Pardon me for shotgunning the lists with this one, but I figure this gives
me the best odds of finding something out.
I was playing with the gearshift linkage I have designed for the pushrod
Europa chassis when I noticed something. I had the back wheels about a
half-inch off the ground. When I got the transmission in gear, I could
not turn the left rear wheel. I put the transmission into neutral and
spun the left wheel. The right wheel spun the same way. Hey, wait a
minute; this car was BUILT with a differential! I walked around behind
the chassis and put one hand on top of each tire. I was unable to push
the wheels in opposite directions. There was no play whatsoever. This
tells me two things:
1. My U-joints are in good shape. I'm going through four of them to do this.
2. Someone has locked the differential. Maybe.
Is there a failure mode that can mimic this? There is no play at all
between the wheels. No noise, scraping, clunking or the like. When the
wheels are turned the same direction as each other, the bearings all seem
smooth and silent.
Could this be a Quaife, TorSen or some kind of worm-gear thing? Could be
that such things would exhibit this behavior when not on the road, I don't
know. I would think that there is some kind of play in them, though.
Could it be a Positraction style with the clutches stuck? How can I tell?
How can I free them?
Maybe I should roll the chassis down to the corner, mark the top of these
cheap tires with paint, crank the front wheels over hard and push the car
around in the tightest possible circle and see if the relationship between
the wheels ever changes. Just in case it is some kind of limited-slip
that appears locked in the garage.
I would be interested in any input on driving a Europa with a locked
differential, driving an autocross with a locked differential, or, most to
the point, diving an autocross in a Europa with a locked differential. I
assume that TTO and/or braking will take on more importance to get it to
turn in. Inside wheelspin will be nonexistent, but I never expected that
to be a major problem in a Europa.
I would not have put in a locked rear end, but it looks as if I have one.
I can't afford to change it.
In other news, I am putting new brake lines on now, while I still have the
body off. I hope to be autocrossing yet this season!
Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans St, Saint Paul, MN 55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105 w (612) 298-5324 phile@stpaul.gov
"There is nothing like a complete money-is-no-object restoration.
And this is going to be nothing like one." - Phil Ethier
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