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MG MGB Technical - Prop shaft nuts

Hi Everybody

I started to renew my U-joints today after dosing all the nuts and bolts with WD-40.
I can't get them lose can anybody give me some advice.

Peter
Peter

I have never heard of this as a problem is it not just 2 1/2inch rings one on either side or do you have something else?
Bob

Bob

Your right it's just 2 1/2inch nuts and bolts each side of the flange, but they will not move even with rings on each.

Peter
Peter

Peter - The nuts may be self locking types and your ring spanner may not be sliding all the way down on the nuts. Try using a 1/2" open end wrench on each side. A bit more fiddley, but works.
Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Peter,
Removed my prop shaft recently and it wasn't an easy job. Had to set the prop in one position then get out from under the car to pull the handbrake on to stop it revolving, again and again and again.
Some of the nuts/bolts wouldn't except a ring spanner because of not enough clearance, so an open ended was the only choice, nuts were so tight started to round them off, all this lying under the thing with filthy hands. juk. Anyway, managed to shock the nuts free by using a hammer to bash the spanner.

Charlie.
Charles Goozee

Charlie I think has hit the nail, I may be wrong but you will find quality spanners are a lot slimmer around the edges of the ring and fit a treat whereas cheap spanners tend to be more bulky and you will have dificulty in engaging some nuts. Using the open end on very tight nuts will always tend to round them off. With regard to the original problem the next step would be to use heat, this is not necessarily Oxy/acet but I have a small propane fired gun that I purchased from a DIY shop mainly for plumbing but it is handy for that type of job. Watch the fuel tank and pipe.
Bob

Hi

I'll try again this Saturday if the weather is good. I have just put some plusgas on the bolts it might help to free them. I've tried open ended span but as Dave & Charlie it just starts to round off the nuts.
The last resort is to grind off the nuts and punch the bolts through, I hope it doesn't come down to this.
I'am off to Stoneleigh this Sunday for the mg spares day so I might see some of you there.

Thanks for your help.

Peter
Peter

Peter
Have you tried the neares metric spanner on the bolts?
It may need to be hit on but the reason that the spanners are going round could be due to rust on the nuts.

Released the rear check strap bolt on a customers car today in the same way and then hitting the spanner with a hammer to release it.
Lister

Peter,
Have not had my MGB uni nuts off lately, so I am not sure of this, but on some vehicles the nuts or the bolts are placed close to the inner part so that they lock against the inner part and you only need a spanner from one side. Are you trying to turn the end that is not supposed to? I always use an open ended spanner for access, usually one of those that bears against the sides of the nut, rather than on the points of the hexagon. They do not round off the nut. Regards from this MG nut.
Greg Taplin

Amen to idea about using the closet metric size. I was doing some exhaust manifold work and those bolts and nuts were rusted pretty bad. The standard size wrench just spun around chewing off the rust. Eventually got in there with a (tad) smaller metric and it worked like a charm.

Also, if you go the-open-wrench end route, make sure you have a real good quality tool. Alot of the cheapies will actually spread on you - making it lots easier to round the bolt. If it's too tight to get in with a box (ring?) wrench, I've also gone and ground off a little of the outside of the wrench making its overall size smaller. Uh, make sure you pick a tool you're not in love with before heading over to the grinder with it...

Curt
Curt

This thread was discussed between 10/02/2002 and 13/02/2002

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