Rear diff lock actuator

Any hints or tips for swapping out the rear difflock actuator for a new one would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Yeah. Don't do it in the snow.

Chris

Take your wallet and pay a visit to Westcoast 4x4

What specifically do you need help with, Gav? I presume "undo the bolts and pull the old one off. Insert new one and torque bolts up to FSM spec, connect wires and pray" isn't the advice you need?

Cheers,

the 4 bolts holding the actuator foot plate to the side of the diff are quite soft and easily rounded off if they've corroded in place, that's the thing most likely to give you grief IMO. Before putting the new one on make sure the mounting face on the diff is nice and clean i.e. all corrosion and sealant cleaned off so the new one fits properly and runs along the correct axis. Don't put any sealant around the central part of the casing that interlocks or you may not get it back off in one piece next time! Do put a little sealant on the flat face, as a barrier to galvanic action as much as water ingress.

Andrew Prince said:

Take your wallet and pay a visit to Westcoast 4x4

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Oo, you bitch Andy!!!

Thats the kind of advice I gues I'm after - the FSM talks about all sorts of liquid gasket...

Aha, thats more like it!!! Thanks Jon

Sealant = liquid gasket then? Not me bathroom sealant!!!

I tend to use stuff like Wurth RTV Silicone Black (black bond). Excellent stuff but not cheap.

RTV should be fine if you put a thin enough layer on and is what I would do if I didn't have a collection of sealants to choose from on the shelf already Just don't let it get on the central part that locates just inside the casing, you'll know what I mean when you see it, it might seal a bit too well and not want to come off again without a lot of force ...

I've bought some DELTA D203 instant gasket silicone sealant (www.delta-adhesives.co.uk) for the job. If there is a more suitable product that is easily available, I will happily buy it & use it!!!

One thing it says on the pack is 'if joint is to be dismantled at a later stage, smear oil lightly onto one surface, apply sealant to the other & bolt down'. Thoughts? Any reason not to? I hope that this actuator will outlive me, let alone the truck!!!

You can use that trick on doors in your house if they rattle but with a bit of silicon and some washing up liquid

Can you take some pics of the actuator replace as need to pull mine apart soon for some maintenance.

That should work Gav (the oil trick). For preference I'd use a none setting sealant but I don't think it's worth going out and buying something different for this job. You just want to stop moisture getting between the alloy actuator and the steel diff and turning your expensive alloy into a blob of crumbly oxide you may get a good look at that process when you take your old one off, I'm not talking about a bit of surface destruction but great big chunks

Paul said:

Can you take some pics of the actuator replace

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Willdo my best buddy

Jon Wildsmith said:

That should work Gav (the oil trick). For preference I'd use a none setting sealant

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I'll give the oil a whirl Jon. The tube I have says it 'forms a flexible rubber seal' so I'm sure it will be ok...

Jon Wildsmith said:

turning your expensive alloy into a blob of crumbly oxide you may get a good look at that process when you take your old one off, I'm not talking about a bit of surface destruction but great big chunks

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From what others have told me about looking at the existing actuator, I don't know how its held in place as it stands - they declined to even remove it to have a look to see if it could be repaired as they were so sure it would just fall to peices...

Should be a bit of fun on Saturday anyway

Jon is correct about the 4 little bolts which round off. This happened to me I had to hammer a smaller spanner onto them ; a BSF size if you've ever heard of those. I nearly had to get my oxy' onto the job.

Frank

I shall be vay wary of them then Frank... I'll get under there tonight with a can of WD40... And have the oxy on standby!!!

BSF??? Big Strong Fncker?

I took the locker out of my petrol 80 had a right job getting the top bolts out even my extracters rounded the heads off.even ended up weldind a bigger nut on to the bolts did the job the heat from welding helped aswell

top rear one is the one you'll struggle with for access if it doesn't want to come out. Last resort - remove the diff to get at it and yes I've had to do that on one but it was during a diff swap anyway

Ive still got to do my lockers. Dont fancy the job thats why they still havnt been done yet. Dont fancy taking the diff out jon. Av you ad a look at the rear locker yet dave? Someone may know why it not engaging on here.
karl

taking the rear diff out on a locked 80 is not a very big job at all, take the drive shafts out, disconnect the prop, disconnect the actuator, unbolt the diff (probably should drain the oil first as well )

Replaced one in the front of my first cruiser. Wasnt to bad just a pain doing it on my drive at home. Ye oil would be better dropped
Are you a wizz kid at reparing lockers as well jon??? ??? ??? ???

never managed to repair an actuator Karl, resorted to replacing with new. Rebuilding / regearing or fitting ARB's seems to be my amateur specialty. Did think about making a cable conversion but it wasn't worth the time and it's history now

The 80 front lockers (rear on a 90) are pretty much a non consumer repairable part. Shame as they are so damned expensive. If they are gone, there is little that can be done to restore them. But I hear that the rear (80) is slightly more robust and will stand a little tinker time?

Is this true. presuming that you can get the little devil off in the first place.

Chris