A two hour job

Early this year, I noticed a clunk in my MG when I started moving in a forward gear. Later, I noticed it occasionally happened in reverse too. It was most pronounced when changing direction. Reverse out of my spot, then go forward? Clunk.

Come to a stop, then accelerate away? No clunk.

The googles told me it was likely thrust washers in the differential. So I took it to the shop, asked them to take a look, and got it back with all the driveline bolts were loose. Well, that would do it! Except… the clunk didn’t go away. Since the driveline was now good, and the suspension was nice and tight, it had to be the diff. There wasn’t anything else.

So after I moved into the new house and put the car away for the summer, I ordered some parts and started work. It’s a two hour job after all.

Not so much. For this is what I found.

Yeah, gears shouldn’t move like that.

It got worse.

What you see here is a set of new thrust washers on the right and a set of well used thrust washers on the left. There’s so much metal gone that it would be… unwise… to put anything back together without replacing all the bearings.

The two hour job that cost maybe $50 is now a 10 hour job that will cost at least $400. Who would have thought a couple small chunks of brass would be so costly.

But wait, there’s more! There is one well regarded shop in the Pullman/Moscow area that does this kind of work. Well, did the work. Because the guy retired. He bought the farm. Literally, he bought a farm and retired from car work to do that instead.

The next best shop, 30 miles away does “some” differential work. But they won’t touch this car.

Fortunately, a friend from way back and one-time-boss saw my plight and made an offer. “It’s just like a Dodge design,” he said. “No problem.”

I just have to get the axle to the Tri Cities and hope to get it back before spring.

So much for a “two hour job.”