-
Hey Guest!
British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
TR2/3/3A TR3A...Tighten Diff Case Bolts?
- Thread starter karls59tr
- Start date
Share this page
TR3driver
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
I must be missing something, Karl. Either a socket or a box-end wrench will fit on mine.
Generally, tightening them won't help anyway, it will only distort the flange and make the leak worse. If you're sure that is where the leak is, my advice is to pull the cover, make sure the flange is flat (not dimpled around the screw holes as they usually are), coat a new gasket (you can cut your own from sheet cork) on both sides with Hylomar, double-check that the bolts do not bottom in the holes, and reassemble with new lock washers.
Generally, tightening them won't help anyway, it will only distort the flange and make the leak worse. If you're sure that is where the leak is, my advice is to pull the cover, make sure the flange is flat (not dimpled around the screw holes as they usually are), coat a new gasket (you can cut your own from sheet cork) on both sides with Hylomar, double-check that the bolts do not bottom in the holes, and reassemble with new lock washers.
Geo Hahn
Yoda
Offline
Do you have lockwashers under the heads? That may make them stand proud enough to get a wrench on and also tells you how tight is tight.
If you go the gasket route... pretty easy to make your own and possibly necessary -- the one I bought from one of the big 3 vendors was useless, holes didn't match up.
If you go the gasket route... pretty easy to make your own and possibly necessary -- the one I bought from one of the big 3 vendors was useless, holes didn't match up.
MGTF1250Dave
Jedi Knight
Offline
Good advice. If you still have a leak after a new gasket is installed, check the seal on the input flange. A leak there results in oil trailing down the under side of the differential and dripping off the drain plug. It looks like a leaky gasket under the cover plate. A lesson I learned by experience.