Changing a differential...or anything else

[Bazzalucas]

I just changed out my differential for a 3.7:1 unit, and thought I’d say that so far, I’m very pleased with the result. I also thought I’d share my real-world experience to see if anyone on the forum encounters the same sort of frustrations.
As anyone who has done this job knows, it’s really pretty simple. I changed out one a few years ago on a sunny, warm afternoon when I was home alone and it took about 30 minutes start to finish.

However, life has changed a little bit since then, so the job went more like this:
9:00am- A nice Saturday morning, about 45 degrees F. Hot cup of Joe in hand, I went to the garage and rolled the car onto the drive. I jacked it up, placed the jackstands under the axle, got the drain pan in place, removed the drain plug, and drained the oil. Crawled back out and popped off the hub caps. Removed the lug nuts, wheels, and brake drums.
9:15am- Pleased with my progress, I go back in the house for another cup of coffee.
This was my mistake.
From that moment, the combination of my two kids (5 years and 10 months) and my wife going to various exercise classes (5-year-old), a 5k run (wife) and needing a nappy change (the 10-month-old), a series of phone calls, drop-in visitors, and a friend of my wife’s calling to take her away shopping, bringing my 5-year-old to a friend’s house, etc., etc, and the next thing I know it’s 7:30pm, raining lightly, and pitch black. Between rain dripping into my eyes, gear oil running down my arm and losing screws in the dark, I finish up somewhere around 8:30pm.
Is it only me, or do others experience these simple jobs that go strangely south?

[mike.perry]

Try kicking the hub caps, it works for me

[IaininTenbury]

Wouldn't have known what you were on about before April this year when the twins arrived.
Do now.....

[bmcecosse]

I got my best work done when SWMBO went off to Canada for 3 weeks with her mother.......

[welshrat]

Been there, several years of not even wanting to start a job because you know within ten minutes of starting it will go pear shaped as other responsibilities kick in. Would like to tell you it gets better, my two are now 18 and 14, still spend half my life running them around, standing outside shops and generally whishing I was at home doing that job on the car that I have been thinking of doing for 18 years.
Any way what engine are you running with the new diff and do you live in a flat part of the world. I recently changed my 4.5 to a 3.7 and having serious doubts, great on the flat and for motorway driving, not so good on steep hills or around town stuff. Thinking I sould of gone for the 3.9 myself (mine is 1275 engine and box).

[Bazzalucas]

I'm running a 1275 Midget engine and 'box. It's not terribly hilly where I live, and my test drives with the 3.7 have been very satisfactory. However, I have to say (a fast motorway run is still in the future), that so far the difference between the 3.9 I was using and the 3.7 is not startling- but it IS noticeable. Using a GPS to compare my speedo to the satnav, I know I can just add (roughly) 10 mph to anything showing on the dial and it'll be pretty accurate.

[dunketh]

lol.. a common experience I guess.
If I were single I'd probably have the most pristine pair of cars in Dorset. The escort would have its new engine, the Minor would have its new sills welded in..etc..

As it is, none of these jobs have gotten any further than the preparatory stage.
The wife and her protestations that we dont have enough time or money usually puts the kybosh on everything - though the excuse is somewhat undermined when shes badgering me for a night out (every time I see a restaurant, pub, holiday or shopping bill I mentally see a list of parts I could have bought with the money!)