What's the back profile, that's monstrous sidewall, it's like my 4x4 !!

You should watch Fireball Tool he built a monster vice that crushed normal vices ..

oh the insults!
Profile is 50 series!
But I will grant you, rears are 245, maybe that makes a difference. 
so 245/50R15, and 205/50R 15 for front. Tyre choices were limited, and hard to get a roughly matching pattern front and rear.
I like the sidewall, as being in period, although when they arrived, the rears reminded me of a Formula 1 type of wheel, so dished and so much rubber. I have a 'History of Capri's book as a kid, and it had black and white photo's of deep dished Capris coking wheels around corners, I guess it stuck.

back to the diff.
The pinion shaft was refitted with new bearings and crush tube.
There seems to be differing opinions as to what  the preload should be set to.
 
With the help of a new vice, I got the diff flange held firmly, and cranked away on the pinion flange nut.
The force required to begin collapsing the crush tube soon became more than my longest Sidchrome socket bar could handle, and also the  torque wrench (not that I should have probably been using that anyhow for this). But a longer length of bar got things going, and the slackness was soon taken up. After a few goes, there was friction on the flange staring to happen, from 'freely turning' to 'slightly loaded'. All good so far, and happy days.
 
My manual shows a Ford device of lever with weight that adds calculations for expansion and how full the moon is, so I used the fish/luggage scale to measure the pull needed. Here's where the different suggested amounts of pull come in. At 1" from the pinion centreline, preload is meant to be 20-26lb, to start the pinion to turn.
Using the flange bolt holes at 1.75" or so offsett, makes it 12-16 pounds.
 

After a few goes, I got readings of highs 10's, to around 11.8 or so (ignore the scale pic, was hard to photo and pull at the same time).

That was with bearings lubed with new fluid, and pinion seal fitted.
So there's no play or end float in the pinion bearings now, and technically for new bearings I believe the values are meant to be even higher, again. It just seemed to be getting too much, and I wasnt game to go even higher. Some guys i've read suggest the force needed to turn the flange is about a 'firm handshake', and another that you should be able to use a thumb and 2 fingers on the pinion nut to turn it, which is at the very low end. Currently I have left it at 'a pretty firm turn' on the flange to get it to turn, certainly you need to hold the housing with the other hand or it all turns as one.
I hope its not too tight, otherwise its 3 steps back and replace the crush tube again....
Assuming its ok, the carrier is on, and cap bolts are now tightened. I have a dial gauge to do the backlash next, and to get the carrier spaced correctly.
Any thoughts/criticisms greatly accepted.
 

one more pic.

 
 
 
 

Don't forget to stake the nut once you've got it hunky dory or it'll all come loose real fast.
Still want to see a limslip diff in the before you close up the diff tho. 👌
The diff in my ute has so much backlash it smacks between gears . The slop is about 20mm back n forth on the pinion flange, still quiet while cruising.. It should be about 0.005th . I reckon the teeth will be shaved to a point lol

maybe Marty.
I went to the local alternative green living expo on the weekend.
Lots of tie dies, worm farm composting, recycled clothing and solar power stuff.
But they had an elect car show, including the local guys Electric Dream MAchine who did an MGF:

Id contacted them a few months ago via their website, but heard nothing.
'Oh yeah, we did get your email', must have too much business on and not needing to reply.
Anyhow, got more out of it by talking to a few blokes who had done it themselves also, and see their setups using 1/2 the same gear I had planned.
This electric Celica, complete with orig gearbox but no clutch was their first project car, now there is a mid engine MR2 underway.

 
So, now the van will get put aside, and the 4 door pinto  given a quick tidy up to sell in the next few months.
Then its spend away on the van...
 
 
 

Question: If you work in a 'car shop' in this case Repco, should you know what Prussian Blue or Engineering's Blue is?
No maybe not anymore. I guess people dont do their own diffs anymore. They were helpful, and suggested Aliexpress. Hmm.
Anyhow, reassembly is a slow process, but getting there. Pinion preload has been done, now working on the backlash between the crownwheel gear and pinion gear.Dad had a dial guage indicator as you do. The manual says to do both side wheel adusters up tight basically, with 0.001 to 0.002mm of backlash, none in effect, then slacken  off the diff side one to give you the correct tolerance. Spin the crownwheel around a few times, and measure the slop with the dial guage. Thats going from memory, so dont quote me exactly. Then you can play with the Blue, to see how the teeth are meshing.Test setup on the bench

I found a 3d stl file of the proposed Negair motor, so I've started printing a full sized mockup to play with.

I needed to slice it into about 27 bits that the printer could handle in size.
Thats 5 pieces printed so far.
 
 

It's normally called Bearing Blue
https://www.ebay.com.au/i...rid=705-154756-20017-0
Most if not all car shops sell it

I'm wondering if anyone has had experience in making a gearbox adaptor plate?
Sourcing some 1/2"- 5/8" 6061 Aluminium plate seems to be a challenge, especially when you only need an 'offcut' of around 600m square.
Its to adapt the four speed bellhousing shape to the electric motor profile.
I could just use ply for now as a mockup, or buy ready made (around $1900), but we are still playing around at this stage.

Why use ally, cheaper and easier to make it from steel plate. I don't think weight is a concern..
There's a guy in USA that shows how to adapt any motor to any box on YouTube, very cluey guy. If I find it I'll put the link up for you

Edit .

Found the video..
https://youtu.be/SZLhJ9QSYoI