MPO]

If its a T5 gearbox you will need to drain the gearbox oil before sliding out the prop. Otherwise it can leak out!

[BIG DUNC]

Diff top mount was a pig on mine.

Landed up burning the rubber away and using a saw to go through the sleeve.

Awkward with the body off, so good luck with that, even if the rear shelf does lift out.

[stevesprint]

jesfirth said:

so i am still chasing down my drivetrain clonk on take up or lift off and this winters job is to refurbish the whole drivetrain.

the GKN diff is on the garage floor ready to be swapped for a refurbished one. I have new diff brackets and have pressed the bushes and sleeves in.

I want to remove the drive shafts and the prop to check/refurbish the UJ's etc.

My questions are:

I assume the drive shafts just unbolt from the hubs in the same way as they bolt to the diff or is it also a splined shaft?

how does the prop come out - does it just slide backwards - if so any tips - what is the best method of pulling it back

do the hubs ever clonk?

finally - renewing the top diff mount - does it just tap out and a new one tapped in or is a pig of a job - I have easy access form above though as my rear shelf is removable

thanks

Correct, 'the same way as they bolt to the diff' and with the same 8mm hex drive.

Just pulls/slides out the back of the T5 and you shouldn't need to drain the oil unless you are removing the T5.

Hubs don't clonk but the CV joins could or make a cracking sound.

Top diff bush can be a pig but at least you have top access.

Sounds like your new garage is warm enough for a little light winter work.
Good Luck for 2018
Steve

[phazed]

Pull out the inner sleeve and rubber using a special bush puller or use various size sockets and a long bolt to extract.

Then use a pad saw to cut a slot in the outer sleeve to weaken it then remove.

As said, if you keep your gearbox level, then the oil will remain in.

Check that your universal joints are in perfect condition on your prop shaft.

Out of interest, mine is quite clunky on throttle on and off. I had My diff rebuilt by John Reid and he stated that it did have some wear in it which was surprising for 35,000 miles.
I have bought a new diff from Central TVR andit is sitting in the garage ready to go in, in the next few weeks and I'm sure this will solve the problem.

Alun, (classichim) renewed his diff at my place a months ago with a new one from Central TVR and the result was absolutely perfect, no clonking at all, this is what I am aiming for!

Good Luck!

[Classic Chim]

And I’m still enjoying the diff.
And I get the chance to help put Peters back in, you scratch my back and all that.
Actually it’s because we bombed mine in I can hardly remember what we did

No replacing top Bush so fairly straight forward when someone has the skills and a lift and a gearbox jack

[jesfirth]

stevesprint said:

Correct, 'the same way as they bolt to the diff' and with the same 8mm hex drive.

Just pulls/slides out the back of the T5 and you shouldn't need to drain the oil unless you are removing the T5.

Hubs don't clonk but the CV joins could or make a cracking sound.

Top diff bush can be a pig but at least you have top access.

Sounds like your new garage is warm enough for a little light winter work.
Good Luck for 2018
Steve

Steve thanks for the above - last years garage upgrades included kitchen units and sink, a shower and toilet, latex floor, insulation to the walls, heating with radiators fed from the house, a decent stereo, kitchen units and crucially sky TV with a nice 40 inch screen so its a nice place to be.....my only problem is that the ceiling is too low for a 2 post lift - Mrs F has said no to the lift legs poking into the bedroom above.....women can be so unreasonable.

[jesfirth]

phazed said:

Out of interest, mine is quite clunky on throttle on and off. I had My diff rebuilt by John Reid and he stated that it did have some wear in it which was surprising for 35,000 miles.
I have bought a new diff from Central TVR andit is sitting in the garage ready to go in, in the next few weeks and I'm sure this will solve the problem.

Alun, (classichim) renewed his diff at my place a months ago with a new one from Central TVR and the result was absolutely perfect, no clonking at all, this is what I am aiming for!

Good Luck!

thanks - mine was also rebuilt by john reid last winter so I guess they are just old and tired. Maybe I will buy a new BTR - they are £1050 now. I am awaiting a price from Gearbox man for a rebuild so the decision will be price dependant.

[Classic Chim]

Sounds like she’s already kicked you out

Not a bad place to be at all by the sound of that.

[Classic Chim]

jesfirth said:

thanks - mine was also rebuilt by john reid last winter so I guess they are just old and tired. Maybe I will buy a new BTR - they are £1050 now. I am awaiting a price from Gearbox man for a rebuild so the decision will be price dependant.

A new one in the scheme of things still seems cheap to me Jes.
Quicker or more likely you can control the power slightly more.
I’m more confident in the rear.

[jesfirth]

alun - I think you are probably right

[steve-V8s]

You may find the CV joint at the hub end requires some “encouragement” so much so that you start to wonder if you have left some bolts in. just give it a whack.

[BIG DUNC]

steve-V8s said:

You may find the CV joint at the hub end requires some “encouragement” so much so that you start to wonder if you have left some bolts in. just give it a whack.

Which is fine - unless he really has left a bolt in.......

[Pete Mac]

phazed said:

Pull out the inner sleeve and rubber using a special bush puller or use various size sockets and a long bolt to extract.

Then use a pad saw to cut a slot in the outer sleeve to weaken it then remove.

As said, if you keep your gearbox level, then the oil will remain in.

Check that your universal joints are in perfect condition on your prop shaft.

Out of interest, mine is quite clunky on throttle on and off. I had My diff rebuilt by John Reid and he stated that it did have some wear in it which was surprising for 35,000 miles.
I have bought a new diff from Central TVR andit is sitting in the garage ready to go in, in the next few weeks and I'm sure this will solve the problem.

Alun, (classichim) renewed his diff at my place a months ago with a new one from Central TVR and the result was absolutely perfect, no clonking at all, this is what I am aiming for!

Good Luck!

I would look at those UJs first, you've got two on the prop and two each on the driveshafts so that leaves plenty of scope for wear. Could be the diff but they are pretty bulletproof generally so it would definitely be my second place to look (all in my humble opinion of course.....) Pete

[Pete Mac]

You're not a million miles from me. If you want to stick the Griff on my 2-Post you're very welcome. Pete

[Pete Mac]

and yes, my top mount was an absolute pig to get out. I also burnt out the rubber then cut nearly through the outer case with an air-saw and then chiselled it out. This was with body off the chassis, I imagine with body on chassis it would be even more difficult.

There must be a special tool to be made up with bolt and plate to pull bush through but it is going to need some force. Sorry to not be more optimistic. Pete

[jesfirth]

Pete Mac said:

You're not a million miles from me. If you want to stick the Griff on my 2-Post you're very welcome. Pete

thanks for the kind offer - on Saturday I would have accepted but on sunday I pulled it out. it is now with gearboxman in herts for a rebuild with a nice 3.77 lower ration which should give it a bit more grunt......

this weeks evening jobs are to remove the prop and drive shafts - happy days