Salvaging the diff from my broken base unit

mrtask

mrtask

Well-Known Member
Having finally managed to transport my restoration project to a professional workshop, where next week I will hopefully get the thing running under its own power once more, I have had a chance to sweep and clean up in my lock up. I am now left looking at my organ donor, a bare base unit rolling on front and rear running gear, but bereft of everything else. I want to get rid of most of it.
I'm now pondering how best to extricate the differential, which I would like to retain as a spare. I don't have a car lift yet and neither do I have a trolley jack that lifts very high. I was wondering if it would be worth removing the roof pillars and roof supporting frame with an angle grinder, then tipping the topless base unit upside down so that it rests on the front and rear scuttles, so that the suspension then rests on the inverted body shell. Would that make it easier to extricate the diff and DeDion tube to be retained? I'm thinking it would make it a damn sight easier to get at everything.
Gents, what are your thoughts? Good idea or plain stoopid?
 
I took everything off first (Trailing arms, springs and shocks, de-dion tube with elbows, drive shafts etc,) except the diff, then turned Sparky on his side before removing the diff with the help of an engine crane.

If you turn it on its roof, when you try to remove the springs, they will still be under tension. Also the whole assembly is very heavy so I doubt if you will be able to take it off in one piece without some serious lifting equipment. But then you are able to turn the car over so perhaps you have some?

If you can lift the car, I would remove the nuts on the bolts that hold the front cross member - leave the bolts in. Then remove the bolts that hold the top links to the boot wall. Cut any wires and brake pipes to the diff, remove the nuts on the top of the shocks, remove the bolts holding the diff hanger from inside the boot, then jack the car up until the springs are loose.

Then remove the bolts holding the cross member - don't be under it when you do, and gently lever them away from the body. Don't have it too far up at this time. Then it should just wheel out in one piece.

Richard
 
Might actually be easier with the car just rolled onto it's side, then the diff etc is right in front of you, and you can unbolt it and drop it to the ground. If you turn it completely upside down then you'll have to lift it out of the shell. Plus it saves cutting the roof off.

(edit) Richard's plan does actually sound very good.
 
"If you turn it on its roof, when you try to remove the springs, they will still be under tension. Also the whole assembly is very heavy so I doubt if you will be able to take it off in one piece without some serious lifting equipment. But then you are able to turn the car over so perhaps you have some?"

No lifting gear per se, hoping to simply enlist the manpower of all the other guys in the neighbouring garages one weekend afternoon! I reckon six or seven fellas ought to be able to tip the stripped shell over.

I'm not really sure if I want to keep the springs, in fact I don't know if I actually need to retain the front suspension as spares, I hope my refurbished parts will last a long time in the restored car. I guess it is much easier to get rid of a car as scrap if it still rolls on its own wheels. I don't much fancy the idea of dragging the base unit out of my garage by scraping it along the concrete floor on its underbody. I was thinking it ought to be possible to remove the diff and extension housing, and the propshaft, but leave the rest of the running gear in place. Then the thing can be rolled along rtaher than becoming a cumbersome great object! I want to remove and retain the gas shocks. Am I right in thinking the front suspension doesn't collapse without the front shock in place?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top