Oooookay. So I haven't been COMPLETELY idle... just... mainly. D:
I have done some things, though!
Started off by pulling the axles out of the diff centre, was struggling at first until one of the guys down the laneway lent me this:
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7528/15439769904_c72a2e5f91_c.jpg)
Which made things waaaay easier.
So take one rear axle and diff:
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8578/16036281226_2b95a9d761_c.jpg)
Determine that you can't take these old shock mounts off without a LOT of effort:
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7472/15439763664_01060bd3f4_c.jpg)
I thought they were just spot welded on the bottom but they're welded along the edge inside the plate too, which is way too hard to get to to bother with.
Give everything a good blast with the pressure washer. Discover the ID tag under all the grease that confirms the 3.89 ratio.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7487/15442402293_6ab440d1b6_c.jpg)
Give everything some aggression with the electric wire brush, and then find out that the pinion seal listed for the Borg Warner diff for appropriately yeared Corolla's is way too small.
Take old seal (cleverly obscuring the diameter numbers by drilling a screw through them to pull the seal out) to a seal specialist.
Be disappointed that they don't sell seals OR walruses.
Install new, correctly sized pinion seal, and pop the rear cover to have a look. Decide that everything looks okay for now (it's going to get an LSD later on, anyway, right?)
Make up a new gasket, reinforce with plentiful goop and close everything up again. Hopefully it won't leak nearly so much anymore.
![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png)
Give the whole thing a coat of etch primer:
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8575/15874781640_b3154a9d66_c.jpg)
And then paint it all black.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7566/16036289116_4c0b78e95c_c.jpg)
Purchase new studs of the same thread as the front (12x1.5mm) to avoid prolonged confusion and cross-threaded wheel nuts.
Be sure to get ones with a flat spot so they clear the raised bit of the axle, limiting the options to either very (too) short studs, or overly long ones.
Purchase long tube nuts to hide the end of said studs. Confirm that the knurl on the stud is too wide so carefully drill out the axles a little and then file away the rest because who has a 13.7mm drill bit? Press in the studs and pat yourself on the back because nothing broke.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7553/15439776144_563b090020_c.jpg)
Spend the hottest day of the month (38 degrees) in a corner of the shed with no air flow screwing around with a really short shop press putting new bearings and collars on the axles.
Knock the axles in and then realise that while you thought about the orientation of the backing plates for the drum brakes, you failed to notice that the diff was in fact upside down the entire time, and thus the plates are on back to front. Confirm that the axles are different lengths and therefore instead of just knocking them out and swapping them over, you have to pull everything apart again.
Borrow the shop press down the laneway as it is larger and easier to operate, complete operation in 1/4 the time of last time, including removing the bearings. Take second set of 'just in case' bearings back to work because you managed to not break anything.
Put the axle back together correctly and reinstall drum brake system and assorted bits and pieces.
Discover that inserting new studs has pushed the edge of the axle out a little and drum won't clear the edge of the axle anymore. File down the axles where necessary, beating on everything with a hammer to mark where it needs more work.
Discover that the drums no longer fit because the knurl on the studs is rather long and sticks out too far to let the drum be flush on the axle. Drill bigger holes in drums.
Taste victory. Discover that it tastes like beer. Many beers.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8598/15874612028_21b94e4b63_c.jpg)
Put wheels back on and roll it out of the way, while being amused that the new wheel nuts almost stick out to the lip of the rim.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8664/16062048785_3540c97904_c.jpg)
Also at some point I put the handbrake cable in that oil pan you can see in the image, drowned in oil. It was well rusty and a little seized and apparently this will help. We shall see.
So that's the completed thing that I have done. It took a long time as I had to work a lot more than normal, what with people being away, and it being the lead up to christmas, etc.
And other pitiful excuses.
Eventually I grew a pair and started working on more important things.
Oh! I also painted the diff ID tag red, cos race car. But it has not been reinstated yet.
I will take this moment to point out that white vinegar is still really good at removing surface rust with no effort required.
![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png)
Anyway, I digress.
Take one Pintara bonnet, because the other two Falcon ones that were to be used got weighed in.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7527/15875985059_4339e6ca97_c.jpg)
Strip it, then leave it for a few weeks to gain a nice rusty patina again.
![:-X](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/lipssealed.png)
Take some CAD lessons.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7480/16062078685_221fb2abb6_c.jpg)
Transfer to metal.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7472/15874763760_34fb3d1f2b_c.jpg)
Fail to take any photos to prove that you eventually managed to make a piece of metal fit in to the desired hole. Confirm that you really CAN'T cut straight with a grinder.
All that bit needs is some holes drilled in it for plug welding and it's good to go.
Move on to more difficult pieces, such as this nice, not straight curve.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7567/15439752544_b7ef2f7606_c.jpg)
This piece has a bit of roll to it that you can't really see in the photo, but it's pretty close to the shape of the arch and all the right bits seem to line up and should go together ok when welded in. Just needs holes for plug welds. I would spot weld, but don't have the right equipment. But as long as it holds, and doesn't look like someone passed out while holding the trigger down, I'll be happy.
Made the passenger side arch as well (before this piece, actually), and then kind of ran out of stuff to do before sticking things in. As I was waiting on Jono to assist me setting up the welder and getting me started, I decided to have a crack at a more difficult piece.
This is the floor pan at the front of the passenger side rear arch.
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8658/16061382382_ba097a1ec5_c.jpg)
I took a small cold chisel to it to start the crease where it meets up with the arch.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7489/16036267896_85e42d883a_c.jpg)
The random inked curve is where a slight hill is. I'm not sure whether to beat that part in before I finish the flange (heh) bit or wait until afterwards.
I think it might be easier to achieve while the flange is still sort of flat? Answers on a postcard! To Japan! Because that's where I'll be!
Anyway, I put it in the vice with a dolly from the newly acquired hammer and dolly set I picked up on the cheap.
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7487/16036267606_c8c8ee8791_c.jpg)
And knocked the flange over a bit more. I got it to this point...
![](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8608/15439751334_b2b57907ef_c.jpg)
..at which I decided that it was time to try my hand at stretching. I think I might sort out that hill first, though.
Anyway, I pulled out the cross pein hammer and noticed that it might be a bit wide to do much with..
![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7512/16062049105_a2662d8a19_c.jpg)
So trundled over to work and picked up the only one we had in stock. Which is of a more suitable girth, but is piddly small so may take a while to get anywhere. Oh well.
At this point I got distracted by beer and pulling electrical bits and pieces out of a Zephyr with Jono and thus the story ends for the year.
On Tuesday I fly out to Japan for christmas and new years and snowboarding fun. All told, I'll be gone for a whole month!
![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png)
So that's about all you'll see of me for a while.
![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png)
But I shall be back with renewed vigour and reduced timeframe next year!
Cheers for looking,
Matt