Hey all,

I've ready many threads over the past few weeks and followed a couple guides but I feel I must be missing something here. I've been trying to get the centralizing pin out for 3 weekends now with no luck.

I've used a 5lb slide hammer, but mainly the technique of using a grade 10.9 or higher M8 bolt, some washers and a 36mm socket as a puller to replicate the rover tool. I've snapped the heads off 2 bolts and snapped one flush with pin requiring the use of reverse threaded drill bits to start over.

I've tried applying heat with the puller applying pressure, I've tried applying heat and then attaching the puller, and applying heat and letting it cool before attempting again.

This thing won't budge and it's making me nervous to snap another bolt in it. My reason for attempting this is that I have in front of me a new rear shaft with the 4-bolt conversion flange to delete the rotoflex coupler.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I just want my Rover back, she runs great otherwise.

Thanks,

Blake

 

can you post a photo to show your problem

 

Photo taken from a video made from a fellow forum member.

It's the centralizing peg fabled to have been locked in with unholy amounts of loctite. I can attest to that. I have now employed the method shown above using a harmonic balancer puller piece, supports and an M8 bolt. The threads inside the peg are starting to strip out and I'm running out of options.

What can I do if I seriously can't get it? This is getting ridiculous.

Thanks,

Blake


Edit: Just broke yet another bolt in the hole. Anyone want to buy an unused 4-bolt flange conversion kit from AB? Because I'm feeling completely out of luck here and would almost rather just admit defeat and out a used D2 shaft on just so I can drive it again.. I've had 4 Discos and I tend to struggle way more than the average forum poster when doing bigger jobs like this. So infuriating.

 

You always have the option of removing the differential crown. Might be easier to remove the centering pin on the bench.

 

I just got the bolt out of the peg by drilling it out, somehow without damaging the rest of the threads. Managed to feed another bolt deeply into it. Going to try a slide hammer for a while longer and replace the peg once I get it out, it's surely no good after my batteries.

I've been staring at the crown thinking I may buy a donor and remove the peg of that one and finish the job that way. It seems that the difficulty of this job depends upon how much loctite the original tech could squeeze from the tube, and mine seems to have had very strong hands 🤔

Edit: This is the most obnoxious thing I've ever done on 4 Discos of varying years. Heat, pullers, slide hammers, more pullers, more heat, someone has got to have a solution. I can't be the only one who has exhausted every sane option on this damn thing. Someone mentioned acetone to break down the loctite. I'll try it, but if torching it till it's auto-igniting lube in the premises hasn't done it I'm not hopeful. Anyone have a spare rear diff crown they're willing to sell me? I'm about ready to call this quits, which I have never done in 12 years of Rover work. Very deeply upsetting to myself.

 

If you really feel crazy/desperate try a few shots of Tequila and take a cutoff wheel to the flange.
It's not pretty but it will work.

 

I think I'm at that point. I just spent 10 more minutes with the slide hammer, 10 on the torch, and another 10 on the slide hammer. This peg is a joke, I may have nightmares of it tonight.

To be honest the only reason I even decided to get the new shaft conversion is because I nackered the centering BUSHING while changing the rotoflex and decided this would be easier than trying to chisel out another bushing, or at least it would be worth the try. I love my rover I love my rover I love my rover ---

 

watch this, you need to pull out and remove the peg first,... then undo the 24 mm nut /BOLT thats behind the spigot that holds the flange in place on the drive pinion , its this nut/BOLT you cant see that causing all your bolts to keep break, your trying to pull the flange off the drive pinion without removing the drive shaft flange BOLT which is behind the centalising peg,

what the video I have posted

 

This is the first video I watched in the matter actually. The centralizing peg is still stuck in place currently. I think you are misunderstanding, I don't think it's possible to remove the bolt without having the peg out the way, correct? I may have used my initial puller incorrectly (the one displayed in the video you provided) and will try a modified approach after work this evening although hopes are low since I have tried a variety of pullers at this point.

Thanks all for the responses, I'll follow up with which method did the trick in the end. Seems AB should include the peg in the conversion kit buts that's me.

 

yes if you have watched the video , first you need to adapt a socket to pull out the centalizing peg as shown in the video, that lets you get to the nut/bolt holding the flange onto and into the diff

OK
1 pull peg
2 undo nut/bolt and remove
3 remove flange