monkie Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 I'm turning my attention to the next big project to keep my 110 in reliable condition and I have made a list: failing gearbox - sorted by swapping my LT77 for an r380 stumpy (thanks to forum member ianmayco68) leaking transfer box - I'll probably get a refurbished box worn props - I'll get new replacements front axle and diff - no known issues, I replaced the CVs, bearing and swivel housings a couple of years back and all is fine. I will leave this alone. rear axle - it is failing with flecks of metal in the oil and now making funny noises like a bearing(s) are going plus it has a load of free play do I think the crownwheel is worn and who knows what other badness is going on in there?! With all the other stuff sorted from the engine to the props, I really don't know what to do so with the Salisbury so would like some ideas please. I have read that DIY refurb is not realistic to do properly at home and with no prior experience of rebuilding diffs, setting up backlash etc. so I am not really wanting to go down that road. I do have a replacment from miketomcat, the internals appear to be fine as far as I can tell, the outer casing is corroded so will have to be stripped, cleaned and new brackets welding on. I could opt for a secondhand replacement but that could well turn out to be a gamble. I would welcome suggestions from experience please.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan bomber Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 Personally, I dont think the Salisbury is particularly difficult to overhaul yourself. If you have a spare one kicking around then why not get some practice in on that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted September 20, 2020 Author Share Posted September 20, 2020 That's interesting, I do fancy the challenge but was under the impression from what people has said on this forum previously that Salisbury diffs are a pig? It put me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 Clean the second hand one up and put it on, then you can have a go rebuilding the old one at your leisure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted September 20, 2020 Author Share Posted September 20, 2020 I like this idea. I had written it off but now I'm starting to think down that line. I just don't want to spend money on a new crown wheel and pinion, bearings etc then hit a road block. How feasible is it to do in a home garage? Anyone refurbed one on here with success? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C18RCH Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 I’m just in the process of swapping my Salisbury for a short nose diff 110 axle. there isn’t a lot left to weld together on the Salisbury, also, their input bearing seat was so badly pitted that it leaks like a sieve. Hence, swapping to a newer axle. im just trying to fin the correct settings for the axle. Being newer it seems like the settings are not readily available like the older ones. Other than that, I think if you have a dial gauge and a basic tool kit, and are fairly mechanically minded, it shouldn’t be too difficult. I’ll let you know how difficult it is in a few days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 If you can weld then I would wire wheel and weld new brackets to the spare axle you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Having swapped between 4.71 and 3.54 pinions, rings and centres and back again on my Salisbury, and reading the official guide on how to set a new one up, it’s not difficult, just a little time consuming on the centre unit shims, a bit of an effort levering the centre out of the case unless you have a spreader, and setting those shims is going to need a good bearing puller to get the inner races off the carrier for setting the shims correctly (it’s not as blind trial and error as it initially seems, and should only take a few attempts, but the bearings will need to be removed). The reality is that it is unlikely you’d have to change the shims on the pinion or centre anyway, as long as the tolerance variations are pretty small and are more in the casing than the gears. In a nutshell, the internet and Haynes manuals make Salisbury diffs a mystery box of dark arts, feared and awed, when they’re not much different from the Rover diffs in principle, the main difference being the lateral shining rather than the locking side adjuster nuts. I’d wager you £10 that as long as the shims aren’t damaged in anyway, you can rebuild it and get a good mesh without changing those shims, as long as you use the same spec new bearings from Timken, not any other manufacturer, and on that basis, I’d say strip it, replace the bearings and gears, including the internal diff gears and puns if needed, reassemble with the shims and try a pattern test before you start fiddling with shims. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigi_H Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 The hardest thing is to lift the Salisbury on a table ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted September 21, 2020 Author Share Posted September 21, 2020 34 minutes ago, Sigi_H said: The hardest thing is to lift the Salisbury on a table ... I'm moving it around with my engine hoist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted September 21, 2020 Author Share Posted September 21, 2020 2 hours ago, Snagger said: Having swapped between 4.71 and 3.54 pinions, rings and centres and back again on my Salisbury, and reading the official guide on how to set a new one up, it’s not difficult, just a little time consuming on the centre unit shims, a bit of an effort levering the centre out of the case unless you have a spreader, and setting those shims is going to need a good bearing puller to get the inner races off the carrier for setting the shims correctly (it’s not as blind trial and error as it initially seems, and should only take a few attempts, but the bearings will need to be removed). The reality is that it is unlikely you’d have to change the shims on the pinion or centre anyway, as long as the tolerance variations are pretty small and are more in the casing than the gears. In a nutshell, the internet and Haynes manuals make Salisbury diffs a mystery box of dark arts, feared and awed, when they’re not much different from the Rover diffs in principle, the main difference being the lateral shining rather than the locking side adjuster nuts. I’d wager you £10 that as long as the shims aren’t damaged in anyway, you can rebuild it and get a good mesh without changing those shims, as long as you use the same spec new bearings from Timken, not any other manufacturer, and on that basis, I’d say strip it, replace the bearings and gears, including the internal diff gears and puns if needed, reassemble with the shims and try a pattern test before you start fiddling with shims. Thank you for this Snagger. You are right, as I have never done any more with a diff than change the oil regularly I had been put off touching the Salisbury by the means you mention. I'm going to get my wire brush and welder out to sort out Mike's old axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 I don't have a lot of experience but it seems to me that once setup they will be trouble free for a long time. Mine is on 270,000 miles and the oil comes out looking like it did when it went in whenever i change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Just for clarification, both pinions were just right with the shims that were installed in the casing I used, needing no adjustments, and Kam Diffs said that is normal on their website when talking about replacing Salisbury gear sets with the same or different ratios - they said it was less than 5% of cases where the casing needed shim alteration. As for the centre, I was also able to swap the 4.71 centre with its shims and bearings into the 110 axle without adjusting the shims on the centre - it went straight in with a good mesh. Since you will be retaining your centre, just rebuilding it with a new ring gear, bearings and possibly the small gears and cross pin, there should be no dimensional changes, so the existing shims will be right. Dead easy, except for the weight and levering the thing out with two pry bars unless you have that spreader (it’s not essential, contrary to the instructions, but it does make the job much easier). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted September 21, 2020 Author Share Posted September 21, 2020 I rigged up a DIY spreader from some heavy angle iron and threaded bar. I understand that I should only be putting minimal force on the casing with a spreader to avoid damage. If prying out with bars, is it difficult to put back in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 It’s more difficult than with the spreader. You need to get the outer races in position and tap them in with a big hammer and soft drift, like a block of hard wood, copper or aluminium, and you have to drift them in square to the casing - if they skew, they bind very easily. The spreader is a great thing to have. Use it to spread the casing just enough to remove or refit the centre by hand, and release the pressure as soon as you’re done to avoid leaving it distorted for long periods. It doesn’t take much on the screws to achieve that small amount of deformation needed for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Makes you wonder why they didn't make the hole bigger in the first place ! Mo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 10 hours ago, Mo Murphy said: Makes you wonder why they didn't make the hole bigger in the first place ! Mo The springiness of the casing is what provides the bearing preload - there are no adjustable end nuts like the Rover diffs have in their rigid casing. To get the right preload needs a specific small interference fit in the casing; the spreader changes the dimensions to allow easy installation and removal, then you release the spreader to check the shim settings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Aha thanks Snagger. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigi_H Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 You get the same effect, when you press the casing between top and bottom with a strong screw clamp. But the spreader is a lot better and saver. It is easy to build with some solid bars from iron and a strong turnbuckle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 I made my own spreader from heavy guage angle iron and threaded bar. I'll see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmayco68 Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Have you got a pic or of it monkie ? As I'm planning on fitting an ATB to my salisbury , or anyone else thats made there own . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkie Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 I'll take a picture in the morning for you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 The first time I did the job, I borrowed one from Rogers of Bedford (kind of them to lend it for free). It was a simple box made of two parallel thick square section bars (2” or there about) and two parallel thick threaded rods with nots on each end to draw the bars together, squeezing the top and bottom of the diff case to force the side outwards (like Sigi said). The second time they said I could borrow it, it was missing. One of their new fitters had weighed in a lot of old parts, drifts and big bits of metal for scrap, and the spreader was probably amongst it... It shouldn’t be hard to make up a copy, the hardest part being finding the threaded bar and nuts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianmayco68 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 That's surprised me Nick I was expecting it to work the other way , fitted in the sides and pushing them out . Sounds very simple to make . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 The way I have seen it done is will a bottle Jack and some chains around the axle tubes. Bottle Jack on the nose of the diff with the chains over it and gently extend the Jack.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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