A part from taking the wheels off what do I have top do to replace the seals in the diff? Are there any special tools? What would be the approximate time to do the job for an amature mechanic.

Cheers in advance!

Are you sitting comfortable? Then I'll begin...

To change the oil seal, you're going to need to get the driveshafts out. Not a huge job, but definitely nearer the Haynes five spanners than one!

Get the car up on axle stands, with the wheels off. Personally, I'd drain the GB oil, but some people mix risk just having half of it drain out when you pull the HS.

To get the HS out, you'll need to disconnect the lower suspension. Probably the easiest would be to undo the anti roll bar links (13mm), the track control arms (2x 15mm) and the steering arm/"upper" ball joint (IIRC 17mm with split pin). The other option is to undo the lower ball joint, but this can be a bit of pig, but then so too can the other bolts if they're seized.

Once the suspension is free, you can knock out the HS. To do this, you'll need a big wide screwdriver or pry bar - look at where the HS goes into the GB, pry between the two and HS will "pop" out. At this point it is worth having two people, one pulls the hub/disk while the other guides the HS out of the GB. This can be a REAL struggle, but with enough pulling it should come! Once out, support the HS out of the way (either tied up, or supported on a spare axle stand), cover it with a cloth to keep it clean.

Part 2 below...

Part 2...'cos of my silly work firewall :shock:

From there, it is "just" a case of getting the oil seals out (not something I've ever done, so I'm afraid you're on you own there) and reseat the new ones.

Getting the HS back in can be tricky and sometime you need to turn the hub to engage the splines in the GB. Once in, it needs to be "clipped in", which generally involves pulling the hub out and then in, "knocking" the HS the last 10mm into the GB.

Connect up the rest of the suspension and get on with the other side!

Refill the GB with oil (easiest to fill through the breather on top of the GB, but with the level plug open so not to over fill it.

Job done!! Or something like that

Bleedin' 'eck, thanks for that... it's put me off a bit! :

The new oil seals are best drifted into place using a suitable sized socket and a rubber mallet. The old ones should come out by levering them out carefully with a screwdriver.

Rusty Bullet wrote:Bleedin' 'eck, thanks for that... it's put me off a bit! :

It wasn't intended that way. I don't know how much of a home mechanic you are, but you'll only get better by doing.

I'm in my mid-40's and I've been tinkering with cars since I got my first one (a Triumph Herald) back in 1982; actually thinking about it I started a lot younger than that because I used to help my dad with his cars.

But since owning Rovers (about the last 3 years). I've learnt a huge amount and tackled a lot more complex jobs than ever I used to: engine swaps and rebuilds, suspension swaps, gearbox swaps, etc, etc. Now a lot of that is down to necessity as I'm rallying a lot more seriously now than I used to, but as with most thing, learning to do something builds your confidence and lets you tackle ever more complex jobs.

I'd say I'm particularly lucky in three respects:

I've been doing it long enough to have built up a good collection of "useful" tools and got an understanding wife who puts up with me getting something "that will come in useful one day" and there's nothing like having "just the right tool for the job" to make life easy.

I happen to have picked a car to go rallying in that has a very loyal following with a excellent support network - here, Rovertech and MG-Rover to name but three. There's very few things I've wanted to do with my car that someone hasn't done before and they're all kind enough to share their experiences.

And finally, I've got a great friend (and co-driver) who will help me, bounce ideas, tell me when I'm being a d!ckhead, etc, etc (he's also a pretty good welder for a software engineer, which comes in handy when we need to weld in the roll cage, or knock up sumpguard mountings, or make our own strut braces:)).

Sorry, I realise I'm ranting (in a good way), but basically, don't be put off. Go for it. If it all goes wrong, it might mean having to get the bus to work on Monday, but someone here will help you through it, hell, ask around and I bet you'll find a member that lives not too far that will even help you

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I have a RAVE manual but like the Haynes manual, it tends not to tell you of the pit-falls and in contrast sometimes exhagerates what needs to be done. I have taken the head off and with (a significant) help from my Dad, replaced it on a previous 214SEi 'Wedge'.

I think I might be OK with the seal. I discovered this morning what appears to be a leak from the inlet manifold gasket (and hopefully not the head gasket!). It might be picking up oil and muck on it's way to the bottom of the block, then on to the drive shaft. I'll replace the gasket and see what happens! The advice, however, could come in useful later in the life of my 214SEi 'Wedge'.

Hey there matey. Don't be too intimidated by the job. It helps loads if you've got a friend to help who's reasonably good at waving a spanner about, if not then persevere with it. You may find a universal ball joint splitter handy (scissor type) and some hooks to get the old seals out (like you can get in those little sets)

Oh and if the gearbox is leaking get it sorted ASAP, I'd know!! I bought a 216 coupe just after Xmas, used it for a week and the 'box just bound up one day. It had run dry, bloody previous owner knew it as well but didn't tell me :

Anyway there isn't much fluid to lose from the 'box so make sure you keep on top of it.

Cheers, I'll deal with this at the week-end, snow permitting!