Shaft seized in IFS diff- help

[noelb]

Have the burb at the repairers to replace the R/H passengers axle seal in the side of the IFS diff. They attempted to remove shaft/hub from diff last week and were unable to so put it all back together and sent me home. Gave it another try today and now the burb is in overnight whilst they give it another try with a different puller tomorrow. Appears the Cir-clip on the shaft won't let the shaft free from the diff centre. Can anyone offer any advice? Could they have missed something? I hate to think of the labour bill at $60 an hour.

[noelb]

hasn't anyone got any ideas?

[john8662]

Without having done it yet (actually will be, having a leak up front in that area too) it looks like their is a retainer clip from the diagram I'm looking at in my '95 repair manual.

To me it looks like you have to remove the axle tube on the passenger's side (two bolts to the frame) then disconnect the tube from the carrier assembly then pull that out to get to the clip. From the looks of the diagram, it appears as though it will come apart by unbolting the tube off the carrier (pumpkin). Then you can get at the clip to remove the axle from the tube.

[noelb]

Thanks John, Not sure that I follow completely with out seeing the picture. Will be 2 weeks minimum before the manuals and get here if I order today them shipped.

From my understanding, and the understanding of the repairer, the clip of which you speak is a round x-section circlip and this is supposed to compress to the size of the shaft on its own when sufficient outward pressure is applied***. The shaft will then slide out. If it is anything other than this we need to know before damage is caused in the process of trying the above procedure.

*** the same system as used on most Front wheel drive Driveshafts.

[DmaxMaverick]

Need an instant manual??

Try www.alldatadiy.com . Excellent resource. I use it.

[noelb]

signed up for the manual and faxed off the instructions to repairer. Thankyou.

I hope they haven't done any damage in the meantime.

[DmaxMaverick]

Wow. That was quick.

I hope it works out for you.

[noelb]

Me Too. The instructions should help them to finish the job. Here's hopeing!:)

For info of anyone else in the same spot. I don't believe the R/H shaft pops out like the L/H shaft. By the looks of it you have to unbolt and remove (output shaft) tube from the carrier and then remove some internals from the end of the output shaft before it is tapped out with a soft faced mallet.

[noelb]

Job completed. 7.5 hours labour. Charged for 4 hours @ $80/hr.

Seal cost $38.16
Air Freight$17.04
Insurance $1.27
Oil $15.18
Labour $320.00
Misc $18.18
Total $450.80

Cheers,

Noel

[john8662]

By the looks of it you have to unbolt and remove (output shaft) tube from the carrier and then remove some internals from the end of the output shaft before it is tapped out with a soft faced mallet.

Was this correct? That's just what my diagram illustrated.

[noelb]

Thanks John8662, I appreciated your input. Sometimes it is hard to have faith in what you read until you see it yourself - a picture speaks a thousand words. I didn't see exactly what they did but it was pretty much how you had said when I spoke to them. I relayed what you had said at the same time I faxed a picture. By that time they had already worked out that pulling a circlip through a bearing would not have been a good idea and had removed the axle tube and were well on the way. Anyway what you said help to get me on the right track. I shouldn't have worried in hindsight.

The only part my mechanic changed was to find a suitable socket then use a press to push the shaft out instead of tapping with the mallet. I'm sure the mallet would have done the trick but if you have a press...

By the way I think that 4 hours is more than enough time to get the job done. But I am happy to have the burb back in the drive!


Cheers

Noel

[john8662]

Excellent news, good to have it back on the road!