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Rear difflock actuator

diggerdave

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2014
Messages
593
Right! I've decided to tackle this finally after getting stuck for the first time greenlaning (easy pull out from my friend, but I'll never hear the last of it).

I've got my new actuator (good second hand) and I'm just putting the last coat of paint on it (white radiator paint over two coats of primer).

I know from past attempts that the old actuator is 'welded' to the diff housing with bi-metal corrosion.

All the nuts unscrew ok, but the thing won't shift with gentle persuasion.

Has anyone got any tips?

I'm worried about whacking it too hard as I've heard stories of the circlip on the end dropping into the diff, and besides it is mounted on studs (IIRC).

The old body is crumbling away (the actuator that is), so can i just hacksaw off everything I can? Would that help?

Has anyone done this and found it easy (or nightmarish)?
 
If you can "dismantle" the casing enough to see the shaft that the cog is on, you can try welding a bolt onto it and using a slide hammer to tease what's left of the casing out of the hole. I have done it this way but you're reliant on the e clip holding the cog on to not give way.

Otherwise it's drop the rear prop, pull halfshafts out and take the diff casing out where you can tackle the actuator whilst the diff is on the bench. That's assuming the actuator body hasn't bonded to the two long studs, if that's happened then a reciprocating saw or hacksaw will be needed to cut through those where the actuator body meets the diff.

Best of luck, it can be a horrible job.
 
Right! I've decided to tackle this finally after getting stuck for the first time greenlaning (easy pull out from my friend, but I'll never hear the last of it).

I've got my new actuator (good second hand) and I'm just putting the last coat of paint on it (white radiator paint over two coats of primer).

I know from past attempts that the old actuator is 'welded' to the diff housing with bi-metal corrosion.

All the nuts unscrew ok, but the thing won't shift with gentle persuasion.

Has anyone got any tips?

I'm worried about whacking it too hard as I've heard stories of the circlip on the end dropping into the diff, and besides it is mounted on studs (IIRC).

The old body is crumbling away (the actuator that is), so can i just hacksaw off everything I can? Would that help?

Has anyone done this and found it easy (or nightmarish)?

As Trev said, beware if using too much force as ( as he told me also) as in my case the circlip falls in to the axle. Mine mainly came off as dust but I was lucky and fished the clip out without too much drama.
If I was doing it again I would use plenty of heat rather than force.
As Trev said, good luck with that one.
 
Thanks guys. Not very encouraging :eek::eek: but I'd rather know the truth of it.

I take it that the 'male' part of the actuator (with the O-ring) also corrodes into the 'female' hole in the diff casing? Or does this get splash-oiled with diff oil? (As well as the back plate corroding to the outer part of the diff housing and (I now learn!) corroding onto the studs.)

My biggest fear is that circlip (and the cog). How did you get it out Andy - did you fish it out with a magnet or did you drain the diff oil?
 
Right! I've decided to tackle this finally after getting stuck for the first time greenlaning (easy pull out from my friend, but I'll never hear the last of it).

I've got my new actuator (good second hand) and I'm just putting the last coat of paint on it (white radiator paint over two coats of primer).

I know from past attempts that the old actuator is 'welded' to the diff housing with bi-metal corrosion.

All the nuts unscrew ok, but the thing won't shift with gentle persuasion.

Has anyone got any tips?

I'm worried about whacking it too hard as I've heard stories of the circlip on the end dropping into the diff, and besides it is mounted on studs (IIRC).

The old body is crumbling away (the actuator that is), so can i just hacksaw off everything I can? Would that help?

Has anyone done this and found it easy (or nightmarish)?

As Trev said, beware if using too much force as ( as he told me also) as in my case the circlip falls in to the axle. Mine mainly came off as dust but I was lucky and fished the clip out without too much drama.
If I was doing it again I would use plenty of heat rather than force.
As Trev said, good luck with that one.
Thanks guys. Not very encouraging :eek::eek: but I'd rather know the truth of it.

I take it that the 'male' part of the actuator (with the O-ring) also corrodes into the 'female' hole in the diff casing? Or does this get splash-oiled with diff oil? (As well as the back plate corroding to the outer part of the diff housing and (I now learn!) corroding onto the studs.)

My biggest fear is that circlip (and the cog). How did you get it out Andy - did you fish it out with a magnet or did you drain the diff oil?

TBH Dave I reckon I got it out with a flexy magnet gizzmo but I was lucky as it took me a couple of mins.
If I was doing it again I would definitely use heat.
 
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When I did Des' front axle the other month (same as the 95 rear) the actuator was bonded on to the mounting as if it had been welded on. IN the end it came out in bits. The main spindle was left behind poking out of the pinion which was, as you asked, utterly bonded to the inside hole in the diff casing. It was an arse to get out even then.

Screen Shot 2018-02-16 at 18.33.08.jpg
 
Thanks Chris. Ye gods.

How did you actually get it out? Did you have to remove the axle?
 
Fortunately Lady Luck smiled for once and I was taking the diff out anyway. I couldn’t get the diff off because the long studs through the actuator wouldn’t move. Once it was carefully smashed to bits the diff was free and I got the stump out of the casing once on the bench
It’s the reaction between alloy and steel add salt and water to the mix and the nightmare begins
 
If you are unfortunate enough to have the cog drop into the casing, Toyota, bless them, made the diff drain hole smaller than the cog. It is possible to shove a piece of wire through the cog (put a kink in the wire so the cog is held) and you can manoeuvre it round the back of the diff and retrieve with a magnet out of the diff actuator hole. On Ed’s truck it took us about 2 hours. If that happened again it’d be 50/50 whether I would just pull the diff.
 
Thank you all - top advice. Good to know about the drain hole Trevor, as I was actually assuming that I could get the bits out that way. I can't say I'm looking forward to it :wtf:
 
Pause for tea
Heat got both the studs free
Now for heat and alternate cooling on the shaft itself... and steady chipping away at the corrosion


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To late to say it by the looks but i find de-ruster penetrates better than oil , the way i see it is its dissolving rust and leaving a void so put it on let it do its work then wash it of and reapply several times .

I use Dychem super limate de-ruster amazing stuff .
 
The only thing holding it in place now is the shaft corroded into the hole. I think I'm in basically the same position as Chris was in his photo above, only with more of the actuator intact (in case it helps to have something to pull on later). This afternoon will be the decider.
 
If you do have the option of welding a bolt on and using a gentle and increasing force of a slide hammer, you’ll be getting the force exactly where you need it and by pulling on the cog shaft you induce no lateral movement so it gives you the best chance of breaking the seal, if you crack the seal of corrosion then it will come out with a few more gentle slides of the hammer.
 
Woah......that picture there makes me scared to even look at mine !!!

Best of luck Dave.
 
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