blown diff no 2

[sax player]

is it just bad luck, i did not get half a mile and only lightly loaded the wheels and second diff blows. Can fitting new half shafts be responsible? ( previouse ones may have been worn and resulted in a cushion effect when under load.) I would not have thought so, but two diffs in a week!!!!!

Shaun.

[GATS]

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:dude:hi shaun, sorry to hear about your troubles, i have not had my stag for long , so i have not put many miles in her, but come summer there will be no stopping me , but hearing about your drive shafts is a bit of a worry. maybe we should have a poll to see if this is a common problem. paul

[Stagdad]

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Sorry to hear ofyour problems Shaun .This just underpins my decision to go for the BMW bits.Although im sure many have had no problems with triumphdiffs popping.

I've had 1 go.

Steve

[sax player]

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GATS wrote:

:dude:hi shaun, sorry to hear about your troubles, i have not had my stag for long , so i have not put many miles in her, but come summer there will be no stopping me , but hearing about your drive shafts is a bit of a worry. maybe we should have a poll to see if this is a common problem. paul

Hi paul, if you have a standard stag you will most likely be ok with standard diff/ half shafts. i however am pushing the envelope and expecting a standard diff to cope with 220bhp. Never going to happen.

I would, however recomend to any one buying a stag that they do not know the history of, to remove the diff ( triumph never fitted a drain plug ) drain off the old oil and replace with new oil. At the same time ensure the breather hole is clear.

About half shaft from a previouse thread....

Hi Stuart

Having gone through this pain, dont wish any one else to. our cars are blessed with two types of half shaft u/js. With a circlip holding the bearing buckets in and ones that have the u/js body peened over to locate the buckets and yokes within the carrier.

The latter are of smaller diameter, less surface area to conduct the turning forceand hense will fail earlier. Also on assemble they can only be truly centralised on a jig, not easily done by us in our garrages.

If you can get hold of the former type (with circ clips)hang on to them. Simple to replace u/js using a press or decent vice.

I have recently purchased the GKN ones from monarch , ( missed the ones off ebay you told me about by £5.00). My advice is dont bother with second hand ones bite the bullet and by the GKN's. £300 for the pair, but they are new not refurbed ones that are going round with worn splines. But do make sure your yokes are of the split pin type.

Shaun.

[GATS]

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:dude:hi guys ,which bmw are we talking about,? what parts ? how much are we expecting to pay?. paul

[Stagdad]

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GATS wrote:

:dude:hi guys ,which bmw are we talking about,? what parts ? how much are we expecting to pay?. paul

Hi Paul

Which car :- E30

What parts :- Diff,disc brakes ,halfshafts,trailing arms , rear hubs,cross member.

How much :-Depends if you can do the engineering/fabricating yourself or not .I can't so, i'm looking at £1250 for the addaption Kit from Monarch,and the parts cost me £100 from a breaking 325i.i'm looking at it as long term reliability . plus i will keep the old back end to put back on if i ever sell the car.

Steve

[Bob Heritage]

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sax player wrote:

. i however am pushing the envelope and expecting a standard diff to cope with 220bhp. Never going to happen.

Hi Shaun,

Sorry to hear of your diff problems. I Know Richard Lane of Brighton Stag Specialists very well as he is local to me. He has been keeping a low profile recently due to personal reasons and I havn't spoken to him for a while. He is the originator of the BMW conversion, 4 pot calipers etc. which were then produced on a larger scale by Monarch. He holds the record for the fastest Stag with 400bhp from a 4.5litre Rover unit. He was recorded going through a speed trap at Hockenheim circuit at 180mph. He then went on to produce the small block Chevy into a Stag which has also been copied by others since. Before selling his much developed Stag the Chevy lump was up to 6300cc and people were writing into the club mag saying that they passed the worlds fastest Stag on the M25, the truth is that at this time the car was returning 8mpg and he wouldn't make it to the next petrol station if he drove it faster than 50mph thats over 60p per mile at todays petrol cost. I will try to contact him if he is in the country at the moment and see if I can get some advice for you, have faith and beware of the hillclimb.

Bob

p.s. His original web site is still running, type in Brighton Stag Specialist and have a look.

[sax player]

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thanks bob

i have been wondering where he disapeared to as i purchased my suspension set up of him a number of years ago.

shaun.

[tonyl]

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Hi,

Great engineer - pass on my best wishes

t

[rgemmell]

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Following comments on this thread and others, I decided to have a check of the diff and half shafts. The nearside one was fine with very minimal play but the offside had considerably more play. It was coming from the splines and would indicate a terminal problem!!! When I took it apart, I was surprised by the amount of ferric oxide (rust). For many years, I worked at the National Engineering Laboratory investing fatigue in general and, in the early days, fretting fatigue in particular. The ferric oxide is a direct result of fretting. There is no 'cure' but it can be curtailed by using graphite grease ('ordinary' grease will not do) as this helps ease the effect of the small difference in movement between the mating parts. So when you have the half shafts out, apply liberal amounts of grahite grease and you should extend the life of the shafts.
Hope this helps.

Regards
Robbie

[tonyl]

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Hi Shaun,

Sorry to hear about your diff probs.

If your interested I have a complete back end - trailing arms-diff-drive shafts-brakes,all working no probs

I fitted a BMW set up years ago and these are surplus to requirement

t

[sax player]

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Thanks Tony

I have another diff to fit, however i am going for the monarch bmw arrangement.

shaun

[Bob Heritage]

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Hi Shaun

I have tried to contact Richard Lane but both his landline and mobile are no longer available, I have just sent him an e.mail as a last result. I see you have the GKN shafts, have you considered the BMW diff that Stuart Souter of S.O.C. Spares and Westlake Engineering have developed? Have a look at http://www.weslake.co.uk. I spoke to Stuart the other day and he told me that one of the Weslake guys has a Stag and wanted to sort the diff out for himself, it might be a cheaper option for you (although it costs £1500 plus V.A.t. =£1762.50) it looks like it has the nose extension on it as well-the part that breaks, it don't know if thats been improved as well, but it is just a straight bolt on replacement. Give Stuart a ring on 01580 292828 he is really helpful and will talk you through it.

Bob

[sax player]

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Thanks Bob

time is the issue here, i have spoken to weslake and they are quoting 3/4 weeks. The monarch arrangement is favourable but still itsabout three weeks.

I am taking the car to a tvr meet up the cheddar gorge on th 27th, i can see me fitting my last spare diff and taking a sedate trip. yawn.......

shaun.