Very tight driveshaft/hub nuts

[sanzomat]

Among the spares that came with my car were a pair of drive shafts from an MGF still connected to the hubs/flanges/hub carriers and bottom wishbones. I also got a pair of MGF driveshafts with the engine I bought so I'm not short of shaft options (ooh matron!).

The ones still attached to the hubs look a bit newer so I thought i'd use those (but no play or anything nasty with the other pair, just cosmetically rougher). I bent back the stake nuts and then tried to undo the nuts, plenty of penetrating oil and an overnight soak but not going anywhere. I thought I'd try using the vice as holding them still whilst not fitted to a car was proving difficult. I have a male to male 1/2" drive so I clamped that in the vice jaws with a 32mm socket for the hub nut on it. Rested the nut in the socket and then hooked a long bar through the wheel studs to turn the hub/driveshaft. Bloody tight! All I managed to do was break the vice! The whole casting shattered! It was an old Sheffield made Record - didn't think they could break!!

Oh well, there's nothing really wrong with the other pair of shafts so I'll use them instead.

Need another vice now!

[Facial Hair Optional]

Drugs, wild sex, rock n' roll, smoking, hard drinking - take your pic Dave!!! 

[benchmark51]

Had my vice pinched .
I have a hairy 240v impact wrench, never failed to undo a nut yet, if you need it.

[Moleman]

I may be able to get you a new vice. 

[Facial Hair Optional]

Have you tried doing it UP slightly before trying to undo it? Often breaks the seal for some reason. then just go back and forwards til it's free. I swear this often works (probably not this time though  )

[Facial Hair Optional]

I may be able to get you a new vice. 

No, no, no, I am just not going there 

[longtimecoming]

Are your nuts left or right hand thread? Could be the reason you can't get them. undo

[benchmark51]

I may be able to get you a new vice. 

Mmm cone killing?

[sanzomat]

Drugs, wild sex, rock n' roll, smoking, hard drinking - take your pic Dave!!! 

Tried all them, managed to give up most. Have kept the best two 

[sanzomat]

Are your nuts left or right hand thread? Could be the reason you can't get them. undo

Defo both normal thread - I tried the new stake nuts on the second set of shafts.

[sanzomat]

Have you tried doing it UP slightly before trying to undo it? Often breaks the seal for some reason. then just go back and forwards til it's free. I swear this often works (probably not this time though  )

Tried - they absolutely won't budge either way. They are torqued to 210nm anyway and with a bit of time and rust....

[sanzomat]

I may be able to get you a new vice. 

Interested, and not for the reasons FHO suggests...

[sanzomat]

Had my vice pinched .
I have a hairy 240v impact wrench, never failed to undo a nut yet, if you need it.

Sound like you need to talk to Moleman (or maybe that's where he gets his supply from!!)

Wouldn't mind giving your impact wrench a try - are you on the karting trip on Saturday? Do you have a 32mm socket for it? I'm guessing it needs special sockets??

[benchmark51]

No not doing karting, I'm in Warmley near the ring road/A420 roundabout, where are you?. I have a 32mm socket, so you're welcome to try it. Dave(not Rodney).

[sanzomat]

No not doing karting, I'm in Warmley near the ring road/A420 roundabout, where are you?. I have a 32mm socket, so you're welcome to try it. Dave(not Rodney).

Cheers Dave. PM Sent...

[Facial Hair Optional]

Have you tried heating the nuts up? Often works as long as you can try and turn the nut before the heat gets into the shaft. Don't need to explain why to you Dave obviously.

No jokes about hot nuts please!! (Or shafts either) 

[Camber Dave]

If undoing fails cut off the nut - it's a consumable.

I assume it is in a recess in the hub.

Try drilling 3mm holes through the nut, down to the hub.
So, inline with the axle Centre line, side by side out to the flat of the nut.
You will probably get 2 or three holes between the shaft and a flat on the nut.

Then a chisel will easily split the nut.

Your problems then start.
I have had an MX 5 shaft in the press with 10 tons on it for a fortnight and the b*gg*r still hasn't moved.

I will have to cut the Mazda casting away as I need the shaft and flange for the  project.
We will probably have to get new shafts though.
We are making our own rear uprights, to obtain longer top wishbones.
Have a look at the drawings on the web site - Ah, no you can't now.

[sanzomat]

Thanks Dave. I'd already started thinking about drilling/splitting. I have already got new stake nuts for the reassembly so as you say the nuts will be binned anyway. I'm chatting with a fellow GTM owner (Rossa K3) on GTMOC at the moment who is also doing a VVC swap - He suffered a similar issue. After cutting off the nuts 'cos they wouldn't move he resorted to a big hammer to break the splines out of the drive flange. In doing so he completely mullered the ends of the shafts. As it turns out the outer ends are identical to the Metro ones he took off his K3 (slipped out easy 'cos the builder had copper slipped the splines) so he was able to swap the outer CV joints from his Metro shafts onto the MGF shafts.

I'm hoping that the splines on the car are okay because the guy I bought it off swapped the 1.4 for a 1.6 only 6 months before i bought it so I'm assuming he had she shafts out for that but as he re-used the R65 gearbox it is still on Metro shafts.

Worst case on my MGF shafts is I just use the slightly less attractive pair as they are already separate!

[Gary RH7]

(slipped out easy 'cos the builder had copper slipped the splines)

FHO behave I can read your mind

Something to be learned here.
When I built my kit I used some stuff like black graphite paste I found lying around. Dont know exactly what it was but on the tin it says;

S720
Grease ZX-13 DTD 392A
34B /9100528
AF/N.1227/69DC70 (2)
S.M.and B.P Ltd/BARTON
BAR 6846/  SEPT 69
1LB. NETT-0.454KG

I am sure someone out there could find out whet it is.

Obvious Military and works wonders. Never have to struggle with my nuts and bolts. Also stops rust build up. Similar to copper slip.

[benchmark51]

I dont know from the numbers, but there is a graphite grease available. I use to add a little to the coolant to cure a noisey water pump, use to work a treat.

The black grease I also use now is Castrol Moly (molybdenum disulphide) and is good stuff, no melting point. good for splines ect.

[sanzomat]

Well, Dave's impact wrench is indeed the dog's danglies. I tried just using a long bar on the nuts on the car and they wouldn't budge. Dave's impact wrench barely noticed they were done up at all. The splines actually slid as soon as the nuts were loose so no issues there.

I then tried the impact driver on the ones that broke my vice and they both came off with no bother. A few swings of the lump hammer (with the old stake nuts covering the ends of the threads and a lump of wood just in case) and the splines were out on those too.

I've taken off the rear clam (as photos) and got a bit further too with the exhaust off and started to dismantle the rod gearchange.

[Iancider]

Here I know this is a bit of an aside but....

I doesn't half look cool with the back off - kind of Dragsterish..... cool!

[Daley Down Under]

Result 

Cheers Adrian