Trouble Removing Rear Propshaft

[greasyhandsagain]

I know...I know...Its supposed to be EZ. Well, Im having trouble. On the handbrake end, Ive got bolts coming out, with nuts on them. As I loosen the nuts, with great difficulty, the bolts begin to spin.

Are these bolts locked in somehow, do I need to hold them forward in some manner to be able to remove the nuts completely? (PS 1958 S2 2 litre)

[Nium]

Spinning bolts, that would be a bad thing. They are a press fit like the bolts on the wheels that the lug nuts screw on. Wire brush off as much of the crude, rust from the bolts as you can. Use either a drill with a wire wheel fitted or a hand held wire brush.

You can try applying heat to nuts with a propane torch to try and expand nuts to help loosen. Be VERY careful with an open flame around tranny(especially if it is, as normal for a Series, soaked in oil) and being relatively close to gas tank best to have fire extinguisher on hand. Really if you use open flame have a fire extinguisher on hand.

OR soak the nuts and the visible threads of the bolts with PB Blaster or WD-40 for a day and see if that helps to loosen them up. To soak: spray on PB Blaster wait a couple hours go back spray on some more wait a couple hours go back and spray on some more, etc.

OR try removing the tranny brake drum so you can get to the backside of the flange to get a wrench on the bolts to keep them from spinning. If the tranny brake drum bolts are caked with rust and grime clean them real good and soak with PB Blaster before trying to remove nuts.

If all else fails drill the sides of the nuts with a small drill bit till you can split them, and thus destroying them, to remove. Instead of drilling you could invest in a nut cracker which is used to split the nut to remove, but maybe difficult to fit on flange nuts.

Sorry I couldn't be more encouraging.

Welcome Aboard!

[greasyhandsagain]

I dug through my huge stack of old LR magazines last night and found that the rear shaft comes apart . Since only my rear universal is bad....Im assuming that if I accuratly mark the index positions of the shaft halves....I can remove the back half and just do that universal.

Is there any downside to this? Seems like the answer to me.

[I Leak Oil]

You could do just that but at some point you're bound to need to remove the transfer case end for something...like when that other U-joint goes...
Usually that will happen in the most inconvenient location instead of your driveway.:D

[greasyhandsagain]

Yup that worked out really well...and once I got the thing on the workbench it was a simple matter to get the new universal installed. Of course the brutal tools needed to be used...........


Only problem remaining is the two bolts that go in the handbrake end are half undone....Ill try to get the vise grips on the end to hold it while I thread the nuts down. Cant do any more damage.....

[Nium]

Are you unable to undo the tranny brake drum and slide it down the drive shaft to access the back of the drive flange? Then ya could try and figure a way of holding the bolt heads without buggering up the bolt threads.

[greasyhandsagain]

I did get all six bolts off...but the drum wouldnt budge. didnt mess with the adjuster though. Nor did I give it the whack with the rubber hammer yet either. If I get that off can I actually get to the back of these? From reading here it seems these are fixed studs, so what would there be back there to grab onto anyway?

One thing I DO have in the toolbox is my dads old brass faced vise grips, which he made while he was messing with model T's

[Nium]

I took a look in the Green Bible and they should be bolts with hex heads on the back side of the flange. It has been awhile since I've been in there so I had to check the manual. Thus if you slacken off the brake adjuster (and have the hand brake disengaged ;)) a little beating with the rubber mallet and the tranny drum should come off allowing you to the backside of the flange.

A little grease or anti-seize on the bolts works great to make future removals easier. Just make sure to torque everything to correct specs. Reassembly is made all the easier by getting the gunk and rust off the bolts first too. If you need new bolts I'd bet RN could help you out.

Regards

[greasyhandsagain]

Thanks! Ill give that a try later on today.