Torque tube assistance required.

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Number 47
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Joined: 28 Jul 2013 07:11 pm

Torque tube assistance required.

Post by Number 47 » 28 Nov 2013 10:49 pm

My torque tube is dying, I thought it was the clutch release bearing but it is a bearing in the torque tube that is grumbling. I am looking for a replacement but I expect that this will only last for so long so I am looking for a more permanent fix. I work in a major dealer parts department and our sister company does Volvo, they have chased this to the ends of the Volvo network, there are no torque tubes left to be had so I guess keeping these cars on the road means a solution to the failed bearings at some point.
I have contacted engineering firms and a propshaft specialist but nobody has done one of these before and I don't want to be a guinea pig for their solutions so I am going to have a bash at trying this myself.

First things first, will a later tube fit my 83 b19a? The part number was superseded in 85 but the diagram seems the same. Can anyone confirm if there is more than one variation of the tube? I plan on getting a good one for now and pulling the bearings out of the old one to find some way of replacing them.

Has anyone successfully pulled these out? Has anyone repaired them before? Any pictures, measurements or experience would be a great help. I plan on buying a 3m threaded bar and fabricating some kind of tool. The bearings should be fairly standard once pressed out of the carriers. Perhaps I can have new carriers fabricated if this is required.

All help and advice gratefully received.

macplaxton
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Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by macplaxton » 29 Nov 2013 12:54 am

First, I haven't had a good look at these first hand, but understand the following,

The change in part number has something to do with number of bearings inside. Some I believe have 3 bearings and some have 2. It may be the case that the later ones have 2 - someone else will confirm.

EDIT: Confirmed here http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... =5&t=14568 they went all cheap and down to two. Everything else should be equal.

The outside of the bearing case had a kind of rubbery ribs to provide some vibration damping.

The nearest thing to it to compare with would be something like a Porker 924/8 that has a similar rubbery outer bearings but I've no idea what size they are on eitend

I don't think the bearings are any specified distance apparent, just roughly evenly spaced. Should be straight forward enough to make a puller and start from one end and working in reverse to get them back in.

Good luck.
Last edited by macplaxton on 30 Nov 2013 01:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
72 DAF 44 Estate 78 Volvo 343DL Black BeautyImageImage
82 Volvo 343DL CVTImageImage 88 Volvo 340DL Diesel

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Chris_C
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Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by Chris_C » 29 Nov 2013 08:55 am

macplaxton wrote:I don't think the bearings are any specified distance apparent, just roughly evenly spaced. Should be straight forward enough to make a puller and start from one end and working in reverse to get them back in.
I have the dimensions the bearings in my 3 bearing tubes are along to tube in written in the log book, they were certainly the same.

You *cannot* drift the bearings down the tube, as soon as one reaches another they bind. My current plan (though not done yet) will be a tool that has a length of threaded rod, with a large piece of 1/4" steel as a stop against the TT flange. At the other end, either double nut or welded nut to rod so it can't come off and a strip of 1/4" steel, length same as internal diameter with a oval hole to pass the threaded rod through. Theory being you tickle that through the hole in the bearing, as it would lie flat enough with the oval hole, then it would square up when through the hole to draw out the bearing with as much surface area as possible.

Whilst trying to find a pic to explain (someone must have done similar before) I found this...
http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/trans-05.htm
All good to know
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast

MCHUDD
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Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by MCHUDD » 29 Nov 2013 12:42 pm

Hi mate.
I have a Torque tube :D :D :D
Cheers Mark.
sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69 sm69

Ride_on
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Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by Ride_on » 29 Nov 2013 08:58 pm

Why do you think a replacement will only last so long? They are fairly reliable and do big miles usually, mine has done 200K miles. Age and low mileage maybe more of a problem. A replacement should be good for the life of the car, any torque tube should fit.
1980 345 DL_______1987 360 GLE (project car restored to GLT spec and B230FT'd)
1984 360 GLT______1987 360 GLT
1983 360 GLS______1989 360 GLE
1985 340 GL_______1986 340 1.4
1985 360 GLS______1995 940 SE 2.3 Turbo Estate (daily)
1987 340 GL 1.7

Number 47
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Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by Number 47 » 29 Nov 2013 11:20 pm

@Macplatxton. first link didn't work but the second is exactly what I was looking for, those look exactly like the setup on a porker, almost identical and I know how to do this now. sm4

@chris c
When you say 'drift' do you mean with a hammer or just pushing? I imagine the rubber would damp the force considerably, also the carrier was probably not moving flush to the tube. I am planning similar to your pulling method, I am going to make a shuttle the same size as the tube then using a 3m bar I will pull all three out of the end. Plenty lubrication should make it easy enough.

I have a press at work so it is just a case of finding a tube as a test bed then I can get the measurements of the removed bearings.

@mchudd
How much do you want for it? Condition doesn't matter really as I will use it for a tester. Please PM me your price.

@ride on
I'm a perfectionist for one but really the reason I want a solution is that I don't ever want to have to manhandle that bloody gearbox back up around the axle. sm2

macplaxton
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Joined: 09 Feb 2008 02:29 am

Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by macplaxton » 30 Nov 2013 01:30 am

Number 47 wrote:@Macplatxton. first link didn't work but the second is exactly what I was looking for,
Fixed it now. :oops: I was a fat-fingered twat and made a balls up of pasting the link to the other thread. There is only one link. In mitigation I'm posting on a tablet at the mo as the desktop is down.
72 DAF 44 Estate 78 Volvo 343DL Black BeautyImageImage
82 Volvo 343DL CVTImageImage 88 Volvo 340DL Diesel

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Chris_C
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Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by Chris_C » 30 Nov 2013 12:23 pm

Number 47 wrote:@chris c
When you say 'drift' do you mean with a hammer or just pushing? I imagine the rubber would damp the force considerably, also the carrier was probably not moving flush to the tube. I am planning similar to your pulling method, I am going to make a shuttle the same size as the tube then using a 3m bar I will pull all three out of the end. Plenty lubrication should make it easy enough.
Hammer and a length of 2x2", I agree it must have been being damped. Let us know how pulling out all three goes, I didn't think it would be worth it until seeing that Porsche link but it'd be a heck of a lot less faff to turn up a shuttle than dropping through a straightening up thing! Non of the presses I have access to would fit a TT in line size wise, so I was going to wind them in with the same tool to the correct place.

Good luck!
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
Ex:
'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast

Number 47
Posts: 199
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 07:11 pm

Re: Torque tube assistance required.

Post by Number 47 » 30 Nov 2013 06:56 pm

Same for me chris, pull them in one by one with the same tool. Just need the press to take out the bearing liner, then the bearing from and to the carrier. Will post a pictorial when I have all the pieces in place.

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