Help, Help, please,

Gearbox is out of car and Valla is nearly here!!! And it's raining constantly & I'm working in the back yard under a tarp.

Any clues on removing sideplates that are stubborn? They have come away from the case a small amount but wont move that last little bit. I"m worried that if I get too rough with levering I will damage face of case and if I use a knockometer on plates they might warp or snap.

Maybe some heat around case might help????

All suggestions welcome.


Matt.

[ Edited on 26-7-2006 by Matt Ryan ]

Victory at last,

The rain eased up to be replaced by mozzies but I got one plate off. First I removed all the studs then I prised the (crownwheel side) sideplate off enough so that a nut would fit between plate and case. Then I tapped gently with a FBH to rotate plate slightly so holes no longer lined up with threaded holes in case. I then put bolts through plate holes into nuts between plate and case. Then by holding the bolt heads still and winding the nuts on, I was able to evenly move plate away from case. It was the same principals used in a spreader. As soon as I had enough room I put another nut at the bottom of each bolt to increase the surface area where contact was being made on case, (preventing end of bolts from gouging into case).

To my amazement the diff bearing was so tightly stuck in the inside of the plate that it only moved a little. The WHOLE ASSEMBLY including diff did move however, resulting in it pulling the plate off on the side OPPOSITE to the one I was working on!!!.

So, now I at least have the axel assemblies out of the gearbox housing even though one is still attached to the diff. There is now plenty of room to get some heat into the sideplate on the inside surface to release the bearing. If I'd had to put heat in from other side it would have been much, much more risky for the plastic cup on the axle tube retainer assembly.


Valla here I come!!!!!


Matt.

[ Edited on 26-7-2006 by Matt Ryan ]