Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Doctor Gollum]

A couple of points...

You only need to undo the manifold/cat joints... A six sided 16mm is essential for this. Get the exhaust hot as well.

Whether you need to remove the exhaust or not is a moot point. It frees up alot more space for access to box/engine bolts, and for manipulation of the box... Why crush your hand against summat that could have been removed

Again, access to the selector mechanism is sook much easier sans exhaust.

Equally you don't need to remove the prop shaft, but if it slips out of the centre bearing, it's really easy to force it back in without realising that the splines aren't correctly aligned. This will cause no end of grief later.

Have done two Omega clutches on the drive, there's the easy way and the hard way. Clear as much space as possible and get the car at least 18" off the ground or you'll never get the box out from under it. And ideally take someone with you, because now is not the time to squish yourself 

[Shackeng]

I didn’t need to take the exhaust off on my estate. Can’t advise on the saloon. 

It was the 2.5 diseasal as well, so not much help I’m afraid, other than to confirm that it is ‘kin heavy, and was not an easy job on stands, although James, who did one earlier for me, made it look like a walk in the park. 

[Doctor Gollum]

I didn’t need to take the exhaust off on my estate. Can’t advise on the saloon. 

It was the 2.5 diseasal as well, so not much help I’m afraid, other than to confirm that it is ‘kin heavy, and was not an easy job on stands, although James, who did one earlier for me, made it look like a walk in the park. 

Straight six with a single pipe...  The V6 doesn't have that luxury...

[LC0112G]

Progress so far in 2 hours ....

All 6 bolts off the gearbox to prop-shaft, but the donut won't come out yet.
All 6 bolts out of the flexi plate
3 rounded off and stuck bolts, and one bolt sheared off the cat pipe to rear exhaust sections. Everything here very rusty. I suspect I'm going to have to angle grind the remaining 3 bolts  out, and replace both cat pipes. 
6 of the 9? bell housing to engine bolts out.
Exhaust to gearbox bracket off (4 bolts)
Gearbox to chassis/mount rear bracket loosed, but still in place till I work out what to do about the exhaust.
Ginsters pasty & 2 cups of coffee downed, packet of crisps, hot cross bun and a banana next.
 

[Doctor Gollum]

Splitting the exhaust was unnecessary...

If the front prop shaft won't slide into the rear enough to drop the donut, then you need to drop the whole propshaft and split it on the ground... See my earlier post warning of extra grief in this area...

[amba]

Good progress.
Again from memory Daz removed the prop shaft from mine as his theory was it could fall out and gave better access.
He did only remove the cats but complete from manifold to join of mid section .Bolts were just cut and drilled out then on refit we used nut and bolt to join.

[LC0112G]

Splitting the exhaust was unnecessary...

Ok - I misunderstood. My theory was that if I can get the cat to exhaust bolts undone then the cat to manifold nuts could stay in place. When I undo the gearbox rear mount I can then lower the rear of the gearbox as the engine pivots on it's mounts. (That's the way it's done on a Carlton anyway). The front pipes can stay in place and pivot with the engine.

If the front prop shaft won't slide into the rear enough to drop the donut, then you need to drop the whole propshaft and split it on the ground... See my earlier post warning of extra grief in this area...

But that means removing the whole rear section of the exhaust? Or are you saying that I should have unbolted the cat pipes from the engine, and removed the whole exhaust in one piece - cat pipes to rear box complete?

[LC0112G]

Good progress.
Again from memory Daz removed the prop shaft from mine as his theory was it could fall out and gave better access.
He did only remove the cats but complete from manifold to join of mid section .Bolts were just cut and drilled out then on refit we used nut and bolt to join.

It's the join at mid section that's the problem. The 4 bolts are rusted to bu99ery. They appear to screw directly into the cat pipe 'flange', and that flange is rusted to hell and there isn't much left of it. I've got my doubts that there will be enough meat to drill out and tap.  And to do that the cat section is going to have to come off anyway.

[Doctor Gollum]

Splitting the exhaust was unnecessary...

Ok - I misunderstood. My theory was that if I can get the cat to exhaust bolts undone then the cat to manifold nuts could stay in place. When I undo the gearbox rear mount I can then lower the rear of the gearbox as the engine pivots on it's mounts. (That's the way it's done on a Carlton anyway). The front pipes can stay in place and pivot with the engine.

If the front prop shaft won't slide into the rear enough to drop the donut, then you need to drop the whole propshaft and split it on the ground... See my earlier post warning of extra grief in this area...

But that means removing the whole rear section of the exhaust? Or are you saying that I should have unbolted the cat pipes from the engine, and removed the whole exhaust in one piece - cat pipes to rear box complete?

That's exactly what I meant. You need the cats off the car to get the box out. Removing the whole exhaust simply gives you space to move, as on the ground, you need every mm you can create.

Ambas example was done in a workshop. On a lift. So space is a little less critical.

[STEMO]

Splitting the exhaust was unnecessary...

Ok - I misunderstood. My theory was that if I can get the cat to exhaust bolts undone then the cat to manifold nuts could stay in place. When I undo the gearbox rear mount I can then lower the rear of the gearbox as the engine pivots on it's mounts. (That's the way it's done on a Carlton anyway). The front pipes can stay in place and pivot with the engine.

If the front prop shaft won't slide into the rear enough to drop the donut, then you need to drop the whole propshaft and split it on the ground... See my earlier post warning of extra grief in this area...

But that means removing the whole rear section of the exhaust? Or are you saying that I should have unbolted the cat pipes from the engine, and removed the whole exhaust in one piece - cat pipes to rear box complete?

That's exactly what I meant. You need the cats off the car to get the box out. Removing the whole exhaust simply gives you space to move, as on the ground, you need every mm you can create.

Ambas example was done in a workshop. On a lift. So space is a little less critical.

You're doing nothing, whizz down to Yeovil and give the lad a hand 

And Malcolm, ginsters? in your part of the country, are you sure?

[amba]

If the flange is past it but cats are still sound couldn't you cut off both the cat and mid section flanges and rejoin with a sleeve clamp and paste,although that would require entire exhaust dropping ...just a thought

[LC0112G]

Splitting the exhaust was unnecessary...

Ok - I misunderstood. My theory was that if I can get the cat to exhaust bolts undone then the cat to manifold nuts could stay in place. When I undo the gearbox rear mount I can then lower the rear of the gearbox as the engine pivots on it's mounts. (That's the way it's done on a Carlton anyway). The front pipes can stay in place and pivot with the engine.

If the front prop shaft won't slide into the rear enough to drop the donut, then you need to drop the whole propshaft and split it on the ground... See my earlier post warning of extra grief in this area...

But that means removing the whole rear section of the exhaust? Or are you saying that I should have unbolted the cat pipes from the engine, and removed the whole exhaust in one piece - cat pipes to rear box complete?

That's exactly what I meant. You need the cats off the car to get the box out. Removing the whole exhaust simply gives you space to move, as on the ground, you need every mm you can create.

Ambas example was done in a workshop. On a lift. So space is a little less critical.

Ahh right. I'm indoors - not exactly on the ground but not on a 2/4 post either - rear wheels are 8 inches up on concrete blocks, and fronts 16 inches on ramps.

You're doing nothing, whizz down to Yeovil and give the lad a hand 

And Malcolm, ginsters? in your part of the country, are you sure?

Err - don't want those London folk down here spreading their germs everywhere. 

And yes Ginsters. We have supermarkets here and everything. Did the weekly/fortnightly shop this morning so picked up a couple of Cornish luverlies to tide me over.

If the flange is past it but cats are still sound couldn't you cut off both the cat and mid section flanges and rejoin with a sleeve clamp and paste,although that would require entire exhaust dropping ...just a thought

Possibly, but I suspect these are the original down pipes, and the heat-shielding has been rattling for ages and getting right on my t1ts/man-boobs. I suppose it depends what is easier/cheaper to get at the moment. Forgot to bring in my camera today so no piccies - will try to remember when I come in to finish the job.

[LC0112G]

Ok sitrep at the 5pm coffee break time. Another 2h30 and....

Exhaust off in one piece. Well two actually - the rusty joint between the cat pipes and mid sections snapped off on one side. The back and mid boxes look in reasonable shape. The front pipes not so. The manifold nuts came off ok and are 15mm not 16mm? However, I think when I re-fit I'll be using the stainless aerostiffs that I use on the LC.

Heat-shields off.  Thankfully no heat shield studs sheared, but then I did have them off a year or two back to replace the handbrake cable. 

Propshaft off. Even with the centre and both ends unbolted it still wouldn't come out without prying against one of the donuts.

Electrics off. What pillock decided to cable tie the loom to the gearbox so that you can't just unplug the connectors and call it done. Grrr. Gonna have to cut the cable ties once I've got access to them. I think I've separated all the plugs - speedo sender, front oil pan, rear oil pan and large multi-block.

Gear shifter off. Two spring clips - relatively trivial.

Rear of box supported on trolley jack, and remove the gearbox rear support/mount. Kin ell - those two bolts into the chassis were tight. Suspect they were rusted inside the chassis box section, with no real access to wire brush or WD40.

Lower the rear of the box.

Getting there. Will probably carry on till between 7 and 8pm - hopefully the old box will be out by then. Next step is to take shower in ATF I think.

[amba]

When the pipe from mid section entering the back box broke through I managed to join it all back up together with a 51-55mm metal joint sleeve from Amazon for around £10.

Given they are still delivering and saves going out too might be a solution and for £20 both cats will the be rejoined.Just pull off all the old heat shields as they are not truly required and then the rattle is cured too

[LC0112G]

When the pipe from mid section entering the back box broke through I managed to join it all back up together with a 51-55mm metal joint sleeve from Amazon for around £10.

Given they are still delivering and saves going out too might be a solution and for £20 both cats will the be rejoined.Just pull off all the old heat shields as they are not truly required and then the rattle is cured too

Ok thanks - might be a plan. I measure the cat pipes to be 59mm o/d at/just before the flange, and the mid box pipe 57mm o/d at/just before it's flange.