Half/ drive shaft removal on a MK2 diff

[eltax91]

Hi guys

I'm trying to get the diff out the back of my MK" 1.8iS. I'm lucky enough to have air in the garage so all the nuts have come undo ok, I have the PPF off, the prop shaft is off and the diff mounting bolts came out easily enough (on the diff "arms"). Before I took all that off, I got the hub nuts off easily with the gun and used the air hammer to push the shaft out of the hub, so they are nicely loose.

Problem is, I can't get the drive shaft out of the diff at all, and it won't drop out of the car as an entire assembly as there doesn't seem to be any room. The drive shaft have a sleeve at the diff end, and i can't see any bolts or a flange like i was expecting too.

So, where's the bit that i missed??

[Oldandslow]

Can't say I've ever done it but there is a flange at the nose end of the diff with 4 bolts in it.

[eltax91]

Oldandslow said:

Can't say I've ever done it but there is a flange at the nose end of the diff with 4 bolts in it.

On the mk1 yeh. Mk2 looks like this

[Superhoop]

There is a circlip on the end of the shaft that holds it in the diff... You need a good lever bar to get it to release

[eltax91]

Superhoop said:

There is a circlip on the end of the shaft that holds it in the diff... You need a good lever bar to get it to release

Thanks for this. discovered that 45 minutes ago when i decided to pry bar them. wish i'd tried that before wrestling it out of the car as-is!!