Morris Minor Owners Club

all the parts laid out on the end bench, some parts labelled, the smaller parts have a label in the box compartment they share.[frame][/frame]

the empty gearbox once again. the next step is a deep clean of it's interior surfaces.[frame][/frame]

this was how black with grime the spare gearbox was, hard to believe it's the same gearbox[frame][/frame]

one more view of the empty box, viewed through the side inspection plate opening[frame][/frame]

David I always use oven cleaner for my engine and casings leave overnight then stiff brush and soap and looks nice

Oven cleaner, good tip I'll give that a go. The "woop woop woop" noise Alice makes in third gear as I'm changing into 4th, then disappears until I reach 40mph, is starting to get louder. Now I can even hear the noise at 30mph. So with the spare gearbox it pieces in a cardboard box, I think I'm going to eliminate the final drive as a cause. It could be the pinion bearings. So off with the wheels.[frame][/frame]

halfshafts out, nose pulled off the front of the differential.[frame][/frame]

the caps are held on with four bolts, it's hard to stop the unit turning, so a spare spanner on the other bolts to counteract the torque, works until the last bolt. So I did the last 2 together, alternating one at a time.[frame][/frame]

out slides the diff gears, one cap join painted white, one cap join painted brown, so I can fit them the same way again later.
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the crown wheel looks in good order, no chipped or worn teeth.
it's the 60ft/lbs nut at the front of the pinion that worries me
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davidmiles wrote: it's the 60ft/lbs nut at the front of the pinion that worries me

No problem, just bolt a long piece of angle iron or similar to the (propshaft mounting) flange and then use a long breaker bar or put a pipe on your ratchet for the nut.

Brilliant thread David

Pinion nut = 140 ft/lb
Bearing cap nuts = 65 ft/lb
(From workshop manual.)

thanks Irmsher, glad you're enjoying my blog, of sorts. Roni 140ft lbs! glad I had my wheaterbix this morning. In the meantime I'll show you this, the rear hubs and break shoes covered in oil. They were fine when I fitted them, the MOT man left off the gaskets and tried some rubberised sealant instead. So new shoes and new gaskets waiting to go on.[frame][/frame]

the hub and drum screws were also missing, and I know I fitted those too. Lucky I have some spares in the box under the workbench.[frame][/frame]

this is the inside of the halfshaft hubs, some sort of rubberised sealant, failed to do the job. in the background the cleaned up drums dry off in some weak winter sunshine.[frame][/frame]

the brown and white marker spray paint, sprayed with a cardboard mask preventing paint getting on the crown wheel, this so I can reassemble the caps the same way as before.[frame][/frame]

David, are you sure that the oil is not coming from the inner seal?
That sealant looks pretty intact. For sure without the halfshaft screw or the brake drum screws the joint could easily open up after the wheels have been removed. Hard to imagine anyone assembling it without any of those three screws!

Neil MG wrote: Hard to imagine anyone assembling it without any of those three screws!

I find it all too easy to expect that sort of bodgery. Why waste 30 seconds of your life putting 3 screws in?

I think its a sign of the times

I think if the shaft/hub seal was leaking the brake backplates would be wet with oil.

3 screws? Aren''t there only 2 countersunk screws that secure the half shaft flange?

Only One, the other 2 secure the drum.

drivewasher wrote:I think if the shaft/hub seal was leaking the brake backplates would be wet with oil.

Exactly! Looks pretty wet to me!

davidmiles wrote:[frame][/frame]

Neil MG wrote:

drivewasher wrote:I think if the shaft/hub seal was leaking the brake backplates would be wet with oil.

Exactly! Looks pretty wet to me!

davidmiles wrote:[frame][/frame]

I meant as opposed to the drive flange paper/o ring

We changed a couple of those seals on our latest club mechanics day. They were original to the car and had gone completely plastic. They just crumbled when the bearing was removed.

It's clear from your pictures that the hub has been off before though, David. I am guessing you changed those seals during the rebuild, but I can't remember. The other problem is that the seal surface on the axle becomes worn or pitted, meaning that even a new seal won't (seal). That can be fixed readily with a speedi-sleeve, but they are not cheap.

Of course if it is only leaking from the halfshaft, then it's a much easier fix.

Thanks Neil. I'll bear that in mind when I come to put it all back together. But that time will be delayed as Alice will now have to spend some more time with the real wheels off as the Diff bearing part diff 122 has a too large a hole in the middle.
The part shown in this diagram is No16, the shaft is an inch wide, as you can see in the photo the hole is larger than that.
I may just have to inspect and replace the old one.[frame][/frame]