Hello all and to update this post,
Dave, yes you are correct in your assumption, as the Final Drive is still attached to its top mounts, pushing the FD rear wards causes the nose of the FD to drop as it rotates on the mount axis. This then gives just enough clearance to pull the prop shaft rearwards to allow the Prop Shaft to separate from the gearbox, then for final removal of the Prop Shaft from the front of the car. I used a strap to pull back and hold the diff in this position.
After spending about an hour or so trying to reconnect the prop shaft to the gearbox by trying to insert my arm up the transmission tunnel, I finally gave up as I could not get the correct purchase to make everything align for the shaft to insert. I am impressed by those who managed to do it this way, but I reverted to accessing the inspection hole in the side if the chassis/body.
Here is the process I followed.
? Remove driver?s seat
? Remove rear seat bases and rear backrest
? Remove gear knob
? Remove Transmission tunnel trim
? Remove Foot well carpet
? Remove transmission tunnel carpet
? Remove inspection Bung
I did all this as I did not want to risk damaging the Transmission tunnel?s plastic / abs trim which is very fragile.
Finally after an hour so I managed to get the prop shaft back in, see pic, all in all I say it took between 3 to 5 five hours over several weeks.
To summarise my whole process:
Prop Shaft removal
1. Raise car as high as possible to give maximum working height.
2. Disconnect 4 no flange bolts which connect the Prop Shaft UJ to Final Drive
3. Disconnect the Final Drive Tie bars to allow the Final Drive to be pulled rearwards as far as possible. I could not get the Prop shaft UJ, to separate from the final drive without doing this.
4. Pull prop shaft to rear and position it so that it is as far back as you can get it, the shaft should then be free of the box. This took ages as I just could not get adequate clearance without pulling the Final Drive as far back as it will go.
6. Support gearbox to allow the removal of the Gearbox mounting
7. Jack up gear box to allow clearance
8.Raise the gearbox tail of the box to create a space to pull the shaft out between the tail shaft and the transmission tunnel entrance, passing to the right i.e. Starter Motor side, its a bit of fiddle but can be done, remove the shaft from below the gearbox tail.
To Reinstall the shaft using the access to the transmission tunnel next to the driver?s seat.
1. Remove driver?s seat
2. Remove rear seat bases and rear backrest
3. Remove gear knob
4. Remove Transmission tunnel trim
5. Remove Foot well carpet
6. Remove transmission tunnel carpet
7. Remove inspection Bung
8. Reinstall Prop Shaft reversing the Removal Process
I will report back once I the car back on the road as to whether the vibration is cured, but it may be a while as there are a few other jobs to be done.
Regards
Peter