OK. I'm hiking at Coyote Hills in the morning. I'll PM you later tonight or in the AM after I've examined the axle and housing.

 

I think that's right: the caliper hit the manhole cover, thus bending the mounting flange. Is it really that easy to get the flange off the axle housing? I shimmed the caliper, but I should rectify the flange while I'm changing the wheel bearings.

 

Sounds good. The SE goes to the mechanic wednesday morning, so it would be good if I can pick it up sunday, monday or tuesday night. Do you have the backing plate that attaches to the flange and in turn holds the caliper? I think that's what's really bent, but I like to have everything ready for the trip to the garage.

I jacked up the right rear wheel tonight, rigged a precision feeler (actually a 4 foot carpenters rule propped up and fixed to a jackstand) to trace the outer bead of the rim as I turned the wheel by hand. It's as stratight as I can tell, proving that the half-axle itself is not bent.

 

I am going to deduct that what is bent is the pin/post where the 2 pieces of the caliper join at the top.

http://foxed.ca/rx7manual/manuals/pa...%20CHASSIS.pdf

Page 5 should be section 2610AA-1
Part illustration 26695 pin guide.

 

Sounds reasonable. Looks as though the caliper mounts to the ears that are welded onto the axle housing, and the axle housing is one welded assembly that is too difficult to remove without greater cause.

 

...so, I'm going to tell the mechanic to warp the mount back, if he can, or just shim it again. Or replace a bent pin, if possible. I don't think that will leave the bearing in a warped mount. I don't want to replace the whole axle housing.

 

As previous, the UK car has a caliper mounting bracket/cage type frame that simply bolts to the axle tube 'ears' with 2 bolts (14mm spanner-wrench). That frame is the one I think could easily get bent. Easy fix with a PnP part. (I'm learning the language here folks)! Apologies if your car is not the same.
You mentioned a newly found oil leak from the axle on that side? Oh oh..... doesn't that suggest the axle tube is possibly cracked as well. Needs a good check out of the tube in that area with the half shaft pulled?

 

I hate to think I may have cracked the axle housing. That hunk of road steel delivered a hell of a whack, but I think that the wheel caught it, not the undercarriage, though there may have been secondary damage. The rim was deformed and the tire had a cut in the tread, so I threw them away since I got a replacement wheel at the PnP for $30.

But there was some blow delivered to the caliper (it hangs down more than anything else) that drove it into the rotor.

My plan is to have the mechanic inspect it and fix anything he finds warped, and inspect the housing for a crack. He says he's fixed leakers before. If it still leaks afterwards I'll try to figure someway to seal the axle housing afterwards, maybe by liberal application of JB Weld. If we can spot a crack beforehand it can be brazed.

Losing differential fluid is bad news because the next symptom is a blown diff, not a pleasant thing, especially with this unusual and expensive diff.

 

Just a quick note regarding to this: Check the last bit of the haynes. Mine has the disc brakes right at the end of it, it was a later addition that they just threw onto the end, not in with the rest of the brakes.

 

Thanks.

The SE is in the garage now with the RH half-shaft out and the bearing off.

This morning as I drove it to the garage (I hadn't driven it since last week when I got new tires) there was an ominous howling from the driveline at road speed. Uh oh. Is it the axle bearing or the diff? The diff fluid was low from leakage so I am worried.

If it was just the axle bearing (and maybe just low fluid in the diff) then that will be cleared up with the new bearings/seals. But if it's still there then maybe I've bummed the diff! Argh! The mechanic engaged the transmission with the car in the air but couldn't isolate the sound. He'll repeat the test with the new bearing in place.

How much trouble am I in if I need diff parts? Can I get a whole pumpkin? I hate to undo diffs because of the precision fits and preloads.

Just in case, does anyone have access to an SE pumkin?

 

Can I use an FC pumpkin in the SE? Might be easier to find.

 

Nope..the pinion shaft is too long. You can use pieces of the diff, but not the chunk as a whole.

 

IIRC, the SE and the FC have different rearend ratios, like 3.9 vs. 4.1.

I posted a WTB in the "West Classifieds". Even if I don't use it I can add it to my Bonanza FB garage sale I'll be having within a few months as I try to Lighten My load and reduce my stable.

 

Oh oh. The mounting hole in the axle housing is ovalled out slightly and maybe cocked so the bearing has an iffy fit. We're putting it all back together to see how it works and if it'll hold oil. Also to check the differential to see if it's noisy and damaged.

I think I'm going to have to transplant an axle housing. I hope it's no worse than that.

 

We put the new seals and bearings in and buttoned it up. It required a little shoe-horning to get everything together because of the ovalled and cocked bearing mount at the end of he axle housing, but it doesn't howl or click or anything. Doesn't leak, either. I'm going to drive it some this weekend and take it in monday AM to have it checked for leakage, etc. That's what I'm worried about: that all the differential fluid leaks out and it ruins the diff. But right now there is no growl from anywhere, pumpkin or bearings.

We'll see monday morning.