xsparky
Member
Hi folks, I may change my offside driveshaft this weekend, I take it that the driveshaft is open to the gearbox oil - how much am I likely to lose when I withdraw the shaft?.
Cheers, Mike
Cheers, Mike
General Changing driveshaft
- Thread starter xsparky
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General Changing driveshaft
From what I remember about changing gaiters, you will lose quite a lot of oil... good excuse for a gear oil change?
Yes they are open to the gearbox the oil is held in by the gaiter rather than the shaft like on other cars i've worked on. Drain the oil first before taking the gaiter off. Even with the box drained expect a bit more to come out when the gaitor comes off.
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xsparky
Member
Thanks, I feel an oily path coming on!
Mike
Mike
Good advice, as you will loose almost every drop, there is a guide to bearing which is almost same procedure as removing driveshaft, there is also a quick way which takes about 20min or less to have the driveshaft free...
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xsparky
Member
I didn't realise there were any guides, I wish I'd read it first.
I took the caliper off using the rather vague Haynes manual, and came up against the top stud with a hex in the middle - how on earth are you meant to unscrew that - or aren't you? Anyway I did, but now I'll have to screw it back in, perhaps you can get a slim spanner on the hex part? I must admit it was getting dark and I wasn't sure whether the double stud was a pukka part or a normal stud with a seized on spacer, so I gave up at that point.
Mike
I took the caliper off using the rather vague Haynes manual, and came up against the top stud with a hex in the middle - how on earth are you meant to unscrew that - or aren't you? Anyway I did, but now I'll have to screw it back in, perhaps you can get a slim spanner on the hex part? I must admit it was getting dark and I wasn't sure whether the double stud was a pukka part or a normal stud with a seized on spacer, so I gave up at that point.Mike
Na that's the way it's meant to be but you don't need to remove the caliper.
Quick way
Whilst the car is on the ground with tyre on loosten the driveshaft nut. Jack up the car remove the wheel (axle stands) undo the rear link arm by removing the 19mm nut & long bolt, loosten the front tie bar, undo the bolt that links the link arm to the tie bar (17mm) undo the little (13mm) bolt and remove the stablising bracket (no need to remove the ball joint) remove the drive shaft nut, tap the end of the driveshaft with a rubber mallet or simmilar swing out the strut and remove the end of the driveshaft. All you need to do now is remove the 3 x 10mm bolts and the driveshaft is out. 20min is for when you really take your time and have a coffee after 10min
Quick way
Whilst the car is on the ground with tyre on loosten the driveshaft nut. Jack up the car remove the wheel (axle stands) undo the rear link arm by removing the 19mm nut & long bolt, loosten the front tie bar, undo the bolt that links the link arm to the tie bar (17mm) undo the little (13mm) bolt and remove the stablising bracket (no need to remove the ball joint) remove the drive shaft nut, tap the end of the driveshaft with a rubber mallet or simmilar swing out the strut and remove the end of the driveshaft. All you need to do now is remove the 3 x 10mm bolts and the driveshaft is out. 20min is for when you really take your time and have a coffee after 10min
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xsparky
Member
"20min is for when you really take your time and have a coffee after 10min"
You obviously inhabit a different time/space continuum to me Alan- 20 mins is just to make the coffee!
Thanks for the tips I'll employ them when I get stuck back in.
Mike
You obviously inhabit a different time/space continuum to me Alan- 20 mins is just to make the coffee!
Thanks for the tips I'll employ them when I get stuck back in.
Mike
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I kid you not it is really that quick, I've removed so many Panda gearboxes and engines that the technique has got quicker and quicker. When I removed Willies Gearbox it was just over an hour. (had a coffee break then as well )
)
Tell me about it! I'm incapable of doing any oil related task with out spilling 1 or 2 litres of the ground! When my Dad redid his drive he thought he had struck oil when he dug down in the bottom corner where all the oil had drained and settled!! Keeps the weeds down I suppose...
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Unfortunately oil is like blood you spill a drop and it looks like slit your wrist's.
Lol! So true Alan! And it's like the way one tiny leak leaves you with an engine covered in the black stuff :bang:
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xsparky
Member
Well that turned into a bastard of a job! I simply could not remove the bolt that holds the two control arms together. I've 35 years experience of dislodging stubborn bike, car and Land Rover parts and it would not budge. I was using a 3/4 drive socket with a long bar, and beating the damn thing upwards witha copper mallet, and it would not shift - any more leverage and I would have sheared the 19mm bolt. In the end I dropped the arm out at the rubber bush end, but when I change the track control arms I'm going to have to cut it off and have a replacement bolt to hand. Other observations - get the front up as high as you can, it's very difficult to get to the three bolts at the gearbox end when you're 15 stone and about as supple as a kerb stone. I also think it might have been easier If I'd dropped the sump guard off [ 4x4 ]
Well its done now, just got to wait for the new oil from Millers, and hope it doesn't leak. Oh - and took the advice to drain the gearbox, very sound - when I withdrew the shaft, virtually no oil got spilt. Happy days!
Mike
Well its done now, just got to wait for the new oil from Millers, and hope it doesn't leak. Oh - and took the advice to drain the gearbox, very sound - when I withdrew the shaft, virtually no oil got spilt. Happy days!
Mike
Well Mike I feel your pain, I undertook the same job today!
First of all thanks for your "Quick way" guide Alan. Maybe not 20mins but then I work slowly...
I have tried that way on my other Panda but there are 2 problem bolts. The first is that 19mm one you seemed to have fun with Mike. Today it came off but I have had similar woes in the past and given up. The other problem bolt is the 17mm one through the rubber bushing, the bolt often seizes to the metal housing and no amount of hammering will free it.
Anyway today it all went largely to plan except the bolts that hold the gaiter on, there are 4 hex bolts on a 4x4 and one of them was having none of it so just pulled the gaiter off.
I need to take the gearbox off to free a seized clutch arm, do I need to take the driver side drive shaft out too? I seem to remember in the past I didn't but it might make it easier...
First of all thanks for your "Quick way" guide Alan. Maybe not 20mins but then I work slowly...
I have tried that way on my other Panda but there are 2 problem bolts. The first is that 19mm one you seemed to have fun with Mike. Today it came off but I have had similar woes in the past and given up. The other problem bolt is the 17mm one through the rubber bushing, the bolt often seizes to the metal housing and no amount of hammering will free it.
Anyway today it all went largely to plan except the bolts that hold the gaiter on, there are 4 hex bolts on a 4x4 and one of them was having none of it so just pulled the gaiter off.
I need to take the gearbox off to free a seized clutch arm, do I need to take the driver side drive shaft out too? I seem to remember in the past I didn't but it might make it easier...
