[sstteevvee]

Hi guys.

Another thread and i'm in a little bit of a bother with this one.

After trying to get the front diff filler plug out for over 2 days its come to a head.

To cut a long story short the bloody thing is seized in. Worse thing i've come across yet. After trying heating it up and using multi-grips for aaaaages we decided to drill it and put an easy-out in it. After a ton of leverage the easy-out snapped in there. We tried for even longer to drill the thing out with a series of holes around the broken easy-out but due to the steel of the easy out we didn't have any luck with this either.

Anyway after some 'over-enthusiastic' hammer hits the diff housing along the right side of the filler plug bush (dont know what its called) has cracked.

So now i'm left with a cracked diff housing, a plug with holes in it, and im in a worse spot then when i started. I still need to get the plug out in order to fill it and flush it but its as good as welded in.

So, what's my best option? Do i try to remove the entire front diff housing from the car so i can remove the diff cover on the opposite side and hope to remove the easy-out from the inside? Then push the crack out and get it welded, or should i attempt to find a new diff housing without a seized filler plug and change mine out, solving the cracked housing and plug issue?

Sorry for the long-winded thread but i'm pretty disapointed at the moment, literally spent over two days trying to sort this and i've ended up stuffing it

Cheers for any input guys
Steve

[inbits]

Did you try to heat it with an oxy or just a gas torch

Weld a bolt or nut to the fill plug then use a breaker bar that should get your plug out then weld up the crack

Provided you have access to a welder. If not surely an az member over there can help you out

[inbits]

Being your front diff you would be able to drive it in 2wd and hubs unlocked to get someone to help you out if need be

[sstteevvee]

Thanks for that mate. I was only heating with a turbo torch, i have an oxy set here but wasn't too sure if it would be too much heat. Thought about the nut idea but this plug honestly seems like it's welded in, its rediculously tight.

[inbits]

The oil probably hasn't been changed in years and has rusted in with a good weld and a breaker bar you should be able to get it. Try using the oxy heating it with one of those small torches won't do much.

[sstteevvee]

Also how involved is removing the front diff center/carrier? Would i have to get the diff re-adjusted if i did this? The reason i ask is because i would like to be able to get access to the inside of the plug and where the crack is so i can knock the part that has cracked and sunk a little back out to make it a basic flush weld. I also figured this would be the safest way to make sure no metal shavings are left in there after drilling the plug

[skyman]

You need to undo the axle bolts, and slip the axles out about half way to b able to pull the diff out. IMHO whether you want to or not, this seems like the go.

What I would do is go get an oversized weld-in fill/drain plug and bung. The grab a hole saw the size of the new bung. Take that hole saw and drill out the entire mess. The housing metal is thing so that should be an easy job.

weld in the new bung and fill plug, then you are good to go.

[rick1970]

inbits wrote:

Did you try to heat it with an oxy or just a gas torch

Weld a bolt or nut to the fill plug then use a breaker bar that should get your plug out then weld up the crack

Provided you have access to a welder. If not surely an az member over there can help you out

Welding a nut to a broken bolt/stud/plug usually works.

Broken easyout is a whole new ball game. Heat the easyout with the oxy (red hot) and allow it to cool naturaly. You may be able to drill it after doing this. Try using a Cobalt drill bit or even a masonry bit with the point sharpened like a nornal drill. Go slow and lube with something, even Lanolin spray or WD40 will do at a pinch.

If it comes down to it, you could cut the entire plug and boss out, weld a new boss in its place. If your gunna pull the centre, this could be your best bet.

By the sounds of it, its gone past the 'easy fix' stage.

[fordem]

sstteevvee wrote:

Also how involved is removing the front diff center/carrier? Would i have to get the diff re-adjusted if i did this?

Disconnect the drive shaft and tie it out of the way, pull the axles part way out of the diff, unbolt the center/carrier and remove.

Reassembly is basically the reverse - adjustment not required unless you disassemble the center/carrier after removing it, which you should not need to do.

[skyman]

Good advice on the easy out. I had one, make that two broken off inside a flywheel. I needed it running for Monday too.

I melted a regular drill bit trying to get it out, so I went to the hardware store and asked for a very very hard drill bit, and then bought three of them.

I wanted a reverse drill bit so it would help brak up and pull out the easy-out but they didn't have one.

Knowing drilling through the easy out would be very difficult, I took as big of a cold chisel as I could , and ground the tip to a sharp point. I then bashed it in the hole hard as. The chisel broke the top of the easy out into little pieces.

Go slow, add oil, and if you can chisel out, or beak some pieces off the top of the easy out then drill a little, then break some more off.

I wish you the best of luck if you try to drill it out, it is definitely a difficult process.

[sstteevvee]

Ok so a picture tells 1000 words (or something like that)

Hopefully you can see the crack i'm talking about. You will definately be able to see the butchery that has occured trying to get the dam plug out.

I tried cobalt bits and the easy out laughed at them. Next best idea was to try and drill around the easy out to drop it out. We were then going to drill as much of the guts out as possible and use the little bits of thread that are sticking out to cave the threads in and hopefully push it out.

The oversized plug may not work due to the raise in the housing.





Thanks for the suggestions so far, probly a noob question but whats the best way to pull the axels out/remove the axel bolts? Do i have to drop the steering knuckles?

[Scrawny]

Unfortunately the front is quite involved to get apart. Free wheeling hubs come off then wheel bearing comes apart. My suggestion would be to put a swivel hub kit through it and regrease the bearings and cv's while you have it apart. It also may be easier to just find a second hand housing to put all your bits in

[skyman]

Actually the four bolts behind your caliper will do it, the axles will slip right out hub and all. The bolts do not come all the way out because they are blocked by th backing plate.

So remove the caliper, then the four caliper bolts and pull the out far enough to remove the diff. This is how I carry my spares and remove the axles. This way if you want to work on the hub, you can do it on the bench instead of on the axle.

What I meant was to use a hole saw and remove drill the raised portion too. Use a hole saw big enough to encompass the whole big mess.

I am sure you can find a weld in bung/boss that would fit in it's place.

[sstteevvee]

Ah ok, i dont have a problem with the free wheeling hub or wheel bearings, i repacked the bearings bout 4 days ago. I just haven't pulled a swivel hub apart yet.

If i do try to track down a case are the cases the same through certain years? So would i have to find a case specifically from a sj40/410 or are others the same?

[Fatzook]

Get another diff housing. it will cost you the same as having that one repaired, and either way you will need to pull the diff apart to fix it.

[shep]

if it was mine i would pull the fill plug and drill a good hole in the drain plug
and let it drain as much as possible.
then clean the dead plug and surrounding area with contact cleaner as much as possable.
then just slap some devcon in the holes and worry about it next time ya want to drain the oil.

[sstteevvee]

Thanks skyman, this thing is on drums but if the bolts your talking about are the ones pictured below then i know which one your talking about. If not, i don't......





Thanks guys, i think i'll try to patch this one up for now, i know a professional welder who might be able to run a weld on the outside to seal it up for me so. If not i'll be on the hunt for a new housing.

[skyman]

Those four may release the entire assembly. On a samurai front with disks they are on the opposite side of the backing plate.

[LittleJeep]

just undo the king pins and felt seals and slide the whole axle/assembly out enough to pull the center out.

[sstteevvee]

Thanks little jeep. Is there anything i need to watch out for/be mindful of when removing and re-installing the king pins and felt seals?

[rick1970]

sstteevvee wrote:

I tried cobalt bits and the easy out laughed at them.?

Cobalt drill wont drill the easyout as it is. Heating red hot with the oxy and letting it cool will soften the easyout somewhat and make it easier to drill, same deal as roll pins, grub screws, etc.

From the looks of the pix, its either replace the housing or pull it out and cut the ofending plug/boss out and weld new one in.

Easyouts are not the best tool for a plug/bolt/stud thats really stuck in place, and will more often than not end up giving you more grief than when you started.

[LittleJeep]

sstteevvee wrote:

Thanks little jeep. Is there anything i need to watch out for/be mindful of when removing and re-installing the king pins and felt seals?

make sure there is no dirt under the car (on the ground) where the king pins are it because when you pull the whole assembly out the bottom king pin bearing will likely fall out. (don't get dirt in it!). the top one will stay there. when reassembling, just put extra grease with king pin bearings and CV joint (if needed)

[sstteevvee]

Thanks.

One last thing before i go out and start to pull it apart, can anyone tell me how heavy the diff center is likely to be? Is it a one man job, or am i going to struggle and damage something?

[LittleJeep]

you'll be right, it's only a one man job! center is probably 10-15kg i think

[sstteevvee]

Thanks liitle jeep.

Diff center is out and so is the easy-out. I've since drilled out as much of the plug as i can but i still cant crush whats left in there. This plug is the diff plug from hell!! Considering leaving whats in there and tapping a new thread.

On another note my welder may not be able to help me. Is there anyone in perth who is handy with a welder that would consider running a bead around the crack for me?

At least the positive thing is that i'm learning how to pull the zook apart......Just gotta get it all back together, haha.

[sstteevvee]

Im also considering changing out the front housing. Can anyone tell me if the housing from this sierra that is being wrecked is the same as mine? Mine is an 83 sj40/410 and from what i can tell the one in the link is a 88.

http://perth.gumtree.com.au/c-Cars-Vehi ... Z263821411

Also if i use all my gear from mine, i.e axels, king pins, diff center. Will i need to get it adjusted to suit. I know my king pins didn't have any shims on them but the main concern would be the front diff center.

Thanks
Steve

[shep]

yours is a 1.0 sj40 ? the diffs from them seem to sell for $50 a pair.
the one in the gum tree add is a wt siera and they wont fit.

[sstteevvee]

Really??? Do you happen to have any links or ideas as to where i can find one for around $50

[shep]

sstteevvee wrote:

Really??? Do you happen to have any links or ideas as to where i can find one for around $50

i am just going off what i see in the for sale section here.

[sstteevvee]

Ok so i've decided to drop the diff housing. Couple of questions, i'm gonna leave the leaf srings on the u bolts and just take the four bolts out of the shackles. Are the leafs under any pressure when the car is jacked up? They're stock leafs. Also i'm guessing that its best to undo the shocks once the leafs are off which will mean the shocks aren't under any pressure.

It appears quite straight forward but just want to make sure that the springs aren't under any pressure and will unbolt and drop easily enough.

Thanks

P.S
This forum is an absolute god send!!!! You guys are legends!!! I'm gonna have to catch up with the Perth crew once i get the zook on the road