TC Diff bearing cap bolt torque?

[Steve49TC]

Hi All,

I've just had the diff out to nip up the backlash (which was 10-12mm at input flange, 0.4mm at crownwheel).

Slackening LH adjuster and tightening the RH adjuster did nothing, nothing, nothing then freed up with a jerk and jumped straight to a perfect backlash (0.13-0.14mm at C.W. and barely a couple of mm at the input flange).

RH bearing inner had stiction on the shaft.

All good there then, but I briefly cracked off the bearing cap bolts to see what was sticking and now am unsure of what torque to tighten them back to. Blower and the Brown Book say nothing. My manuals collection have Sunbeam Rapiers, mk ii Escorts and Midget/Minor calling for anything from 38 to 65lb-ft for diff bearing caps.

The bolts are 3/8" dia. or about 9.5mm.

If noone knows I'll use Loctite, lockwasher and judgement.


Thanx.

[Steve49TC]

Aha. Just for the record, a professional builder of TC diffs of this parish tells me the diff bearing cap torque should be 45 lb-ft.

[Rob Reilly]

Mine are stamped 40/50 on the heads.

I imagine that is an older tensile strength rating before the letter grades came along.
My BSF bolt torque chart has Grade R as 45-55 tsi tensile strength.
The torque on a 3/8" BSF is 32 foot pounds.