When in doubt - get a louder hammer!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
When in doubt - get a louder hammer!
My Dad came over tonight. Greg & he helped me get the rear diff out & loaded into the truck.
We started with a pickle fork and big old sledge hammer.... It barely budged. Then Greg broke out the air chisel with a picke forke end on it.
Five minutes of really LOUD NOISE.....
"the neighbors are probably wondering what the racket is about" and one "screaming frightened of the noise 6 year old" later....
VOILA' Diff is out! :D Now the fun cleanup and restoration decision part begins. :)
I'm off to Tony's tomorrow to drop it off along with my driveshaft & T-arms. :cool: I figure they can deal with separating the diff from the X-member and while they're at it replace those bushings on the ends etc....
We started with a pickle fork and big old sledge hammer.... It barely budged. Then Greg broke out the air chisel with a picke forke end on it.
Five minutes of really LOUD NOISE.....
"the neighbors are probably wondering what the racket is about" and one "screaming frightened of the noise 6 year old" later....
VOILA' Diff is out! :D Now the fun cleanup and restoration decision part begins. :)
I'm off to Tony's tomorrow to drop it off along with my driveshaft & T-arms. :cool: I figure they can deal with separating the diff from the X-member and while they're at it replace those bushings on the ends etc....
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,526
Likes: 1
From: Harrison Township, Mi
Re: When in doubt - get a louder hammer! (Juliet)
Juliet,
I just purchased a new diff. for the 72. Can you please give me a list of the difficulties encountered in the removal of the old one. I haven't really spent much time under the back end of my Vette, so I don't even know what all has to come out.
I just purchased a new diff. for the 72. Can you please give me a list of the difficulties encountered in the removal of the old one. I haven't really spent much time under the back end of my Vette, so I don't even know what all has to come out.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,833
Likes: 15
From: Southeast La
Re: When in doubt - get a louder hammer! (Juliet)
Juliet,
Of course the easiest solution is to take the body off the car and use the BFH on top of the crossmember! :lol: :lol:
The most important tool to have is the 5 lb BFH found Sears...and yes, I'm serious. I'm up to 283 uses with mine. :jester
Of course the easiest solution is to take the body off the car and use the BFH on top of the crossmember! :lol: :lol:
The most important tool to have is the 5 lb BFH found Sears...and yes, I'm serious. I'm up to 283 uses with mine. :jester
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 1
From: Frankfurt, Taunus Hills
Re: When in doubt - get a louder hammer! (Stingy74)
stingy,
did the same with mine, but guess what:
This was barely 6 months ago and the car has been on wheels for only 25 meters - I still had to use a breaker bar to remove the crossmember from the frame.
I wonder how this can seize up in this short time without being used.
I just pushed the car around in the warehouse it wasn´t driven since.......
did the same with mine, but guess what:
This was barely 6 months ago and the car has been on wheels for only 25 meters - I still had to use a breaker bar to remove the crossmember from the frame.
I wonder how this can seize up in this short time without being used.
I just pushed the car around in the warehouse it wasn´t driven since.......
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
Re: When in doubt - get a louder hammer! (454Big)
Thanks guys. :) Jose's reply when he got the cart and went to the pickup truck to get the stuff "Gee, you've almost got an entire car in there!" :D
It was pretty straight forward to get them out. I already had the T-arms out(tough part) and the 1/2 shafts off. There's only a few things holding in the rear diff. You need to take the drive shaft off (obviously). The few bolts on the underside I had been soalking with penetrating oil for about 3 or 4 straight days (few times a day) so bolts were easy. Separating the X-member was a matter of getting the bushings to let it drop down. The bolts came out easy. Greg worked one side while I balanced the other & my dad was on the jack under the diff. Then we switched places while he jack hammered the other side. Once it came loose it just took one person on either side to balance it. All the rest of the diff was already loose. We worked it forward & down slowly to get it off the driveshaft etc... I had thought it would be more of an ordeal than that but it really wasn't too bad at all once all the bolts were out. I have a feeling reassembly might take longer since gravity will not be working in my favor. ;) ~Juliet
It was pretty straight forward to get them out. I already had the T-arms out(tough part) and the 1/2 shafts off. There's only a few things holding in the rear diff. You need to take the drive shaft off (obviously). The few bolts on the underside I had been soalking with penetrating oil for about 3 or 4 straight days (few times a day) so bolts were easy. Separating the X-member was a matter of getting the bushings to let it drop down. The bolts came out easy. Greg worked one side while I balanced the other & my dad was on the jack under the diff. Then we switched places while he jack hammered the other side. Once it came loose it just took one person on either side to balance it. All the rest of the diff was already loose. We worked it forward & down slowly to get it off the driveshaft etc... I had thought it would be more of an ordeal than that but it really wasn't too bad at all once all the bolts were out. I have a feeling reassembly might take longer since gravity will not be working in my favor. ;) ~Juliet
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,501
Likes: 0
Re: When in doubt - get a louder hammer! (Juliet)
I particularly like how Greg keeps his pinkie finger out when using the air chisel, just like it was a tea cup. What a classy guy! You're a lucky woman, Juliet!!