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Anyone have a pinion flange wrench?

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DeltaAir423

DeltaAir423

Jedi Trainee
Offline
The front pinion seal on my 1980 Spitfire diff is leaking, and I have the new seal in hand, however I don't have the tool required for holding the flange in place while removing the nut. Does anyone have one laying around?
 
Is this a way to hold the u-joint flange so it doesn't turn while loosening the nut? If so, I bought a 3 foot piece of unistrut/angle w/ holes. Notch out anything that interferes, drill the holes larger or file to fit and bolt to the flange to hold it.
 
IMG_7908.jpg


Is this the stuff you mean?

See the lateral braces on my body cart.
 
Yes.... it is called an 18 inch pipe wrench over the outer surfaces of the flange...and I slip a 2-3 foot long piece of steel fence post over the handle and allow thw whole mess to rest against the frame whilst applying great force to my 3-foot long, 3/4 inch drive Snap-On ratchet handle for the express purpose of loosening and tightening pinion nuts on differentials! I've employed this method for many years with success!
 
I made a flange wrench from a piece of 1/4" steel plate and a lenght of 3/4" steel pipe. Cut a hole in the plate center large enough to clear the socket required and then drill the pattern of the flange bolts around that. You should have room for enough holes to allow the tool to be used with several different types of pinion flanges. Weld the pipe to the plate, I notched the pipe about and inch and slid that over the plate for better contact area. Easy to use for both removing and installing the pinion nut.
 
Mine is just some flat iron I found at Home Depot; drilled to match the flange and ground to clear the socket. Have to be a little careful to pull on-axis (otherwise it will twist) but it works for me.
 
A good impact gun may also do the job without having to hold the flange. BTDT, with our Volvos... I also made a tool to hold the flange from Home Depot flat stock... but the nut is torqued on so tight the tool just bent. Unfortunately, mild steel may not be strong enough.

The impact gun zipped the nut off in seconds. However, I did have to buy a good gun (I now have a IR 2135Ti) since the nut laughed at the $50 Craftsman impact wrench I've had for years.
 
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