How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

Hi Tim

No, I haven't tried anything as yet. I did read on another thread somewhere (can't recall where) where molasses was a good option for gears like these. I have been using molasses up until a few months ago on other things with pretty good results, I must say.

What do you think? Is that a better (it is certainly gentler) way to go?

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Big D

Hi Tim

No, I haven't tried anything as yet. I did read on another thread somewhere (can't recall where) where molasses was a good option for gears like these. I have been using molasses up until a few months ago on other things with pretty good results, I must say.

What do you think? Is that a better (it is certainly gentler) way to go?

Darryl, when you are using molasses you have probably found that it won't work on anything that has had oil or grease on it. Even using degreaser before hand does not work. The enzymes in the mix won't touch anything slightly oily. Media blasting is the way to go with the housings as you can get the blast up inside the tube as well as that is probably pretty gunked up too.

Regards Rick.

[Big D]

Hi Lynn and Rick,

Thanks for the replies.

Lynn - yes, that is a good idea on the cones. I made an attempt to get one out by welding a bead around it but it proved stubborn anyway, so will wait until after the blasting before I have another go. I have kept what was left of the gaskets and will make sure I use the same thickness.

Rick - yes, I found exactly the same thing with molasses. As you say, despite a bit of cleaning, there is certainly some junk left in the housings, so I think the media blasting will be the way to go.


There are a couple of broken brake line cover bolts in the top of the axle housing which I’ll remove and then tidy up the holes. I’ll also need to free up the drain/filler plugs, as these are all frozen in place. Once I have them sorted, I’ll drop the axle housings and diff assembly off to the blasters.

[Big D]

Hi all,

As you can see by the photographs, I am having to get a bit creative to try to remove the damn yoke off the pinion shaft in the axle housing. This is my latest attempt!

I set up my 12 ton press and engine crane around the axle housing to see if I could get it to move. The yoke is sitting in the press with the ram of the press on the pinion shaft, with a ball bearing in the hole in the end of the pinion shaft separating the pinion shaft and ram.

There is sufficient slack in the chain around the axle housing so that the axle housing is effectively hanging off the yoke on the press. The chain will ‘catch’ the axle when the yoke releases.

So, the weight of the axle housing and the press are working together against the stuck pinion shaft. I have hand cranked the jack up as far as I am game to.

I have tried heating the yoke casting with a propane burner several times. It is certainly looking cooked and I’m a little reluctant to heat it too long/often but if you think that it can stand a fair bit of heat, I will persevere.

I’ve been fairly liberal with the penetrating oil since I started working on this axle some weeks ago but if it is getting down the pinion shaft, it is certainly not obvious to me at the moment.

Does anyone have any other ideas on how I might encourage this stubborn yoke to come off?

How easy would it be to get another yoke or similar yoke to replace this one if worst comes to worst? I don't want to cut the damn thing off but I am running out of ideas (and patience!).

[Lynn Eades]

Darryl, Drop the pinion and bearing carrier from the housing. Borrow a bearing separator to better support the flange and go to a bigger press.

[Big D]

Hi Lynn

Thanks for the reply. If you mean pulling the whole pinion assembly from the housing, yoke and all, then I have tried that as well. I would have thought that I could 'tap' it out from inside the axle housing but I got no movement on the pinion assembly that way either. I guess I am dealing with two bearing assemblies that are themselves very tight in the housing.

Any bright ideas for doing this?

[T Creighton]

Hi Darryl,
Impressive project you have there.
Are those diffs the same or similar to the truck ones?
If they are I have a spare flange you can have if you have to cut yours although they shouldn't be that hard to get off.
My book says just tap the flange off with a soft hammer and then use a puller to extract the pinion oil seal retainer housing complete with pinion shaft and bearings.
Regards, Terry