Hi folks,

went to my mechanic with the car, put it up on a lift with car in drive, to investigate the noise I am having from the rear end. I previously had a thread called "Wheel bearing noise", but have since learned that it is the diff that is making the noise.

After listening with a stethoscope, mechanic is pretty sure that it is the pinion bearing that has gone bad, even though there is no play whatsoever in the driveshaft. He recommends me to replace the bearing, praying that it hasn't damaged the differential yet. The only issue, he said, is that there are no instructions from Jaguar on how to replace the bearing. You can buy the parts required (about 200 EUR) however.

Anyone with experience/instructions on how to replace this bearing?

A video (excuse the iPhone orientation) from the noise and location:

[youtube]FXhqNondz4E[/youtube]

 

Replacing the pinion bearing takes a few special tools and a new crush sleeve and seal. If the mechanic doesn't have the instructions, he may not have the tools.

 

This was one of the few tasks I left up to my indy. I only needed the seal (which you can apparently get from Coventry West) but Jaguar doesn't sell them separately, and since my indy only uses OEM parts, I got the bearing and the seal. If anyone needs a used bearing without the seal, I'll gladly ship it to him for cost of shipping. I'd rather not ship overseas though.

 

Getting too and removing the pinion bearing is straightforward. Getting the new one properly aligned and seated is the rub. A major factor is not over stressing the crush sleeve. If you do your back to square one. One of the Jag techs on the FORUM should be able to walk you or your indy through the process. Also, do a search on YouTube for replacing differential pinion bearing and a general web search for same. I have often found these sources to at least provide a good general familiarization with diverse subject matter.

 

So can one actually remove the pinion and bearing in place, without removing the entire differential? Just wondering how much I should expect to pay (hours) for this kind of job.

 

Interesting. Could you tell me what kind of seal (and even bearing?) I need, and where I could buy it?

 

This is just the seal: NEW PRODUCTS
Part way down the page, Part Number: JLM-20602/SEAL

If you buy directly from Jaguar, the seal and bearing come together. I left it in my parents garage, otherwise I would give you the part number off of it.

EDIT: Part number is C2N2581 per my receipt. With new fluid and labor my total came in just over $500 from my indy.

 

There is no crush sleeve in these units, and you need a specialist that understands diffs very well to it back together again ensuring the right preloads which needs to be set with shims.

This might be the time to consider a LSD unit if you have to go thru this work.

 

Thanks a lot for the info. $500 sounds really cheap. My mechanic charges 100 EUR per hour, so it would get more expensive for sure.

So, can the diff stay in place when this operation is done, or do you have to take it out completely? My mechanic told me it would be about 6 hours to replace a diff.

 

I was looking at the Quaife LSD's, but I'm also considering a used diff from ebay. There are some options with about 30-40k miles on them, for around 800 eur. They all look pretty rusty however. Although I have almost 100k miles, my car was always garaged, underside looks almost brand new with no rust.

Unfortunately I don't know of any differential experts around here. If I manage to find one, perhaps there are some send-in rebuild options available. Where are you located, avos?

 

You might want to put in a second hand one, as long as you are sure it is ok (i.e. not noisy), if you are not interested in a LSD yet. You see lots of diffs for sale in the UK for about 200 gbp.

I only know 1 company in the Netherlands (AenR) who can do it, this is thier main business including transmission rebuilds.

PS As the full rear end has to be removed to take out the diff, it’s also a good time to replace all the bushes if that hasn't been done yet.

 

Really? That is very cheap. Could you provide any links to such diff sales? I have googled a lot, but only come up with the ebay listings around 800 EUR.

Good advice, I'll make sure to have that done as well!

 

Another question would be which differential actually fits. The parts PDF says C2N002582 should fit all XK8/XKR models from 97-05?

Is there another Jag model which uses the same diff? Perhaps the XJR?


Thanks a lot.

 

All XK8/R models are the same (except the XK8 Mexican market as it has a different rear end ratio). The XJ8/R are slightly different, and some have a different gear ratio, like the 3.2 for instance.

The difference I can see with the XJ versions is the flange on the pinion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you could just swap that. Maybe someone can confirm this. It also looks as if the pin of the pinion sticks out more, but that can be cut of off course.

 

I think I'll go for an XK8 diff from 1998, with 51000 km on it. Should be 700-800 EUR. If you have any good tips on where to find used parts in the UK, I'd be all ears. I just want to have the ol' Jag back running again.

Cheers!

 

If you want to see all UK listings, always point your browser at ebay.co.uk instead of your local variant.

 

Indeed as plums said, here is one for instance:
JAGUAR XK8 4.2 DIFFERENTIAL DIFF | eBay

 

I've actually seen this one, but it looks like it is in a terrible condition. Looks more like 1903 than 2003... But perhaps
I'll give him a call and see what it's all about

 

Wouldn't judge a diff by how it looks on the outside as the internals are what matters. But you can always use it for negotiation of course.

 

Remember the old saying: "never judge a diff by its cover"