The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[Bigoldbus]

Hi all,
I know this has been covered before but it seems photos have disappeared that may have been useful and some questions I have, I haven't found any definitive answers for.  So long story short, after a number of attempts to fix a leaking diff pan, I decided enough was enough so bought a land rover weld on diff pan which is slightly different but modify-able to match the land cruiser.
The problem is I have got the axle off, half shafts removed and have spent a lot of time trying to get the diff lock off....Needless to say this has crumbled away leaving me a steel shaft and prob the bit of steel that pushes against the coiled spring.
So first question to get the diff lock out does the diff lock have to be in the locked position or not?
If in the locked position how far does the shaft go into the casting (I currently have approx 15mm sticking out)?
Any suggestions for getting the diff off and can that come off with diff lock attached? (All nuts off or studs sheared!!) ?
Also top long stud seems solid, tried quite a bit to get that out but won't budge.
Cheers

[Google]

[Bigoldbus]

So, an update just in case anyone finds themselves in a similar situation.  I ended up getting the long stud off by welding a 13mm nut to it at the diff carrier (as low as possible), then impact gun managed to free it off.....I dont think I would have got the diff off with that still in place.
I then tried to remove as many if the 37mm studs as possible however two snapped and 2 wouldn't budge.  So with a lot of chisels and hammering it eventually started moving and managed to get it off.  
The shaft from the diff lock which was still present I managed to move by carefully hitting it with a chisel from the base to move it out, which eventually it did(a mixture of corrosion and an o ring was holding it in place), cog/circling still attached.  The toothed bar was in the locked position (I think) with the bar the full way in.
This was the first (and hopefully last) time I have removed the diff but wouldn't recommend it!!!!

[diggerdave]

Congrats on sorting your difflock removal problem! Sorry not to reply in time to help but I''l just add quick thoughts on difflock removal in case anyone else reads this.

The key problem is that - as in this case - you will end up with the stump of the old locker still in the diff. The consists of a shaft within a retaininer, the latter of which is stuck in the diff by bi-metal corrosion and decomposed o-ring. The problem is that there nothing to hang onto to facilitate removal. If you try and turn it all with molegrips you just turn the shaft (activating and de-activating the diff lock, but not helping removal) and there's not enough of the retainer to get a grip on.

The temptation to start whacking with a big hammer is to be resisted, even though it looks like it is crying out for it, as there is a tiny gearwheel on the end of the shaft out of sight within the diff housing, which is held on by a tiny C-clip. It's not weak or precarious, but it is small enough that massive wangs with a hammer might be enough to dislodge it and have it fall into your diff pan. Apparently some have retreived it using a magnet on a string, but I wouldn't like to count on it.

The solution is to apply torque to the remains of the retainer. While the OP used a chisel, when I did it I cut and filed flats onto the retainer to get a spanner on it - same solution done differently. Once you can get a grip and twist it comes off easily.
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1997 KZJ90 3.0d, 2" suspension lift, 235/85/16 Cooper STT Pros. 217k hard miles

[Bigoldbus]

Cheers DiggerDave.  It is amazing how the old diff lock crumbled away.  I wouldn't have even thought about putting flats on it!  I am hoping this will be the last time any major work is required on it for a few years!, but seem to have had that hope a number of times in the last few years!

[diggerdave]

I really like having a working rear diff lock so I'm really glad I did it (nasty job). It makes a h-u-g-e difference in slippery situations off road as well as the more obvious situations when a rear wheel lifts up.
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1997 KZJ90 3.0d, 2" suspension lift, 235/85/16 Cooper STT Pros. 217k hard miles

[Bigoldbus]

That was the dilemma for me to be fair, as I don't use it (never been in a situation where it has been needed to date- although wasn't working anyway!!).  So following a suggestion from a friend I did consider blanking it off, but wasn't sure if that would cause problems with nothing holding the mechanism in the off position, so bit the bullet so to speak and purchased a new one.  Maybe I can find some situations where I can use it