Thread: Tom Woods Drive Shaft - how to replace slip spline seal collar

It ended up working just like Tom said it would. The splined shaft did fit through the dust cap. The dust cap seems undamaged (although I will redo this in the near future when I get a new dust cap to fit).






Had to get myself a new mini grease gun (so that I didn't need to unpack my main grease gun) and some EP #1 grease (the only one I could find was a Bel Ray brand food grade version - it seems that EP #1 is not very popular).



And having measured and check it all I have no concerns about the tailshaft length being either too long and bottoming out or too short.

Fitting a brand new cup is on my list of things to do, but right now I just need to get the vehicle operational again even if it's only temporary.

Just tie the cup back out along the shaft so it wont move. Some gaffer tape or such like. It is only a dust shield, it does not need to be in place to use the car.

There must be more to the cup than meets the eye. Maybe the "seal" part of it is removable. On most shafts the cup needs to be backed off to split the splines, and just stays on the smooth part while it is apart. Weird!

(you posted while I was typing)

I love how Tom always takes time for such prompt and thorough responses.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I love how Tom always takes time for such prompt and thorough responses.

Agreed. I thought sharing the details and photographs on here may help others in the future too - especially since most operate over a weekend and it means quicker answers to get on with the job!

I wondered how you would go finding an EP1 grease; I needed some #4 a while ago and discovered that anything in NGLI rating other than 2 is almost unobtainable unless you are after a 20kg drum.

I am reasonably sure that the Land Rover one shot grease is NGLI 1 but unsure if it is EP, but it probably is.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by POD

I wondered how you would go finding an EP1 grease; I needed some #4 a while ago and discovered that anything in NGLI rating other than 2 is almost unobtainable unless you are after a 20kg drum.

Found it at the first place I tried - Statewide Bearings < Bearing Supplies | Bearings Services | Statewide Bearings >. They had a 450g cartridge in stock (food grade) for $12.50. Also provided me with a mini grease gun which is bulk packed for $29.99.

And they're getting me in the replacement BS330 viton o-ring seals for the front camshaft cover plug on the TD5 motor.

Originally Posted by PhilipA

I am reasonably sure that the Land Rover one shot grease is NGLI 1 but unsure if it is EP, but it probably is.

I can't find anything to confirm or deny this either way. Best to stick to something that is labeled correctly. The one shot grease doesn't seem to have any specification details on it.

The reply from Tom:

Yes, the rubber will distort and pass across the larger diameter of the splines without damaging it. It will require a good bit of pulling to do so though. I will suggest that you clamp the drive shaft in a vise (clamp only around the weld so there is no risk of damaging the tube). Then you should be able to grasp the dust cap and pull it past the splines.

The EP1 grease will be OK in all locations, but I think a number 2 would be better for the universal joints and the center pivot points.