The rear wheels won`t drive!

[thehunters]

Hello all!
I need a tad of advice, today I was on my way home from work on the motorway here in Germany and all of a sudden there was a thud from the gearstick area and all forward drive force dissapeared!
After calling the German AA I was home 90mins later, and immediatley removed the engine to check the clutch-which was fine. So next was the Gearbox removal and check, which is also fine. After 4 hours I decided I started at the wrong end and should have checked the rear axel/diff. first . This is the only thing left (as the driveshaft is still there), does anyone have any experience in this department? What possibly could have gone? Do I need and special tools? I need to get Moggy ready for her daily 25mile run to work ( too cold for cycling!)
I would appreciate any help from any of you Moggy experts, I will refit the bits I thoughtlessly took to bits in the morning and start on the axel.

Many Thanks, Mark.

[PSL184]

Sounds like half shaft snaped or diff has exploded...

[linearaudio]

"A tad of advice" - Don't take the engine or gearbox apart! (oops-too late!)
When you have re-assembled the bits, before attacking the rear end, just satisfy yourself that you are right about the drive to the rear axle. Start the engine and engage a gear, then duck your head down and check the propshaft is turning! Then you can confidently point the finger of blame at the axle! I only suggest this caution because of your comment about the thump through the gearlever!
As PSL so rightly says, half shafts seem the most likely culprit. Jack the back up and put both sides on stands, then see which doesn't turn when the engine is running in gear (handbrake off!). Neither turning would tend to suggest input pinion

[bmcecosse]

If the speedo was still reading - then engine/gearbox were ok. It IS most likely to be a half-shaft that has broken - although - they usually go when starting away from rest - not when gently driving along! Simple check now - turn the prop shaft - does it turn the rear wheels ? Do you have a spare rear axle (or half shaft) handy ?

[mike.perry]

Unlikely for a diff to go completely unless you are putting a lot more power through it, more likely that you would sheer a tooth. My money is on a half shaft.
Having identified which half shaft is broken then the othe side will need to be partly withdrawn to remove the diff and get the broken section out and clean up all the swarf. With a bit of luck it will have broken on the splines and will come out with the diff without getting stuck in the axle tube.

[bmcecosse]

When I broke a shaft (many moons ago) - the broken part wedged the diff - and I was able to drive it home !

[cormorant]

Oh dear yes sounds exactly like the halfshaft gone on my old van.....

[thehunters]

Many Thanks for all the posts!
I`m off back into the garage now after rebuilding the mess from yesterday. After a cup `o` tea and a bicky I will turn the moggy around and lift the rear end to start tests as you all noted. I hope I can replace and/or weld something to get her running again for Monday morning 05:00hrs or I`m cycling 50 miles starting at 03:30hrs (and I bet it will snow!)

I`ll keep all posted !

[bmcecosse]

Well - if the half shaft has broken you won't be able to weld it! You could of course weld up the diff - so it drives the one remaining shaft - but then you will need another diff and another shaft. Depends how you rate that against several days of cycling 50 miles in snow!
I suspect I would be feeling a dose of the 'swine flu' coming on! start urgently looking for a back axle!!
If your car is so important to you - I do suggest you get a spare engine/box/rear axle - and various suspension parts 'in stock' ready for use! When I depended on my Mini for travel 50 miles each way to work - I always had a complete spare 'unit' ready to fit. More than once I struggled home with an ailing Mini - and swapped the unit over during the evening - and off to work again next day!
The other trick of course is to have a complete second car - identical colour scheme to the main car - and swap the plates over! Not that I have ever done that..........

[Declan_Burns]

Where are you located in Germany? I'm sure there would be sombody near you with adaquate spares. When you know what the exact problem is try ringing Jürgen Hönig from MMRD on 02182 /10478.
According to my list from 2008, the MMRD club has 4 used half shafts and everything else to repair/rebuild the rear axle in stock. Rainer Müller looks after our spares telephone :060631099.

[cormorant]

Looking on the bright side it's an easy job to replace a diff and half shaft and not too expensive if you get second hand bits. And no, you don't need any special tools

[thehunters]

After raising the rear end and starting her up the drivers side wheel was quite quick whilst the pass. side very slow indeed. With the engine off and 1st gear in the propshaft will not turn at all. In neutral if I turn the drivers side wheel the propshaft turns too, on the other side it didn`t.

Well now I seem to be getting nowhere fast - anyone have any tips about removing the flange bolt? I`m tryung to get this fixed with the axel in place, I`ve removed the wheels, drums, the shaft from the passenger side but the drivers side isn`t playing at all. I then removed the propshaft and cann`t get the center bolt loose. I have also loosend the Diff. bolts.

If I do ever get the Diff apart, which bits do I weld ? This is my first and I hope last Axel job ever!

Thanks for the tip about parts, it dosen`t sound like it`s far from us in Viersen

[PSL184]

Can I just clarify - with engine running and car in 1st gear - is prophaft turning? If so, which rear wheels are turning?

[bmcecosse]

You don't undo the diff 'big nut' - once you have pulled the shafts clear on each side (hope you have enough room inside the garage to pull them right out! ) - you simply undo the ring of nuts around the diff - and pull it out complete.

[mike.perry]

No welding, just a half shaft and new gaskets. Make sure that you clean all the swarf out of the diff case.

[cormorant]

Yes block the car up on stands and remove the wheels, drain the oil out of the diff and remove the halfshaft you suspect the most first, you will soon see if it is damaged! Hopefully it's a clean break with no metal splinters and the diff is not damaged...good luck. Check the unbroken one for wear on the splines too. If neither halfshaft is broken make sure you put them back in the side they came out of, they are not "handed" as such but tend to twist a bit in one direction and it will strain them if you swop them over

[rayofleamington]

I`ve removed the wheels, drums, the shaft from the passenger side but the drivers side isn`t playing at all.

Was the passenger side shaft broken?

To remove the other shaft, use a bit more load! They normally come free if you use enough effort.

With both shafts out, you should have a good one and a broken one...

You need to remov the shafts to allow the diff to be removed. If one shaft is broken, you need to remove the diff, so that you can remove the rest of the shaft, and all the metal contamination from the axle casing.

[bmcecosse]

Unless the broken end is somehow trapped in the diff! And of course - it may well be the diff that has 'exploded' - not a broken shaft. Although diff burst is much less common - it's not unknown.

[PSL184]

It could also be output shaft from gearbox which is why I was asking for clarification about what was turning when in gear....?

[mike.perry]

Whatever has broken, the half shafts and diff will have to come out. If you still haven't decided which shaft is broken then apply the handbrake enough to stop the wheels turning freely, turn each wheel and whichever one turns the propshaft is the good one. The broken one may have twisted splines inside the diff or broken outside the diff bearing. If the broken piece is stuck in the diff then remove the good shaft and knock the broken piece out with a bar which will pas through the diff splines