Diff removal

[Ziggy]

Hokay, how do I go about pulling a diff off? The donor car in question's got to be towed up the road to the scrappy afterwards, so I guess I've got to get the driveshafts out too

[Brianmoooore]

Unscrew the input flange nuts first, so that you can stop the prop turning with the handbrake.
Then take all the drive shaft bolts out, using the handbrake again to keep things still.
Unplug the speedo.
All that remains then is the big bolt through the bush and the four bolts that hold it to the subframe.
It's quite a heavy lump to lower out on your own.

I usually tie the inner ends of the driveshafts up loosely with wire when I have to move a diff less one around.

[Ziggy]

Cheers Brian

Is the "big" bolt abnormally big? Ie do I need to make sure I've got a particularly big socket with me?!

[Brianmoooore]

4 big bolts are 22mm IIRC, or 19mm if I don't.

[Jon_Bmw]

As always brian is spot on with the advice, something to do is get a trolley jack underneath the diff, that takes the strain. Helped me a lot.

[Davenotouring]

Think they're 19mm bolts Jon. Top advice as always Brian....

[Brianmoooore]

Last one I took off was on a 525e in a scrapyard, and we sat that one on it's roof. Definitely the best way to do it!

[Richy325iTouring]

bolts are 19mm
allan bolts on the flanges are 8mm and the bolts on the prop are 17mm
i can get a diff off in about and hour or so on my own now
getting a bugger in takes a bit longer

[koos]

Mine has torx bolts on the output flanges?

[gcorky]

when you wind the 4 of 19mm bolts out a bit ,give them a good squirt to make it a little easier,some are tight!

[Templ8e30]

Mine has torx bolts on the output flanges?

I've come across 2 e30's with torx bolts and both were a total bastard to remove, the torx heads corrode and become slightly undersize so the socket can slip and round it off.

I had to hacksaw one particularly stubborn bolt

Cheers,

Iain T

[Ziggy]

Cheers for all the help guys... Didn't get it out in the end though Ran out of time & hey, it's a good excuse to get a LSD instead ;)

The hex bolts on the prop shaft came off on one side, but the other was a total b*****d for some reason. So I left it. Would have persevered if it'd been a slipper though (& I'll know next time)!