To: Triumphs List, Inet
On Mon. Pat Edwards wrote:
I have to replace the diff on our Vitesse this weekend, and
thought I would replace the trunnion bushes while I was at it.
I have heard that they can be very difficult to remove as the
bush sleeve can seize onto the bolt. Does anyone have any tricks
or tips on removing them?
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Having just dismantled the entire Spit I can vouch for the fact
that the bushing sleeves can (and do) seize onto the bolt. In
removing the rear trailing radius arms I ran into this problem
where the radius arm mounts to the body. Despite soaking in
several applications of WD-40 for several days, no luck. I even
tried torching one off with a propane torch but all that
accomplished was the melting of the bushing itself, along with the
attendant smoke, soot and melted rubber all over my patio. Not
pretty and Lord does it stink when it burns. I finally ended up
hacksawing off the bolt head, then spreading the bracket arms
apart with a prybar just enough to get the bolt out then pounding
the bracket back into shape. Not the most efficient way to do it,
but it worked since under the circumstances I am replacing all
bushings, etc. Of course, if you are not replacing the bushings
then you are SOL. If you have this problem, just repeat this
mantra after me "Be Creative - Don't Panic".
Anyhow, I wholeheartedly agree that upon reassembly you should
apply an anti-seize compound, which of course benefits the next
owner of the vehicle if you have no plans to ever replace the
bushings again. Regards and good luck.
Ross D. Vincenti
64 Spitfire 4 (undergoing surgery)
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