First the differential. After a LOT of cleaning with a wire cup brush and cordless drill followed inspection of the innards for wear, I replaced all of the nuts with stainless nylocks, using fibre washers to prevent the dreaded electrolytic corrosion between them and the cast ally diff casing.
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| During cleaning - about halfway through... |
I drilled out the old, rubber mounting bushes and replaced them with a set of new superflex polybushes, before re-mounting the diff into the chassis and connecting up the cleaned-up driveshafts.
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| Looking nice with all the new shiny bits!! |
Next was the propshaft, which although dirty, was in surprisingly good nick and with a quick wire brushing, degreasing and a coat of paint I refitted it onto the nose of the differential.
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| Before cleaning and painting |
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| Cleaned, painted and fitted. |
And so onto the gearbox! It is a Ford "Bullet" 2000E 4 speed box and was, without a doubt the filthiest thing I have dealt with so far. Nonetheless having removed the inspection covers, it transpires there is literally NO wear in the sprockets or selectors...YAY!!
So after A LOT of cleaning and degreasing, it has received a coat if paint and awaits a set of new gaskets, oil seals and a mounting rubber, before refit it to the car - not sure at this point whether to fit gearbox to engine and then both to the chassis, or gearbox in first and then engine...
There's also the small matter of the hydraulic clutch cylinder - which looks shot, but I have literally zero knowledge about these things - so some homework required on my part....
