Hi all, Can any one point me in the direction of repair manual for a Salisbury diff such as those used in most older Maserati ( 3500, QP1 etc) I wish to do some basic maintenance on mine (seals etc) I think that is is a 4Ha. Many thanks. Kindest regards, Ian (107-1202)
I believe the rear axle is the same (or very similar) as in the Jaguar Mk2. In the Heynes workshopmanual the rear axle is very nicely descrbed. I had until now no problem with the rear axle, beside the simmerring at the input was leaking. This is easy to change: the biggest problem is to get the old, leaking simmerring out. Drill or 3 little holes into the metal part of the simmerring and screw selftapping screws in. Then you can grip these screws to pull the old one out. Wilfried/Lavaux
Thanks for the [ old ] tip. I have ordered the Haynes manual which should come in handy for the leaky diff and the front suspension rebuild too Julian
The most common differential leak is from the pinion seal (where the drive shaft connects to the diff). As mentioned before, the seal is the same as a Jaguar. It is important that the pinion is properly torqued. Easiest way is to mark the nut and count the turns when you remove it. Change the seal and then put the nut back exactly in the same position you found it. Ivan
Hi Julian, The old seal versions consist of a strange big diameter plate with an asbestos cord in it that after years normally starts leaking. There are alternative versions available with a simmering (modern seal), watch out because there are 2 different diameters in use. So measure before ordering! Ciao, Bart
Bear in mind, that more often than not a leaking seal is caused by a worn bearing. Also bear in mind, that w rongly torqued flange-nut may cause bearings to wear prematurely, and ultimately cause the pinion to loose it's exact loacton on the crown-wheel, causing wear and noise. Diffs are not rocket-science, but are easily disturbed. Setting one up correctly is a rather precise process. Do it correctly and you'll enjoy longevity and quietness.. Best, Jack
And Thanks Bart and Jack too Don't expect any progress on this sub project any time soon, got to wait for that manual!!
When your manual arrives, and proves itself satisfactory for the task, can you describe the exact copy so we may know which one to get? Many Thanks, RF.
Yes of course. I have bought the Haynes manual for the Jaguar Mk 1 and 2 and will see if it actually helps [ might be a while before I get to the diff but happy to let you know ]
The main input seal in these differentials is made of leather, they dry out over time, thus leaking. But worse, letting in humid air which can lead to rust on input shaft bearing. Most of these old cars have tended to sit for long periods of time...that's when the bearings rust.. I'm amost positive Jaguar made the Differentials for Maserati, as Jaguar supplied other parts for those early cars.. Parts for the differentials are easy to obtain through Jaguar parts sources, I.e X K's Unlimited has all the necessary bearings, gears, rings, clutchs and plates (for the limited slip versions), and seals. The whole kit for my Limited slip dif, was maybe $200.00.
My advice is that unless you know there is definitely something wrong with the differential, simply replace the pinion and rear cover seals .... and stop. Chances are you will mess something else that was perfectly fine by digging into it. These differentials are very robust and seldom give much trouble. Just my 2 cents of advice. Ivan
Hello, I have just done a first test drive in the Indy I have bought unseen. There is a "woooooouh" noise coming from the rear axle. It's light when accelerating and VERY loud (more loud then the engine noise) on the overrun. Can anybody tell me how to investigate this problem?
First make sure there is oil in it. It may be the gears are not aligned. This could be caused by one or more bad bearings. The rear cover plate is easy to remove and inspect gears.
Have you checked the oil level? If the lever is okay then I would put the read differential on jack stands and put the car in gear. You should be able to tell if the noise comes from the outer bearings or the differential. I had the same issue on my differential and found out that the spider gears were shot. Most competent shop should be able to rebuilt the rear end since all parts are available new.
Hi, At last I had some time to put the Indy on axle stands, in order to look at the rear axle. There were almost no more oil inside... but itsn't the cause of the noise. I can move the transmission shaft slightly up and down if I grip it just in front of the axle case... Then I suppose a bearing of the input shaft has failed? Or can I just have lost the preload? Thank you for your input, Alain.
You have lost the preload ! La flasque n'est pas sérrée au couple, donc en accélaration les 2 roulements sont en contrainte et cela ne fait pas beaucoup de bruit, puis en décéleration le bruit est plus fort, puisque c'est la couronne qui donne le ton !