[TR] TR6 prop shaft removal - now exhaust question

[Mark Hooper]

Thanks, oh list for the input, especially Dave, Tony, Dick (sorry if I missed
anyone who sent a long note):

After 18 years since refitting the driveshaft I had sort of forgotten how to
get that piece out of the car. The TR6 is the only design I know where in
order to remove a u-joint at the differential one must take out the radio.

The prop shaft did indeed come out forward more easily. The rear u-joint was
very badly beaten up. Considering the effort to get at the shaft, I replaced
both joints. Now have been seized by shipwright's disease. Re-building the
rotten rear mounting job the shop did when I had them install the j-type
conversion a couple of years ago. Started by updating the front engine mounts
that were original rubber. Now rather spongy and mostly separated.

For another related issue: I have a 6:1 header which has a single pipe passing
under the transmission before separating through a Y pipe to two Falcon SS
exhausts. (weird, but it seems to work). With my lovely drips from engine
(suspect the external head oiling pipe is letting things overflow up top) the
transmission housing is dripping right onto that pipe. So, the car smells of
buring oil or gas all the time. I was thinking that, since stopping a TR6 from
leaking is like standing in the forward hold of the Titanic with a beach pail
in hand and saying "No worries; I can fix this!", I would make up a sort of
drip protector/heat shield between transmission and exhaust pipe in the
affected area. Is there something already available on the market, or is it
tinsnips-at-dawn time?

Mark
1972 TR6


________________________________________
From: triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net [triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Dave1massey at cs.com [Dave1massey at cs.com]
Sent: April 3, 2010 8:36 PM
To: Triumphs at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] TR6 prop shaft removal

In a message dated 4/3/2010 11:32:51 AM Central Daylight Time,
mhooper at digiscreen.ca writes:
> I'm fairly convinced I have a bad U-joint in my TR6's driveline. It's
> aggravating that there is not an obviously bad u-joint visually, but I
> guess
> they aren't that clear until apart. It's gone from a rumble at highway
> until
> now almost unable to go faster than 5 mph without shrieking and rumble, so
> lucky just to get home. Since the rumbling and scraping noise is about 3-4
> times faster than wheel speed, I guess it is in the prop shaft rather than
> after the differential. Rear hubs and diff are all new inside and left
> right
> play on shafts seems about equal.
>
> It's been too long since I did this job. Does the prop shaft come out
> forward
> or back? i.e. I have the rear of the car on ramps and have removed my
> exhaust
> system, but it's still not 100% obvious which way it comes out.
>
> I'm thinking of undoing the output flanges on the diff first so that I can
> spin the diff and the prop shaft and avoid having to disassemble the
> interior
> to get at the top flange bolts.
>
> Am I missing some easier way to go about this?
>

Hi, Mark.

It is rare to be able to determine a bad U-joint without removing the shaft
from the car.  Since you have a 72 it is likley you can remove the shaft
easily from the car.  it should easily come out toward the front.  The later
models with the J-type overdrive are much more problematic.  The flange bolts
are almost inaccessible and there is no room for removal of the shaft.
Let's hope you car is the former, not the latter.

Dave