Opel Manta Haynes manual.pdf

113

Chapter 7 Propeller shaft and universal joints

Contents

Fault diagnosis - propeller shaft

Rear propeller shaft assembly - renovation (centre bearing

and support, torque tube support blocks)

General description

Propeller shaft - removal and refitting

Universal joints - inspection, removal and repair

Specifications

Description

A forward tubular shaft running between a splined sliding joint on

the gearbox output shaft and a rubber bushed universal joint on

the forward end of the rear propeller shaft.

The rear shaft runs in a tubular extension of the final drive

housing. The forward end of the extension - the torque tube - is

held in formation of rubber blocks attached to a beam which is

located transversely underneath the car.

Torque wrench settings

lbs f ft

kg f m

Rear shaft flange to centre universal joint - bolt

1.4

Central joint support beam to bodyshell anchor point - bolt 36

Support block bolt

Central joint support to rubber block

Tube rubber block to torque tube

Rear shaft - forward end - nut

from the underside of the car to gain space in the vicinity of the

forward propeller shaft.

4 If it is anticipated that the existing shaft will be refitted - mark

the rear universe joint spider and rear joint yoke (which is

attached to the rear propeller shaft) in order to ensure correct

alignment when befitting.

5 Bend back 'U' bolt nut locking tabs and undo and remove

nuts and washers, and then extract the 'U' bolts.

6 Push the forward propeller shaft slightly forward to permit the

rear end to be lowered clear of the central joint support structure.

(photo)

1 General description

The propeller shaft on the Opel Manta is in two parts: a

forward tubular section and a rearward solid section running in a

tubular extension of the final drive housing. The forward section is

conventional in design, having a universal joint at each end and at

the forward end a splined coupling which slides on the gearbox

output shaft. The rear solid propeller shaft is connected to the

drive pinion shaft by an internal splined sleeve which slides onto

the barrel splined fitting on the pinion shaft. The forward end of

the shaft runs in a bearing seated in a rubber cushion block,

which is itself mounted on the propeller centre joint support. The

rear shaft runs in a tubular member which is secured to the final

drive casing by four bolts. The forward end of the tubular member

rests on two rubber blocks mounted in the propeller shaft central

support. The central joint support is in turn supported by a beam

which runs transversely across the underside of the car, between

anchorages adjacent to those for the rear suspension trailing

arms (Fig 7.1).

2 Propeller shaft - removal and refitting

1 Since it is unlikely that both sections of the shaft will need to

be removed at the same time, the procedures for the separate

removal of those sections follows:

Forward section propeller shaft (Fig 7.2)

2 Begin by raising the vehicle onto chassis stands placed

underneath the rear jacking points. It is necessary to be able to

get comfortably underneath the centre of the car. Remember to

chock the front wheels.

3 Then remove the handbrake cable yoke/tension equaliser

bracket from the brake rod, then detach the exhaust system

2.6 The forward propeller shaft being disengaged from the

rear shaft

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Chapter 7/Propeller shaft and universal joints

7 Slide the propeller shaft out of the gearbox rear extension

and off its output shaft. Recover the thrust spring from inside the

splined coupling on the front of the propeller shaft.

8 It may be necessary to cover or plug the open end of the

gearbox rear extension to prevent the ingress of dirt or leakage of

gear oil.

9 Refitting the propeller shaft is a reversal of the removal pro-

cedure. Make absolutely certain that if any new parts are being

used - including nuts and bolts - that they are the correct part with

the correct number and are genuine OPEL parts. Coat the

forward coupling splines with EP90 gear oil before fitting the

propeller shaft.

10 Failure of nuts, bolts and other components on the propeller

shaft system could be catastrophic and therefore non-standard

parts should not be used.

11 If the existing propeller shaft is being re-used remember to

align the rear joint spider and the rear shaft yoke according to the

marks made prior to dissembly. The needle bearing cups may be

compressed with a small clamp, so that they will fit into the lugs

on the rear shaft yoke fitting.

Fig 7.1 Exploded view of propeller shaft components (Sec 1)

1 Forward propeller shaft

4 U bolts retaining spider to

8 Centre bearing rubber

rear axle extension

(tubular)

yoke fitting

support

12 Torque tube support

2 Rear propeller shaft

5 Universal joint spider

9 Centre bearing

rubbers

(solid)

6 Forward universal joint and 10 Centre bearing assembly 13 Rear shaft end thrust

3 Rear shaft forward joint

splined coupling

support beam

rubber blocks

yoke fitting

7 End thrust spring

11 Torque tube -

14 Spacer

Fig 7.2 The forward propeller shaft (Sec 2)

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Chapter 7/Propeller shaft and universal joints

Rear section propeller shaft

12 The rear section of the shaft is removed complete with the

tubular extension to the final drive housing and the central joint

support beam.

13 Begin by raising the vehicle onto chassis stands placed

under the rear axle end fittings.

14 Remove the handbrake cable yoke/tension equaliser bracket

from the handbrake rod. Detach the return spring from the brake

rod.

15 Next detach the exhaust pipes from the underside of the

vehicle to give extra access to the forward and rearward sections

of the propeller shaft.

16 To ensure correct alignment when reassembling the

propeller shaft - mark the rear universal joint spider and the yoke

splined onto rear shaft.

17 Undo and remove the nuts and 'U' bolts which secure the

spider to the yoke and lift the forward section to one side.

18 Bring a jack underneath the central joint support beam and

bring into contact with that beam to apply a little force to the

beam. Now the nuts and bolts securing the central beam to the

bodyshell anchorages may be undone and removed.

19 Detach the brake hydraulic line support bracket from the

tubular extension of the final drive unit.

20 Lower the central joint support beam just a little and then

unbolt the tubular extension (torque tube) from the flange on the

final drive housing.

21 The whole rear shaft assembly may now be removed from

the underside of the car.

22 The refitting of the rear section of the propeller shaft is a

reversal of the removal sequence described.

23 The comments made in paragraphs 9, 10 and 11 earlier in

this Section apply equally to the rear propeller shaft Installation.

24 If the brake hydraulic system was disturbed, bleed the rear

brakes and in any event check the adjustment of the handbrake.

Both tasks are described in Chapter 9 of this manual.

25 Remember to tighten all vital nuts and bolts to the torques

specified at the beginning of this Chapter.

Reassembly

7 Thoroughly clean out the yokes and journals.

8 Fit new seals and retainers on the spider journals, place the

spider on the propeller shaft yoke and assemble the needle

rollers into the bearing cups retaining them with some thick

grease.

9 Fill each baring cup about 1/3 and fill with Castrol LM

Grease. Also fill the grease holes in the journal spider with grease

taking care that all air bubbles are eliminated.

10 Refit the bearing cups on the spider and tap the bearings

home so that they lie squarely in position.

11 Using a centre punch peen over the end of the bearing cup

bores to stop the cups from working out.

4 Rear propeller shaft assembly - renovation

1 There are two sets of rubber supports in the centre propeller

shaft joint area; firstly there is the block which supports the rear

shaft forward end support bearing and secondly there are the two

blocks which support the forward end of the torque tube in the

rear propeller shaft.

2 The shaft support bearing, the shaft and the blocks cannot

be removed in situ, therefore begin by removing the rear section

of the propeller shaft as described in the previous Section.

3 With the rear propeller assembly on a bench, undo and

remove the nut which retains the centre universal joint yoke onto

the forward end of the shaft. Restrain the shaft by holding the

yoke with OPEL tool 'J8614' or with a bar suitably bolted to the

yoke fitting.

4 Once the nut has been removed, the yoke may be gently

tapped off the shaft with a soft mallet. If it is tight a universal puller

should enable it to be removed.

5 The propeller shaft may now be driven out of the forward

bearing and the torque tube using a soft mallet (Fig 7.3).

Centre bearing and rubber support

6 Once the shaft has been removed from the assembly the

centre bearing may be pulled from its rubber support complete

with its metal casing. The rubber cushion support is retained in

the central joint support by tabs which have been bent inwards

around the outer lips of the rubber moulding. Once those tabs

have been eased back off the rubber, the moulding can be

extracted from the joint support fitting (Fig 7.4).

Refitting the two items follows the reversal of the removal

sequence. The space in front of the centre bearing must be

packed with water resistant grease (Fig 7.5).

3 Universal joints - inspection, removal and repair

1 Wear in the needle roller bearings is characterised by

vibration in the transmission, 'clonks' on taking up the drive, and

in extreme cases of lack of lubrication, metallic squeaking, and

ultimately grating and shrieking sounds as the bearings break up.

2 It is easy to check if the needle roller bearings are worn with

the propeller shaft in position, by trying to turn the shaft with one

hand, and the other hand holding the rear flange when the rear

universal is being checked, and the front coupling when the front

universal joint is being checked. Any movement between the

propeller shaft and the front, or rear couplings is indicative of

considerable wear. If worn, the old bearings and spider will have

to be discarded and a repair kit, comprising new universal joint

spiders, bearings, oil seals, and retainers purchased. Make sure

this kit is available to you before dismantling. Check also by trying

to lift the shaft and noticing any movement in the splines.

3 Test the propeller shaft for wear, and if worn it will be

necessary to purchase a new forward half coupling, or if the

yokes are badly worn, an exchange half propeller shaft. It is not

possible to fit oversize bearings and journals to the trunnion

bearing holes.

Torque tube support blocks

7 Having already removed the propeller shaft and its

associated parts - note, the centre bearing and its support

moulding need not be removed.

Dismantling

4 Clean away all traces of dirt and grease from the universal

joint yoke. Using a very small and sharp chisel remove the metal

that has formed a lip over the bearing cup faces by peening. This

will take some time and great care.

5 Hold the propeller shaft and using a soft faced hammer tap

the universal joint yoke so as to remove the bearing cups by

'shock' action.

6 Remove all four bearing cups in the manner described and

then free the propeller shaft from the spider.

Fig 7.3 The rear propeller shaft removal from torque ass-

embly (Sec 4)

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Chapter 7/Propeller shaft and universal joints

Fig 7.4 The centre bearing removal from the support rubber

(Sec 4)

Fig 7.5 A section of the centre bearing assembly (Sec 4)

Fig 7.6 The arrows indicate the bolts retaining the torque

tube support to the centre bearing support member (Sec 4)

8 Clamp the torque tube in a vice and undo and remove the

bolts which secure the rubber cushion blocks to the support

member (Fig 7.6).

9 Once the bolts have been removed, the support may be

pulled clear to expose the two tube cushion blocks.

10 Inspect the blocks, if the surface is cracked or the bond

between the rubber and the metal bushing falling, replace both

blocks.

11 New blocks should be screwed into the torque tube and

tightened to 29 lb f ft.

12 Refit the support member so that the torque tube and one

rubber block is in the right position approximately. Then lever the

second block into place in the support member using a strong

screwdriver (Fig 7.7).

13 Tighten the bolts securing the blocks to the support to a

torque of 15 lb f ft.

Fig 7.7 Levering the torque tube and its rubbers into the

centre support member (Sec 4)

5 Fault diagnosis - propeller shaft

1 The main symptom of a faulty propeller shaft is a severe low

frequency vibration, the intensity of which is variable with the road

speed of the car. The vibration will be unaffected by whether the

car is accelerating or decelerating.

The faults can be in several places:

Reassembly of the rear propeller shaft unit

14 The propeller shaft should be inserted into the rear end of

the torque tube and driven through the forward support bearing

with a soft mallet. Be careful not to strain the rubber support of

the forward bearing.

15 Refit the universal joint yoke: use a soft mallet again, to drive

the yoke fitting home on the splines on the shaft.

16 Restrain the yoke with either OPEL tool 'J8614' or an

improvised tool bolted to the yoke fitting and secure the yoke with

a new self-locking nut on the end of the shaft. Tighten the nut to a

torque of 87 lb f ft.

17 Refit the rear propeller shaft to the vehicle as detailed in

Section 2, of this Chapter.

One or both of the universal joints.

ii)

The forward joint sliding splines on the gearbox output

shaft

iii)

A worn centre support bearing.

iv)

Deterioration of centre bearing suppor t rubbers

Out of balance forward propeller shaft, eg; a bent shaft or

shaft unevenly coated with paint or underseal.

3 The propeller shaft is finely balanced and the smallest

noticeable amounts of wear can excite severe vibration

4 Check for wear of the bearings and joints by gripping each

side of the bearing or joint and try to force radial or axial relative

movement as appropriate.

117

Chapter 8 Rear axle

Contents

Axle-shaft, bearings and oil seals - removal, inspection and

refitting

General description

Limited slip differential - description and checking

Differential assembly - removal, dismantling, reassembly

and refitting

Pinion shaft oil seal - removal and replacement

Rear axle - removal and refitting

Specifications

Axle type

Semi floating hypoid

Axle ratio

Standard

Special equipment

16N engine (pre chassis No 2453081)

3.70:1

16N engine (post chassis No 2453081)

3.67:1

16S engine (except Rallye)

3.67:1

16S engine (Rallye)

3.89:1

3.44:1

19S engine (all models + Rallye automatic)

3.44:1

3.67:1

19S engine (Rallye manual)

3.67:1

3.89:1

19 US engine (aIl models + Rallye automatic)

3.44:1

19 US engine (Rallye manual)

3.67:1

Oil capacity

16N engine models prior to chassis No 2453081

1.1 Imp pints, 1.4 US pints, 0.65 litre

All other models

1.9 Imp pints, 2.3 US pints, 1.1 litre

Crownwheel and pinion

Pinion bearing preload

New bearings

7 to 13 lb f inch (0.49 to 0.91 kg f cm)

Reused bearing

5 to 8 lb f inch (0.35 to 0.56 kg f cm)

Pinion depth setting

0.002 to -0.001 inch (0.05 to -0.02 mm)

from pinion marking using the following shims:-

Thickness (inches) Number of notches in circumference

0.0097 Flattened on one side

0.0098 0

0.0108 1

0.0118 2

0.0128 3

0.0138 4

0.0148 5

Clearance between differential cage and side gears a maximum 0.000"

Use the following shims:-

Thickness (inches)

Number of notches in circumference

0.039

0.041

0.043

0.045

0.047

0.049

0.051

0.053

0.055

Axle-shaft bearing seat: maximum radial runout

0.002 in. (0.05 mm)

Axle-shaft flange lateral runout:

0.004 in. (0.10 mm) Max at greatest Diameter

Crownwheel gear, maximum lateral runout

0.003 in. (0.07 mm)

Crownwheel gear/drive pinion backlash

0.004 to 0.008 in. (0.10 to 0.20 mm)

Differential side bearing preload

New bearings

20 to 30 lb f in. (1.40 to 2.10 kg f mm)

Used parings

10 to 20 lb f in. (0.70 to 1.40 kg f mm)

with the following shims:

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