60 replies to this topic

[hanra]

I had my diff/housing overhauled like 6-8mths ago. Had the LSD centre rebuilt n new carrier bearings/wheel bearings and so forth replaced, was a $837 job. A few months back I filled the diff up with oil once it was fitted to the car.

Crawling under the car te other night, turns out its leaking from between the housing assy and the actual case which holds the centre. I can see it weeping through the gap I guess where the gasket is.

I had notified the company who rebuilt it that it's leaking but they were unable to assist over the phone. I'd say by the time the car is drivable, it would be like 12mths since it had been rebuilt.

Should I expect them to warranty there work? Considering the diff has not turned an axle?
Is this a common fault of a banjo diff?

[hanra]

They may void any chance of warranty if I go pulling centers out. I shouldn't have to lift a spanner. That's why I paid them the big $$$.

[Tyre biter]

...Should I expect them to warranty there work? ...

Yes, yes you should IMO. Whether the company will or not is another thing...

Caveat emptor comes to mind but equally so does name and shame if they don't do the right thing by you. I reckon you are very likely to have consumer law on your side anyways - there might not be a specific warranty but there is always an implied warranty with any product or service, and so there is consumer law (case and statute) to the cabooza on your side here.

Having said that, a softly, softly approach is always best - reminding them of the spend, your prior expectations, their undertakings as to the quality of the job and if need be the amount of consumer law in your corner; this should quietly get you over the line with any reasonable workshop.

Failing that - jackboots, threats of littigation and of naming and shaming everywhere and anywhere you possibly can (aka giant dummy spit) might be in order, but even if they did then come to the party and fix it, you'd always wonder if your rear axle was the proverbial hand-grenade with the pin out after that - the old 'win the battle but not the war' saying comes to mind.

Oh, and I agree - I wouldn't turn a spanner on it unless they said you could - you open a whole other box of worms there.

Good luck with it and cheers, TB

Edited by Tyre biter, 21 March 2012 - 07:59 PM.

[Mort]

I'm with TB don't touch it, ring/email them let them know your concern and ask their opinion, wether you can replace the gasket or send it back for them to check it out (at their expense would be nice).

Take some pics of the problem area to back up your concern as well and will also give them an idea about the leak.

Edited by Mort, 21 March 2012 - 08:24 PM.

[S pack]

If you fitted the banjo into the housing then there would be no warranty claim against the company that rebuilt the diff.

Leaks from the gasket are probably more common than some would expect.

Mine leaked after I put the diff back into the housing so I pulled the diff back out and installed 2 gaskets - Problem solved.

[76lxhatch]

Yep leaking between the centre and housing is very common, old housings have seen better days and the design allows a lot of bending and flexing of the housing. It can take some time for small leaks to become apparent so kind of hard to diagnose on assembly, most people wouldn't worry about it in a driver but obviously you will want it nice and tidy. Thicker gasket(s) as mentioned is one solution, maybe with a bit of sealant, make sure the gasket material doesn't track the oil too.

[hanra]

Thanks for all the tips guys. TB's comments were really helpful! Thanks!

No I did not install the centre in the housing. They were given the task of overhauling the entire assy, wheel bearings/centre/carrier bearings/seals. I received the rear axle back as a complete unit. They organized for it to be blasted/primed (the same mob that destroyed my tailshaft) and they assembled it in primer and I 2 pac'd it after wards.

As I said, Ive already made a nice phone call to them about it, but didnt really get any help... Im just worried that come time for me to actually be able to take the car in there, it would have been such a long time that they will just wipe there hands of it.

[hanra]

[rexy]

As step one I would further tighten all the bolts securing the centre.

[hanra]

Awwww..... its gunnar mark all my nice 2 pac...! Doh!

[StephenSLR]

Should I expect them to warranty there work? Considering the diff has not turned an axle?

Unfortunately with most warranties it will read something like 12 months or 5,000km and it means whichever comes first.

If they want repeat business and goodwill they really should honour it if it's only been 12 months and your car has done very few kms. It's probably an easy fix if so.

s

Edited by StephenSLR, 22 March 2012 - 03:49 PM.

[hanra]

My car has done 0 klms on this diff and it started leaking not long after I filled it with oil.

[StephenSLR]

My car has done 0 klms on this diff and it started leaking not long after I filled it with oil.

I'd get an email address and email them those pics, failing that give them a visit or bring the car in.

s

[hanra]

Yeah I had no response from an initial email Id sent, so I gave em a call to follow up. Car is only on 2 wheels at the mo with the K-Frame out.

[hanra]

So just coming back to this subject. The diff is still weeping. Nothing has changed there.

However I just went to fit my tailshaft and it turns out the diff shop have fitted the incorrect yoke. I guess its a 6cy yoke.

I supplied them with a fine spline LSD centre to replace the coarse spline open centre that was fitted to the diff when I took it in for it to be completely overhauled.

This is the yoke I got back with all the left over parts. Which I subsequently sold to help out a fellow forum member as I was under the impression it was un-needed.







This is the yoke currently fitted:






Now...... How hard is it to swap yokes if I can get a V8 one? Can it be done with everything in place?

Should I expect the Diff shop to carry this work out for free?

Should I remove the entire rear axle assy from the car and take it in to them so they can assess the leak at the same time and swap the yokes?

Or should I remove the centre and only take that in to them and then I deal with the leak come time to re-fit...

I am extremely frustrated and angry with this. It is a real stuff around and I honestly feel I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS TO BE FIXED.

Edited by hanra, 10 September 2012 - 10:07 PM.

[StephenSLR]

How hard is it to swap yokes if I can get a V8 one?

The problem is sourcing a V8 yolk, they're hard to find. As rare as they are I sold one a few years back on ebay for about $50.

This should answer your questions.



As you can see it's an easy job & cheaper for you to bring in your centre ... and get a gasket for your diff while you're there.

s

[hanra]

I just bought this one off ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com....em=251114991792

I was hoping to give a forum member some $$$. But a couple of people Ive spoken to this arv/tonight like yourself have also said how rare they are..... So I guess I better grab it before it goes....

I personally feel that after spending almost $900 on this It should be cheap for me to have it fixed. Free cheap!

Edited by hanra, 10 September 2012 - 10:33 PM.

[76lxhatch]

I'm not sure its fair to expect them to do it for free if you didn't give them explicit instructions to check it - after all, you know more about the vehicle specifics than they do and you didn't spot it to begin with. However its a pretty easy job which they are geared up to do, so if you removed it and approached them nicely then perhaps they might do it for next to nothing.

[hanra]

Well the full story is, I took the diff in for overhaul not knowing what was inside in terms of ratio/spline/LSD or not. Once they opened it, it was found to be coarse spline NON-LSD 3.08. They advised that SLR 5000 Torana should have fine spline LSD and I should make an effort to get the correct diff.

I found a 3.55 fine spline LSD centre and took that in to them, asked for everything to be overhauled, new bearings/seals etc.

I would expect they would know more about the yokes then me, considering at that point Id owned the car for about 2 months and they are diff specialists and knew it was going into a V8 Torana.

Edited by hanra, 11 September 2012 - 07:57 AM.

[76lxhatch]

Mmm, grey area indeed. See how you go, since you are supplying the new yoke it really is a pretty straight-forward job so they may be nice about it

[hanra]

if you get stuck, i can get real good v8 yolks for $60 plus post to you.

I bugger... I just paid $95 plus freight on ebay for one...


So in the end, the diff centre has to be removed from the housing to carry this swap out? Or can it be swapped with the centre in?

[UCgazman]

You can swap the yoke with the centre in place, but if its leaking your gonna have to take it out to replace the gasket anyway.