leaky diff

[cowman]

The mk1 pi has had a slightly leaky diff since i purchased 8 months ago.
Started small but with longer club runs, and more use, has gotten worse.

Drips approx  1/4 of diff oil over 2 weeks (250mls)

I have been keeping oil topped up before each run.

Oil drip seems to form on lower bolt of the nose piece / axle housing so i have presumed the pinion oil seal requires replacement and have now received the new one.

To get to this seal it looks like i need to:

1. remove 4 bolts from tail shaft to companian flange
2. remove 8 bolts from nose piece / susp su frame
3. remove 4 bolts from nose piece / axle housing

As you can tell im very new at home mechanics so any advise or easier way to replace seal would be apprecaited. Id rather have a go than send to mechanics. (famous last words  ::)).

Also the diff is MD 1604 - I presume  (MD 1) this is correct diff / ratio for the mk1 pi?

Thanks, Glen.

[Deleted User]

1. Find flat ground and jack up high and support (very securely) under rear sills... use wood along sills to spread the load... both side (don't support under rear subframes) chock front wheels and preferably some old tyres and rims under the sills too as a secondary line of defence if it falls of the stands
2. Remove rear exhaust mountings
3. Remove half shafts at diff flange each side (8 x 9/16 )  (use a decent ring spanner)
4. Undo two nuts holding diff carrier (use a socket and plenty of releasing fluid if rusty)... have a trolley jack under the diff to take the weight
5. Lower entire rear subframe assembly under the weight of the diff..... it will hang and flex on the subframe rubbers at the sides
6. put a chock of wood between the floor and the subframe so that when the weight of the diff is removed it doesn't spring back
7. Undo the 4 bolts holding the diff in place and lift it off (bloody heavy)

8.Remove seal... screw driver and small hammer... put new seal in with some sealant around the housing
9. Unblock breather at top of diff and
then do the reverse to refit.  Two people helps.Try to put it on straight so as not to damage the seal... grease on seal will help

[Richard B]

It would be worth considering changing the Nose-Piece Bearing at the same time; some suppliers sell an exchange unit which is strengthened or you can just change the bearing yourself, or if you know a good welder you can also strengthen it yourself.

When the seal fails the oli leakage tends to wash out the grease in the Nose-Piece Bearing leading the a subsequent failure.

[Lord Sorbington]

Does your diff actually drip oil onto the ground?

I ask as I noticed both driveshaft seals on my diff appear to be leaking slightly, but it doesn't leave a puddle on the floor.  The level is OK.  May just be where I sprayed WD40 around to get the driveshaft bolts out......

[cowman]

Sorbs, you bet it drips to the ground. If i listen carefully i can still hear my wife cursing my good name. Something about oil stains on the concrete floor?
I could be wrong, as i try not to listen.

Thanks to all for setting me straight as it looks like i had the procedure all wrong.

I will give it a go, but dont be suprised if im not back on here crying like a baby cause i cant figure some simple part out.

Even though im mechanically inept, i still enjoy it when i DO fix something and it makes the car even more enjoyable to drive.

Just recently replaced steering rack mounts with poly and its a huge difference in the steering.

thanks,
Glen.

[Richard B]

There's nothing too complicated about it; just that the diff is rather big & heavy. You want a decent size jack to drop it not one of the 'Mickey Mouse' jacks.

[cowman]

oooh jeeez!!!

Could have just made a huge mistake removing the diff.

I removed all drive shaft bolts, no worries.

Its at this point i should stop "thinking" to much whilst under the car.

I decided in a rash decision to undo the "buffer" rubbers as they look slightly perished and this would make it easier to remove the diff.

Well, the diff is out, but will i be able to line everything back up and get these buffer rubbers replaced and done back up? Have i stuffed up?

And how much play is acceptable with the nose bearing (how long a piece of string, i know). There is some movement, but not a huge amount.
Does the nose piece have to come right out to change the bearing?

All help appreciated (and i dont mind being called a tool in you replies).

Thanks, Glen.

[Richard B]

By 'Buffer Rubbers' do you mean the big bushes at the end of the subframes that bolt to the shell? If so no big problem, but a bit of a physically big job. I prefer to reassemble the whole rear unit and then put it back on in it's entirety.

Normally you support the trailing arm with a jack, after undoing the shock absorber and then the spring comes out when you lower the jack.

The Nose piece probably does need removing, the bearing is easier to change in a vice (or get an exchange strengthened unit).

The whole rear end is only held on at 6 points, 2 Diff, 2 Sub-frame mounts, 2 shock absorbers. Once the springs are detensioned, the handbrake cable removed and the brake lines undone theres nothing left holding it on!

Bugger forgot the exhaust through the sub-frame :)

[Deleted User]

Just AVOID the temptation to wash it out with petrol!!  ::)

All old diffs acquire a lot of play on the planets, but the early ones were the best.
..so chances are once you change the faulty seals it will go on quite a while longer

(bit like me I guess)))   ;D

[thescrapman]

GTEVO wrote:

Just AVOID the temptation to wash it out with petrol!!  ::)

The nose piece or the diff???

Cheers

Colin

[cowman]

Well ive just come back from a 100km run after replacing the pinion seal and bearing in the nose cone and all is well so far!! NO LEAKS!!!

Its probably just my imagination but the car feels "smoother" and quieter than before.
I also changed the diff oil for a high quality 80/90w. Hope this is correct?

This has been my first "big" job myself and i really feel ive achieved something with the car.
Thanks to all who gave me EXCELLENT advise also.

Glen.

[cowman]

Sick of watching my wheat crops die so i took the trumpy for a bigger drive to ensure diff is right.
Got home after 230km round trip....no sign of oil, whew!!

Just recently also added a set of bolt on wire wheels, picked them up for less than $100 for the set (about 40 quid).
Ive never seen a mk1 with wires before but have always had in my mind they would look good with the signal red triumph.
Let me know what you think, happy for honest criticism.

Now that oil leaks are fixed, its onto the electrics.
Have recently developed a bizare problem with the ignition light in dash cluster.
It actually comes on and gets brighter as the revs increase!!!!
Must be a simple short somewhere.
Any suggestions welcome.
Glen.

[Doig]

I reckon those wheels look damn smart.

MK 1's seem to suit a larger range of aftermarket wheels than the Mk 2's.

[Greeks]

Lovely looking car Glen.
Judging by the tree you're down under - whereabouts?

Can't say I'm a big fan of wires on saloons, though, but each to their own.

Have you got an alternator or dynamo?

[cowman]

Greeks, yes down under. Lovely spot if it ever rained again.

I have a 12,000 acre farm in western NSW, about 200km N/W of Wagga Wagga.
Pop in any time your travelling the outback. :)
I think from memory your in Tassie?

Yeah, i found it difficult to find the right wheels that i wanted, and will prob change my mind in a few months (again).

So many people told me mk1 looks great with minilites, so i found a s/hand set from a car club members mgb.
I thought they just looked "wrong", and i believe a lot has to do with they were 13 inch. They just look tiny in the guards, kind of out of place.

The wires are 14 inch and make all the difference.

The mk1 i believe is fitted with a alternator.
Glen.

[Greeks]

I'm sitting next to a Wagga boy as it happens. (he got on the wrong bus and ended up in Tassie ;-) )

I spent the night in Parkes less than a year back on a drive from Brissy to Hobart, would've detoured if I'd known :-)
I'm from Louth in the UK as it happens, so I've always fancied popping by the NSW Louth to see the differences :-D

14" is defintely an improvement.

12,000 acres ... that's a lot of dirt :-( I guess that these long trips you're doing are just down the "bottom paddock" :-D

Mk1s are often dynamo, but then nothing's guaranteed after 40 odd years!
Might seem obvious, but have you checked the fanbelt?
I was given advice that my alternator light wasn't anything to worry about ... then it packed up on a dark road and I had a dash to get to Bundaberg before the battery ran flat. Recon. alternator wasn't too dear.

[cowman]

That picture i posted is about halfway along my driveway of 12.5 kms.
If nothing else the trumpy gets a run of 25kms at least once a week to collect the mail from the front gate.

Its interesting as thier has been a recent thread on 'why a saloon" or something similar.

Ive always had a passion for older cars and have had the usual staple of Aus "classics" like FJ - FB Holdens and Ford cortina's and escorts, v8 chrysler ect.

About a year ago i decided i wanted a project, something different, but because of the sheer distance in getting anywhere, it wasnt feasable to get what i really wanted - something from 30's or 40's preferable english or at least european.

My "local" car club is the Wagga Classic Car Club, so before we even head of on a days excersion, ive already done 200kms to get to the start of the days drive which is usually another 100 - 200kms!!
And then another 200kms just to get home that night.

So i decided on 60's or 70's for "reliability" in a classic.
Ive always been impressed with the Dolly sprints and was looking around the trumpy car clubs and found the mk1 by accident.
Until this time ive [b]never seen a mk1 before as they are simply quite rare in oz, unless your in the triumph clubs. Plenty of mk2's.
I looked at it and loved it...for whatever reason.
Drove it...loved the fact that at 60mph it sits on 2,150rpm. It just lopes along and eats up the miles.
Parts are easy and cheap to get compared to a lot of other cars i could have had.

Now what you say about the fan belt is making sense.
I recently changed the fan belt for a new one, i wonder if ive donr something wrong when replacing it.
It seems tight enough but i will check again today.
Thanks Greeks.

[Dizzy]

I don't think the fanbelt is the problem if the warning light brightens as the revs increase,  Most likely diode failure in the alternator.

[cowman]

excellent Dizzy. Right....now how do i find this diode on the alternator and is it an easy fix or is it good night for the alternator?
Thanks, Glen.

[Dizzy]

Glen, sorry for the delay in answering.

It's not difficult to replace the diode pack (though I can't recall the exact process offhand) but the last time I bought one was 20 or more years ago and I haven't seen any mention of such things being available since about that time.  I'd guess that a replacement alternator is called for.

If yours is a Lucas 15ACR, the slightly more powerful 17ACR is a straight replacement.  If from a scrap car, make sure the electrical plug/socket connection is the same as there were three types on these ACRs.  Chances are it will be the same but just need to make sure, and the differences will be obvious.  Also, note that they are 'handed' so any replacement taken from a different make/model of car needs to be from the same side of the engine as the bolting lugs are different for LHS and RHS fitting (or I suppose you could swap the end plates with yours).

Dizzy.

[thescrapman]

There is a guy on Ebay that does rebuold kits for Lucas ACR series alternators.

I have one ready to fit.

You can 're-hand' a lucas easily, just don't snap the bolts like I seem to, be gentle!

Other possibility is fit an alternator from a Ford Transit (amongst others) or Metro

A127 is teh model, come in different strenths. 55 to 85 amp.

Item number: 170155497825 is a new one, I paid £1 for my second hand one, and a tenner for the previous one.

These can be rehanded even easier as teh bolts have nuts on the end, rather than bolting into teh alloy casing.

Postage may be an issue!

Cheers

Colin

[Tim Bancroft]

Brit 2.5Pi cars have an alternator control unit, do the Aus ones? If so you will need to bridge this unit if you wish to upgrade the alternator. Its under the remote servo and a bugger to get to.

As you are not running extra lights or electrical units I would stick with the 15ACR. Is it possible to get the 15ACR up-graded?

I think only the mk1 2.5 and the TR5 had these alternators. Must have been the first Triumphs to use Alternators? I await enlightenment.

[Dizzy]

I hadn't realised Glen's car was a 2.5PI - I must learn to read things properly! As Tim indicates, this model was fitted with an alternator, unlike the MkI 2000s.  This was the Lucas 15AC and it had a separate control box.  The MkII had a similar alternator except it had the control unit built into it so became known as the 15ACR (R = Regulator).

Colin, that's useful info about rebuild kits.  It could be worth Glen checking to see if one is available for the 15AC.  Failing that, I'd fit a later type and modify the wiring to suit.

[Dizzy]

Glen, I just Googled the subject and found this ...

From: Ron Beckett [beckettr(at)optusnet.com.au]
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 9:56 PM
To: Hillman list
Subject: Re: "Hillman – " Hunter electrics

This message forwarded by the Hillman List.

If it is the original Lucas 15AC alternator, they suffer from diode pack failures.  The diodes fail in a mechanical sense.  The pack is made up of a number of plates onto which the diode junction as been electrically bonded.
The junction is then sealed with silicone rubber.  After some years the junctions break.

I found I could disassemble the pack and remove the broken diode, drill a hole in the plate, and press in a new press-mount diode.  The replacement diode needs to be the right polarity, i.e., anode to case or cathode to case depending upon which diode in the pack has failed.  All three diodes on a plate are the same polarity so it's easy to check.  Not all the plates are not the same polarity.  Cheap and easy fix.