The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

I'm in the process of swapping my axle over into a NOS case and intend to change the Pinion Oil Seal whilst I'm at it as car has not been on the road for many years and it's bound to have hardened.

Reading up on this in the workshop manual there was a change to the Diff with the move to using a collapsible spacer to set the preload. This happened at diff serial no. WF 40001 according to the manual. Mine has a number well past 50000 so should have a collapsible spacer. According to the Haynes manual it's possible to visually verify what type you have as the drive flange nut will have a cover over it and be a self locking nut. Well mine has no cover and is castellated with a split pin.

I'm now unsure which procedure to follow to replace the oil seal. The earlier versions are simply torqued back up. Later version you have to stamp the flange, Pinion and nut and count the number of turns required to remove it. I can't actually see why the latter approach wouldn't still work for the early version in which case I'm covered either way?

Any body had this paradox of a late car with an apparent early Diff, or did the factory give up on the collapsible spacer and revert to the earlier type?

Thanks

Sean

I am pretty sure that you have the shim version of the diff, not the collapsible spacer. As for putting it back, I would mark it and tighten it to the same place. I vaguely remember a figure 90 lbs ft but I suspect there is more to it than that. Diffs are tricky things.

cleverusername wrote: ↑Sun Apr 12, 2020 7:29 pm I am pretty sure that you have the shim version of the diff, not the collapsible spacer. As for putting it back, I would mark it and tighten it to the same place. I vaguely remember a figure 90 lbs ft but I suspect there is more to it than that. Diffs are tricky things.

That's the conclusion I've arrived at despite the serial no. suggesting otherwise. Yep I'm keen not to knacker it!

Macleesh wrote: ↑Sun Apr 12, 2020 4:38 pm
Any body had this paradox of a late car with an apparent early Diff, or did the factory give up on the collapsible spacer and revert to the earlier type?

Thanks

Sean

I have the reverse of this... a late 1850 diff centre in and early casing. When my original diff; went bang I replaced just the diff centre with one off E-Bay. It is far easier than replacing the entire casing and centre. Looking at the parts book, externally they are identical so I imagine an early diff; in a later car is also perfectly possible. I do like your idea of counting turns and centre dotting the parts just in case, because if the pinion gear is identical early / late and an early diff; is remanufactured with the later collapsable spacer, and the castellated nut is retained, then it would also have to be set up as a late car.
Tony.

Hi Tony

I did consider the possibility that it has been swapped, but I'm only the second owner and have had it from 19,000 miles so whilst possible it seems unlikely to have eaten a Diff in its early life. I believe collapsible spacers are now hard to come by so rebuilding with shims now would make sense, but I bought mine in 1982 when spacers would presumably be available off the shelf although more likely a service exchange diff would've been fitted ?

Probably a puzzle that will never be solved!

Thanks

Sean