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MG MGB Technical - Banjo axle clunk

I'm in the process of ridding my 1964 roadster (Banjo axle) of the famous differential clunk, a job that over the years I have completed on several later versions of the 'B'so no problems anticipated. On removing the diff. a problem immediately stopped me in my tracks. The arrangement of the sun wheel spindle pin that secures the former to the carrier is of a different design to that of later tube axle models and cannot be driven through to the far side of the carrier for removal. The arrangement of the Banjo carrier suggests that the the whole carrier has to be removed complete with bearings and dismantled in order to punch out the pin. Is this the case and is the inclusion of the new spindle concave washers and planet wheel washers/spacers going to cause alignment issues? Any help would be gratefully received. So much for the quick two hour job!
Chris
Chris Woodfield

It’s a relatively easy job to do and there shouldn’t be any alignment issues.

Just make sure that you replace the caps in their original locations. They are usually marked in some way.

I can’t remember if I had to unbolt the crownwheel from the carrier.

I’ve only done one B banjo diff, but many midget diffs, which are essentially the same design.
Dave O'Neill 2

Thanks Dave. It does look like the crown wheel will need to be removed. I'll strip the unit tomorrow. I appreciate your comments.
Chris
Chris Woodfield

Just stripped the carrier out of the diff casing. From a mechanical perspective it seams clear that the removal of the crown wheel will achieve nothing but a closer inspection of the shaft pin suggests that it does not pass right through the carrier but when viewed from its entry point, what looks like small wedges appear to run down the side of it. If this is the case I presume these wedges (if that's what they are) will need to be extracted but they are below the surface of the machined hole and I'm struggling to see how they can be removed. Am I barking up the wrong tree here? Finding any relevant info on the subject has drawn a blank so if anyone has experience of the Banjo I'd be grateful of help.
Thanks
Chris
Chris Woodfield

Chris, from looking at the workshop manual for removing the differential pinions, you need a specific drill size (3/16 inch or 4.8 mm) to clean out the metal peened over the entry hole. The pin can then be tapped out from the crown wheel side. See attached image.

You can download the workshop manual in PDF format from this site:

www.geomatique-liege.be/MGJP/DocumentsPDF/MGB_Workshop_Manual.pdf

Andy






Andy Robinson

Andy
Great stuff, that makes perfect sense now Andy. The peened over material at the hole entry is what I originally thought was the wedges I described in my last posting. It was straight forwarding removing it and I've finally located the small hole in the crown wheel and punched the pin out. The removal of the gears and the fitting of new thrust washers is now complete and the unit is ready for re-installation in the car. Thanks for the tip re the manual download.
As a point of interest whilst trying to sort the problem and on the basis that a replacement unit may have been necessary, I contacted all of the main MG parts suppliers to ascertain prices just in case. The response from each one was a sharp intake of breath and a negative answer. The minor parts like thrust washers seem to be readily available but major internal parts for the Banjo diff are definitely like the proverbial hens teeth.
Chris

Chris Woodfield

Secondhand diffs are getting fewer and further between. I have a spare tucked away in the garage, just in case.

Having said that, I have a lot of other parts squirrelled away ‘just in case’.
Dave O'Neill 2

I trust you've got a good strong lock on that garage door. These Banjo bits will soon be traded as a commodity! Come to think of it I've got a fair few bits and pieces just waiting for a rainy day. I can feel a stock check coming on.
Chris
Chris Woodfield

This thread was discussed between 15/04/2019 and 16/04/2019

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