240 General: Driveshafts and Motor/Gearbox mounts

[Bob 1967]

Left mount in

Bolts under crossmember (threads looked brand new)

Thought this was the wrong mount ,turns out it was for right side.


Centre mount (original on left) original was in good nick and better quality so was reused.


Gearbox mount , threads were over long so I used two nuts as a guide to cut 10mm off .Wound nut back on about 2mm and filed a chamfer onto end of bolt to ease re instalment.

[Bob 1967]

Why I cut the bolts. The ones at the front ,I couldn't get a ring spanner on (too much thread sticking out.)


What's left of front mount..



Thread in crossmember end was too long ,couldn't get a socket on.



Other side of crossmember with remains of mount.


Cleaned and ready to re install



Went into more detail before ,but it'll do.(for now)
Bob.

[Bob 1967]

New front mount in.(note the shortened thread ,giving better access)

Drive shaft front

New centre bearing

Diff end

Bob

[Othen]

Hi Bob,
Many thanks for your words and photos.
Something is becoming just a little bit noisy underneath the RB, the main suspect is the centre bearing,so I’ve ordered another one (only £17 complete and delivered). I’ve just had a look through the BofH and it looks like the bearing just comes off the middle of the shaft with a 3 legged bearing puller, you didn’t mention that, would it be right?
It looks like a straightforward enough job, the biggest concern seems to be getting the bolts undone at each end of the shaft, so I’ll probably put the RB up on the ramps when it stops raining and give them a good spray with penetrating oil, then do the job in a week or so.
Is there anything else I should be wary of?
Alan

[Bob 1967]

Hi Alan, I tried the pullers on the bearing it was a bit fiddley so I resorted to the use of a hammer just alternating where the blows struck on the outer shell.
Since I was replacing the bearing I wasn't worried about the bearing being damaged , it didn't require heavy blows just taps and watch the shield !
The prop shaft bolts will probably need replacing also if you clean the exposed threads with a wire brush it eases their removal.

As well as marking the propshaft at the coupling (both ends )it is worthwhile marking its position in relation to the centre bearing so the shaft remains as it was to keep the balance .

I removed the complete shaft as I was changing all the bearings ,I think if just changing the centre you just need to remove the front four bolts at the gearbox and the bearing crossmember (yellow circle) at the bearing and wiggle it from the splines.
There may be a 10mm bolt holding the bearing carrier to the bearing crossmember
( but I could be wrong!!)

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bob 1967

Hi Alan, I tried the pullers on the bearing it was a bit fiddley so I resorted to the use of a hammer just alternating where the blows struck on the outer shell.
Since I was replacing the bearing I wasn't worried about the bearing being damaged , it didn't require heavy blows just taps and watch the shield !
The prop shaft bolts will probably need replacing also if you clean the exposed threads with a wire brush it eases their removal.

As well as marking the propshaft at the coupling (both ends )it is worthwhile marking its position in relation to the centre bearing so the shaft remains as it was to keep the balance .

I removed the complete shaft as I was changing all the bearings ,I think if just changing the centre you just need to remove the front four bolts at the gearbox and the bearing crossmember (yellow circle) at the bearing and wiggle it from the splines.
There may be a 10mm bolt holding the bearing carrier to the bearing crossmember
( but I could be wrong!!)

Many thanks Bob, that is really helpful.

Alan

[Bob 1967]

Hi Alan, not sure what type of driveshaft you have , I think mine is 1040.
It has smaller bearings and bolts (5/16 UNF x 1 1/8 , pn. 273202) at the driveshaft end .
The bearings at the other section were larger as were the bolts (3/8 UNF x 1 1/8 pn.273202 ) I found the equivalent from a Landover !
I also have no doughnut at the gearbox ,it's just metal to metal so I imagine if there were one fitted the bolts would be a different length and possibly even a different diameter.
Bob

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bob 1967

Hi Alan, not sure what type of driveshaft you have , I think mine is 1040.
It has smaller bearings and bolts (5/16 UNF x 1 1/8 , pn. 273202) at the driveshaft end .
The bearings at the other section were larger as were the bolts (3/8 UNF x 1 1/8 pn.273202 ) I found the equivalent from a Landover !
I also have no doughnut at the gearbox ,it's just metal to metal so I imagine if there were one fitted the bolts would be a different length and possibly even a different diameter.
Bob

Thanks Bob,
I put the RB up on some ramps for a reconnaissance today, but the monsoon season continues here in England. Here are some notes and questions I left for Dave (LS) on the RB thread (in italics):

I was pleasantly surprised to see how sound and solid everything is underneath. Since I fixed those two oil leaks (you may remember the cam cover and the fuel pump drive) there is no oil underneath the car, it is all pretty clean and tidy.

Starting at the front: I cracked all the 13mm bolts on the front flange of the prop very easily, indeed I'd say there is no way they have been on the car for 40 years - they came undone quite easily. I marked the position of the flange with paint for later.

I couldn't discern any play in the front UV, which is good news. I couldn't discern any rotational play in the centre bearing, but it seemed to me that the rubber doughnut that supports it had more play than I expected (although I don't have the new one to compare it with yet). I could move it perhaps 5-10mm from side to side and up and down with a pry bar, and it seemed that the top part of the rubber was not continuous - so maybe it has failed there? Again, I don't have the new one to compare it with yet. Do you have any idea how tight that rubber doughnut should be? To an extent it is immaterial in that I'm going to replace it and the bearing anyway.

The back part of the prop shaft looked in similarly good condition - I could not discern any play in the two UVs and the flange bolts should come out easily if I need to remove them.

A question on that if I may. Bob (Dublin Bob) thought I might get away with removing just the front section of the prop in order to change the support bearing, but was not absolutely sure, do you know whether that might be the case? I suppose it would save just a little time if I left the back on the car.

I had a general poke around at the rear suspension while I was there and couldn't find any play in the bushes, which is nice. Also the shock absorbers are shiny yellow new - I'd say not more than a couple of years old, the coils look pretty new as well.

There is no rubber doughnut at the gearbox end - it is metal to metal.

I'll get underneath for some photos tomorrow, and maybe the bearing will arrive with the postie.
Alan

[Bob 1967]

Hi Alan , we had the rain at the weekend.
The thing is , I removed the rear of drive shaft from the diff first then pulled the splined end out from the centre bearing. It took a fair tug ,due to suction from the grease on the splines (something like pulling on a shock absorber).

I think if the front shaft is disconnected at the gearbox ,rest the disconnected end on a toolbox or similar to take the weight .
Then loosen the two bolts on the bearing crossmember, remove one bolt (two can be removed) and with the other sufficiently backed off ,the centre crossmember will drop enough to remove the front shaft complete with centre bearing and rubber ( I did this because I didn't fancy trying to support the crossmember and drive shaft while trying to remove the last bolt).
Again it may require a good tug to pull the shaft splines apart.
Bob

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Bob 1967

Hi Alan , we had the rain at the weekend.
The thing is , I removed the rear of drive shaft from the diff first then pulled the splined end out from the centre bearing. It took a fair tug ,due to suction from the grease on the splines (something like pulling on a shock absorber).

I think if the front shaft is disconnected at the gearbox ,rest the disconnected end on a toolbox or similar to take the weight .
Then loosen the two bolts on the bearing crossmember, remove one bolt (two can be removed) and with the other sufficiently backed off ,the centre crossmember will drop enough to remove the front shaft complete with centre bearing and rubber ( I did this because I didn't fancy trying to support the crossmember and drive shaft while trying to remove the last bolt).
Again it may require a good tug to pull the shaft splines apart.
Bob

Many thanks Bob, that is really helpful.

I've managed to crack the flange bolts on the RB easily (I recall that was an issue with your car) so I'm thinking I may do the same as you and pull the rear section out first - it is only 4 bolts and some suction from the grease to overcome and it would reduce the weight of the assembly considerably.

After that I could take off the front flange bolts, then drop down the centre bearing assembly as you did.

I'm still mulling this over (and the monsoon looks like continuing here in England), but I think that might be the best way of approaching this one. What do you think?

Alan