13 replies to this topic

[Foolish]

After a year solid graft finish off my '74 on time for our house move. I've come across a catastrophic problem.

When I put the engine in I didn't have a crane available. So, to stay on time i just built the engine in the bay. I got the 'box in, the block on and jacked the engine over to fit the flywheel housing. Here's the problem.

I must have jacked it over too far. The right hand pot joint locked up and the engine wouldn't lower in straight. After fighting for half an hour I got the engine in straight and level and all seemed good.

Today i got the car running for the first time and managed to drive it 100yds or so, and there was a loud clunking sound coming from the R/H pot joint. When I tried to back it into the garage there was a loud crunch and total loss of drive! I reselected reverse and it backed into the garage this time sheding a bit of oil on the floor.

The right hand pot has a lot of play in it. It wiggles at the slightest touch. How deep do you guys think I'm in here? I'm guessing Diff bearings or even diff housing coverplate damage.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Gulfclubby]

Has the pot simply come off the diff output shaft? After all, it's only held in by a circlip.

[Foolish]

It looks full 'home' in the diff casing. But it's definetly something to check in the morning.

[Rich1275]

The joint may also have broken up or cracked or split the joint casting..

[Foolish]

The joint looks solid all the way around. I'll poke at it with a screwdriver to see if the neck has cracked or separated.

[bmcecosse]

You'll have to pull it out and inspect it all properly. Best to split ball joints and open up the suspension so the pot joints can be assembled easily. Avoids all this kind of mess!

Edited by bmcecosse, 17 October 2011 - 09:14 PM.

[Foolish]

The only thing I hate more than ball joints is assembling CV's. But needs must. I don't have a pot joint splitter, is there a way around it?

[Cooperman]

A couple of good screwdrivers will get the pot joint inner end out of the diff output shaft. To get the pot joint apart just take off the gaiter clips and it'll pull out.You'll need a ball joint splitter to undo the swivel pins and track rod end in order to free the hub. I had to take a pot joint out last weekend, so I undid the swivel pins, track rod end and the inner gaiter clips, then pulled the hub clear leaving the CV joint and drive shaft still installed the hub. With that all clear, the pot joint inner can be prised out from the diff output. Don't forget to drain all the oil out first (sorry if this is a bit obvious, but I know someone who forget to do so recently and got oil all over the garage floor - no, not me this time!).

[Foolish]

Right, I have pictures.

I took the pot joint out and that is fine. But the diff output shaft has play in it.

The pic is taken looking up and aft, at the right hand diff output shaft.




Here's the state of the cover plate. This needs replacing too.



There's a couple of chips on the outer flange too (no pic)

Any advice? Guessworks are you out there?

[Guess-Works.com]

can't tell you much from the above apart from the bush in the output cover is well mashed....

[Foolish]

Yeah, in this case the picture doesn't tell a thousand words. It's simply there to show the offending item. Is there supposed to be play in the output shaft, to the tune of apx. 3mm, and the bush keeps things all nice and straight? Or am I looking at a deeper strip to find out there's likely to be damage to the diff?

[Guess-Works.com]

I suspect that the mica thrust has disintegrated in the diff unit which is giving the excessive play, if you can push and pull the output shaft in and out ( probably by about a mm ) then the thrust is no longer there.

To fix that it's an engine out job.

[Foolish]

Right-o. There is movement laterally on the shaft. So; that's that, then. Looks like it'll be trailered to our new house. Thats robbed me of more than a few plans i had for her. No doubt I'll be giving you a call in the new year for a rebuild kit.

Thanks for the help.

[gowers]

HI there im just wondering if there was an outcome from this and if so how did you sort it iv just had the block of my 998 rebuilt so thought id take the time to re do the seals ect on my box and found my box to have this problem aswell the passenger side splines have a  tiny bit of movement but the driverside moves well ill just say ALOT so if possible is it an easy fix and how much am  i looking at?????

 

many thanks ross :)