Drive shaft removal (problem solved)

[Click_It]

Get a simple prybar (I use a cheap one from Harbor Freight). Put the prybar on 1 side of the axle & put some (but not too much) pressure on it.

Then take a small, light, metal-faced hammer (preferrably a bodywork hammer) & tap it fast like a wood-pecker on the side of the "canister" part of the joint that is opposite of the side that you put the prybar on....don't hit hard, just tap it repeatedly, lightly & quickly.

The key is to find the right harmonics & let the vibrations do the work....it will come off smooth like butter. Seriously.

Mate, that was the trick. The first time I tried your method I'd misread your post and was tapping the prybar, when I came back to see you wrote to tap the CANASTER it made a whole lot more sense, I tried that and the axle was out in under 5 seconds! Amazing how easy it was. A huge thank you to you. I didn't get to try the other methods but given the ease of this method it is the one I'll be recommending to anyone in future.

So I'll get onto finishing the job at hand, my only question I have now is when I go to add new trans oil is this where it goes in?

I know others on the forum recommend using ATF but I think I'll use gear oil as I live in a warm climate. I have no idea what was in there previously only that it was the color of honey, looked very clean.

[JoDan]

These transmission call for ATF, don't use gear oil.

[Click_It]

Okay ATF it is.

[Click_It]

Oh and filling up the transmission is quite easy too, just remove steering cable and nut to the side and your in. I'm guessing by the honey color oil which came out it was likely gear oil in there before but I'll be using ATF this time.

[denguy]

Sounds like a great way to get the shafts out. Look at the pics in the shop manual. The drive shafts thru the side gears are what hold the side gears in place. Remove the shafts, turn the trans for some reason and the 2 side gears fall out of mesh with the 2 spider gears and drop down into the tranny along with their thrust washers. Big problem.
To add trans fluid you have to remove that whole piece in your foto, not just the cable that is screwed into the end of it.

[Click_It]

Remove the shafts, turn the trans for some reason and the 2 side gears fall out of mesh with the 2 spider gears and drop down into the tranny along with their thrust washers. Big problem.

Do you advise removing one side at a time replacing before removing other side? That's what I did.

To add trans fluid you have to remove that whole piece in your foto, not just the cable that is screwed into the end of it.

Yeah I figured that part out.

[WmWatt]

In my experience removing the speedo cable to top up the ATF can be more difficult than removing the driveaxle. I've done it from below, first removing a couple of hoses to make some room. The last time I didn't have to remove the hoses. Practice makes perfect. The cable seems to put sideways pressure on the unit making it tough to get out. Pulling from above I pulled the cable out of the dash but it went back in later and works okay. Removing the cable from the unit made it easier to remove the unit from the transmission. I've read here that the unit can break if too much pressure is put on a screwdriver under the tab when trying to extract it. After turning it back and forth while prying along the edge it eventually came out. After that it went back in an came out again easily when checking to see if it was full. Go figure. To pour ATF in from above I taped a bit of garden hose to the bottom of my oil change funnel. Good luck with it.

[Click_It]

Wow I've read a lot of people in these forums having some difficulties removing that bit, mine came off with absolute ease. I'm guessing mine must have been recently serviced before I inherited it, that would explain the perfect looking fluid it dumped out. Funny you mention garden hose with funnel, that's exactly what I'd planned to do. Have the hose & funnel already waiting

[bravekozak]

I tried the brute force two foot prybar method, but it didn't budge. After I read about the tapping method, I thought I'd try it tonight. It worked. I used a baby machinists hammer. It's like ringing a bell. Came out easy peasy.

Now how do most members remove the chewed up differential seals? The shop manual shows knocking it out from the inside with a brass drift.
Slide hammer?
Other technique?
I don't want to damage or score the soft aluminum case.

[GenevaDirt]

I tried the brute force 2 foot prybar method, but it didn't budge. After I read about the tapping method, I thought I'd try it tonight. It worked. I used a baby machinists hammer. It's like ringing a bell. Came out easy peasy.

Now how do most members remove the chewed up differential seals? The shop manual shows knocking it out from the inside with a brass drift.
Slide hammer?
Other technique?
I don't want to damage or score the soft aluminum case.

I just stick a flathead screwdriver in the hole and get the tip on the inner edge and pop it out by pushing the handle towards the tranny.

[bhazard]

The factory trans oil was basically atf without the red dye. Its a honey color.

Mine was like that.

[Click_It]

The factory trans oil was basically atf without the red dye. Its a honey color.

Mine was like that.

Oh, way to confuse us Ford! On the way to buy my Mercon 5 ATF I bumped into my mechanic who said I didn't need ATF in our climate and to match whatever was previously in there. When I told him it came out honey color he said "There you go, buy gear oil" ... So I did but noticed it's a darker color, not the same as what came out of the tranny at all. So maybe it was ATF all along. It was so clean though, would 114kmile tranny oil be so clean?

My Ford Festiva Workshop Book calls for Manual Gear Oil 75W-85 or similar. I couldn't find any mention in the manual that came with the car. So should I definitely NOT use this gear oil and go get some Mercon 5 ATF, even in this warmer climate?

Now how do most members remove the chewed up differential seals?

If we're talking about the same seals (sounds like we are) you may not need to replace them. I mucked up my seals too but on close inspection I'm satisfied it's only the outer part of it, I'm pretty sure the only job it does is keep dust out? I guess I'll only know for sure when I fill her up, or possibly after a drive (when it's hot) - but I'm pretty sure its still 100% good where it counts. Have another look, could save you some hassle.

[GenevaDirt]

Oh, way to confuse us Ford! On the way to buy my Mercon 5 ATF I bumped into my mechanic who said I didn't need ATF in our climate and to match whatever was previously in there. When I told him it came out honey color he said "There you go, buy gear oil" ... So I did but noticed it's a darker color, not the same as what came out of the tranny at all. So maybe it was ATF all along. It was so clean though, would 114kmile tranny oil be so clean?

My Ford Festiva Workshop Book calls for Manual Gear Oil 75W-85 or similar. I couldn't find any mention in the manual that came with the car. So should I definitely NOT use this gear oil and go get some Mercon 5 ATF, even in this warmer climate?



If we're talking about the same seals (sounds like we are) you may not need to replace them. I mucked up my seals too but on close inspection I'm satisfied it's only the outer part of it, I'm pretty sure the only job it does is keep dust out? I guess I'll only know for sure when I fill her up, or possibly after a drive (when it's hot) - but I'm pretty sure its still 100% good where it counts. Have another look, could save you some hassle.

seal holds oil ........ I had one that I kept replacing...after a couple days I would start seeing drips in the parking lot at work. Finally figured out that the bearings in my tranny were shot and allowing the axle to vibrate. That would oblong the seal hole and it would start leaking.

[Click_It]

seal holds oil ........ I had one that I kept replacing...after a couple days I would start seeing drips in the parking lot at work. Finally figured out that the bearings in my tranny were shot and allowing the axle to vibrate. That would oblong the seal hole and it would start leaking.

Ah okay, I just had a closer look at mine with the new axle in and it's better than I thought. Not sure how it compares with bravekozac's seal.



Image not clear enough so show so I've done some cheese editing -> Inner circle being where the axle disappears into the transmission and outer circle hugging the axle itself, I have a small (half pea sized) bite that at no point goes more than half way through. So I'm thinking mine is superficial damage only. It's never dropped a spot of oil so unless I damaged the bearings when initially applying force to remove the axle hopefully I'll be fine (touch wood)

[bravekozak]

Here is a picture of (what's left of) my seal. I am going to pry it out and replace it. I have two factory seals from Green Sales Company and a differential seal replacer. The seal fits perfectly inside the installation tool.