R19 16V phase 1 diff circlip

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Hi, first things first, i am glad i found this board, already saved me a few quid in repairing my R19.

I refer to this thread which my R19 is doing.

Question is this, is this an easy task to perform? sadly the car is kept on the road and i have basic tools, i believe its just a matter of jacking the car up, removing the drive shaft and replacing thrust washer and circlip etc or would i be better off taking it to a garage with the parts, explain the problem and get them to change out the thrust washer and circlip.

(by the way, one of the garages i phoned to enquire about this fault told me the diff had seized . . )

Thanks for your time.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

well my good man I have done it in the street sitting in a puddle.

I also had to do it up the trossachs in a muddy field which was nice and fun.

So yes the roadsides fine.

Its easy enough. The article tells you what you need to do. The most fiddly bit is trying to get the new circlip in. Its a bugger tbh. Its really fiddly but its do-able.

I keep meaning to take photos of the job on the spare box(s) I have out the back.

A garage will not take this work on. They would much rather replace the box. They cannot warrenty this work so they won't take it on unless you sign a waiver.

DIY or if your close to Glasgow I'll do it.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Cheers for the reply.

You also mentioned in the article thats once it has popped, it's likey to do it again and at frequent intervals? should i stock up on spares and be prepared to be sitting on the roadside a lot repairing a popped diff circlip ? lol

thanks for the offer of taking on the job too but alas i live in Essex.

One other thing, is it wise to change the gaitor at the same time ?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

gaiter nah, I have yet to see a damaged one. They all weep a bit but thats due to the design. the gaiter is still but the shaft spins on a bearing inside it so theres always some seepage.

When they pop they do tend to go again. Its reduced greatly if you put the circlip open end opposite to the tab on the thrust washer it reduces the chanves of it happening.

Some will soldier on with a new clip and washer other will just pop it again the next time you try to pull off.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

cheers again, guess i know what i'll be doing this coming saturday.

found a gearbox on ebay which is all of 99p at the mo off another 16V phase 1 so will be buying that as a spare if mine keeps deciding to pop the circlip.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

gash!

who would have thought a relatively simple job could end up so complicated?

I thought i would do it the easy way, first off loosed wheel nut bolts and removed the locking wheel nut, jacked up car and took off wheel.
put the car on an axle stand and took out the jack.

Unbolted the brake caliper and took off the brake disc too so i would have a bit more room to swing the spanner.
took out the 2 18mm bolts that hold the hub assembly to the suspension strut, this should give me enough play to pull out the drive shaft.

now i get underneath the car to drain the gearbox oil, remove drain plug and hmmmmm not as much oil as i was expecting comes out . . .

i get a nice rag and clean all the underside of the box and find an inch long crack!
i guess thats why i have hardly any gearbox oil.

so looks like a gearbox change is coming up.

so anyway, i think, carry on with the job in hand, so i can at least get the car mobile again.
i can plug the crack in the box with chemical metal, top up the box and get the car to where i work (just a mile away) where we have a large warm warehouse where i can change out the gearbox when i have got another one.
also thinking might as well shove a new clutch in there as well to save a future job.

so anyway, time to remove the driveshaft from the diff, there are 3 13mm bolts that hold the flange and gaitor onto the diff, 2 of these 3 bolts come out with no problem. get to the 3rd and it wont bloody shift Rolling Eyes

so moving to the top of the engine bay, i try it from above to get more leverage, still wont shift, i give it one more final heave and of course the socket slips and i take a slice out of my finger (haha they always get u at least once).

And now its getting dark, so i covered the nut in a liberal amount of WD40 (half the freaking can) and leave to soak overnight.

i am cold, dirty and pissed off and so looking forward to a nice hot bath.
wish me luck for tomorrow when the saga continues.

just one last question - the crack in the gearbox, its about 3/4 inch below the driveshaft enterance on the diff, to save changing the gearbox, would this take a weld ?

cheers again

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

yes you can get it welded.

is it worth it or cheaper than a new box? No.

new box 50 quid or so.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

cheers for the reply Smile

well look at it this way,

change box = a hell of a lot more work than running a weld down the crack.
removeal of both drive shafts, speedo cable,gear linkage for the remote, gearbox mounting, removeal of air box, water hoses etc cos ur taking the box off thru the top of the engine bay, maybe having to take the engine out with it (if u believe the haynes manual which says for an alloy sumped F7P u have to take out the engine with the box) etc etc
and then the reassembly and new components you have to buy.

it would seem to me the ideal solution would be to run a weld along the crack so i am most pleased to see your reply where u say it can be welded, thanks again.

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

haynes manual has never seen the car never mind removed the ngine from it, trust me!

Also box removal is easy enough matey.

I thought you meant welding with the box stripped on a bench. I very much doubt it will get welded by anyone in situ. needs to get heated to remove the oil from the crack then an ally weld done.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Chris H wrote:

haynes manual has never seen the car never mind removed the ngine from it, trust me!

Haha, yes, that does not surprise me at all

Chris H wrote:

Also box removal is easy enough matey.

yep, i agree, however i am always fighting the clock, car is kept on the road, i can do work on it at my works warehouse but it has to be in and out of the warehouse in a time frame of 8 hours which is the only period when we dont have a shift in there (10pm to 6am)

I am looking for a local garage to rent thou cos i want to get another valver for a project

Chris H wrote:

I thought you meant welding with the box stripped on a bench. I very much doubt it will get welded by anyone in situ. needs to get heated to remove the oil from the crack then an ally weld done.

in that case then yes you are dead right, just getting another box and swapping out is the option to go for.

we got plenty of mobile welders here in essex that will do welding jobs on the roadside, i would do all the prep work, clean up the box, heat the area where the crack is and remove all the old oil, i just need the dood to run the weld which will prolly cost in the region of Â£50.

cheers again Chris, your advice is always appreciated

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

damn!

is it usual to find no evidence at all of the old thrust washer?

the circlip as u said was inside the gaitor but where the old thrust washer or pieces of it are . . god only knows.

Anyway job done and car back on the road Smile

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

theres a magnet in the casing, they will be stuck there quite happily.

Don't worry.

Newbie Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 19

i had circlip diff pop out ,took me 6 weeks and a clutch change to establish this prob. at the time nobody had articles.and as usal haynes were f""ing useless. Even heards renault garage couldn`t diagnose it !silly twats!!! my renault hell days were not from renaults, but from silly professional twats that should know these cars like the back of their hands.

people say to me ( dodgy french renaults,) wouldnt want one. i say dodgy car mechanics that dont know how they work,and profess they do. are the problem that makes: ( renault hell ) that we all go through.