My Essex V6 Transplant

[madbri]

Today, jacked van up and sat axle on axle stands, started it up and put it in 2nd gear, clutch out and yes it is the back axle.
Have done 3 short videos, first to show prop running true, other 2 showing the axle and noise, the noise is there but as there is no resistance (tyres on road and driving) its no-where near as bad as when driving, but the noise is quite clear (turn up your volume), the passenger side wheel spins freely but the drivers side wheel is very notchy, so am guessing there is a failure on the drivers side shaft within the diff:







Plate in van states axle is Type: B and Ratio: L.
So what's the best option, replace with a 2nd hand one and hope all is well, rebuild this axle or new axle (but has to be the narrower early mk3 axle or my wheels won`t fit with the later wider axle.

or a wheel bearing breaking up. dont mean it,ll have play as the bearings wedge them selfs in the cassing. easy way to see is take ure half shaft out then spin the wheel. if still nochtie noisy then bearing.
but u said earlyer in thread it still made this noise with no prop on ? im confussed

[Leeday]

Hi Bri,

With prop off it made a bit of noise which could have just been things rattling, but as I said abit of noise but not as bad, so I mistook any noise I heard for the noise I knew, also with van under no direct load, noise would be reduced anyway. With van jacked up today and running in 2nd gear I put my hand on the diff unit and could feel the clonking, knocking on the housing.
Maybe its a bearing on the drivers side driveshaft, perhaps I should venture into removing the shaft and looking but then I have also never dismantled an axle so am concerned once I start taking it apart it will not be moveable / driveable I will not be able to obtain parts here on the island etc etc.
So am hoping someone reads this, looks at the videos and says yes this happened to me and you need to do this.
If life was so easy
Need to get this sorted asap as am losing loads of work and can`t afford it.

[limitedblack]

Will the diff casing come off on these (removeable plate)?

Best way to see if the diff gears are dying is usually that silver shimmer in the oil.

[Leeday]

Will the diff casing come off on these (removeable plate)?

Best way to see if the diff gears are dying is usually that silver shimmer in the oil.

Hi,
Mine is the H type, comes apart from the front:

[madbri]

half shafts easy to remove lee dont affect the diff at all and van still move able. just trying to think of right wording

[madbri]

Maybe its a bearing on the drivers side driveshaft, perhaps I should venture into removing the shaft and looking
def the way forward b4 dropping ure diff

[limitedblack]

Could you take out the fill plug and dip a straw in there to get a sample?

I think half shafts a good plan too, just trying to think of easy tests.

Doesn't some of the oil spill out the ends if you remove the half shafts, or is it not the same as an English axle??

[Luke]

Need to get this sorted asap as am losing loads of work and can`t afford it.

can't you just use it till you get sorted with another axle?

i'd swap the axle complete or the diff rather than trying to rebuild the one you have

[Leeday]

Need to get this sorted asap as am losing loads of work and can`t afford it.

can't you just use it till you get sorted with another axle?

i'd swap the axle complete or the diff rather than trying to rebuild the one you have

Hi Luke,

I was using it but the noise become so bad that everyone was looking at the van as it went passed and cars behind were dropping away from me.... so quite a serious noise.
Also very limited here on the Isle of Wight for parts (had to drive to Tim for a gearbox) and courier costs to the island are very expensive and am guessing a whole axle won`t be light and also need the narrower axle so my wheels still fit.

Cheers Bri

will have a look at taking out the driveshaft and limitedblack it says in the book oil will leak out when removing half shaft so will also grab a sample to check

[Luke]

tbh its not a big job to remove the full diff - jack it up pop both half shafts, drop the prop from the back and unbolt the diff - thats it all the hubs and wheel bearings can stay intact

[Leeday]

tbh its not a big job to remove the full diff - jack it up pop both half shafts, drop the prop from the back and unbolt the diff - thats it all the hubs and wheel bearings can stay intact

Cheers Luke,

I am confident in removing the parts etc, ordering smaller items and shipping them to the island should be cheaper, my only concern is reading about setting up backlash plus collapsible spacer drive pinion turning torque
Am I looking to make this a job harder than it really is?
Probably after doing it will think well that was easy but having never done this I am treading cautiously.

[madbri]

tbh its not a big job to remove the full diff - jack it up pop both half shafts, drop the prop from the back and unbolt the diff - thats it all the hubs and wheel bearings can stay intact

Cheers Luke,

I am confident in removing the parts etc, ordering smaller items and shipping them to the island should be cheaper, my only concern is reading about setting up backlash plus collapsible spacer drive pinion turning torque
Am I looking to make this a job harder than it really is?
Probably after doing it will think well that was easy but having never done this I am treading cautiously.

if ure able wich im sure u are drop ure half shafts out check ure wheel bearings for stiffness. then run ure van up and check for noise?

[jonochap]

Wow

[andypdq]

I am not familiar with these axles, but it looks very similar to the design of a Land Rover axle. If that's the case, then you just pull the halfshafts, undo the ring of bolts and the complete crownwheel, pinion, diff and carrier bearings drop out in one piece, they are all fastened to the "nose" casting, easy. This means you could easily fit a complete second hand assembly without having to dismantle the diff itself. No where near as heavy as a complete axle, so cheap carriage. Perhaps someone could confirm if i'm right.

[limitedblack]

Looked like that to me too, same as my english axle.