Outer Limits 4x4 Board

We had a rush trip to Brisbane last Monday. With only a day or so's notice, I did the rip around, changed the engine oil, ripped over all the grease nipples, checked diff and box oils. All OK, leaving town just after lunch Monday, and about 5 km into the trip, I smell something funny. It could have been grease flung off the tailshaft and cooking on the exhaust, but it smelt more like diff oil. So, pulling over, I look underneath, to see diff oil pouring out of the rear diff. Check it and find a hole punched in the cover, from the inside. Bashed the hole closed with a spanner, and turned around for home. Took it fairly carefully, trying not to stress the rear end. Arrived home, backed it into the driveway, and pulled the cover off, to find a pinion tooth sitting in the bottom. Contemplates a complete rear end changeover from my parts car, at least 4 hrs work. Goes and hires a car.
Started pulling both cars apart yesterday, with the intention of transplanting entire rear end, suspension and all, from parts car to road car, with just a swap of the diff centres. But, on closer inspection, rear axle of donar car has horrendous cancer between spring perch and axle tube. So, its disassemble both axle housings and transfer componants from one to the other, including the suspension swap, and the detriot swap. Then the worry, last time I did the pinion bearings, it took a mechanic, with huge rattle gun running max pressure, about 1/2 hr to crack the pinion nut. He advised not doing it up that tight on reassembly. But the worry was, how bad would the donor axle be. The gods must have been smiling on me, and I have had my run of bad luck (I've had my stretch of 3, thanks very much) because the nut on the donor axle was only mildly breaker bar tight, and the oil when drained, was nice and clean.
So now, Im having smoko, 10.30am, and both axles apart in the front yard. Just as long as the rain holds off, hopefully, it should be all reassembled again later this arvo.

Shit happens, I suppose.

diff oil stinks, makes me want to vomit. maybe its just the fact that when you wash it off you can still smell it for days.

good luck

I thought you were going to say one of the detriots broke

Hope you get it all sorted Dave...

Well if ever you're stuck in Brisbane and need something fixed you know where I live ......

Stu

Nope, after 10 years or so, the Detriot looks as good as new. As it turned out, the axle housing from the donor vehicle had rusted out between the tube and the spring perch, and leaked oil, so it meant a bit more work, stripping the broken diff completely, then the donor axle, transferring pinion over, changing crownwheels on the diff centre, then picking the best of the 4 axles. All done by about midday Sunday. Took the opportunity to overhaul the rear brakes.