98 1.1 k11 drive shafts - spudmonster
i have just changed the clutch on my micra k11 but cannot get the drive shafts back in bacause the grooved ring the drive shafts slide into have moved, al thats showing is a bar with two cogs that slide up and down on it? the clutch mechanism works, gear did move but have now become stuck? how can i realine the grooved ring back up with the dyive shafts and also free the gearbox?
i was quote £300 to change the clutch, its only cost me the parts so far and if possible id like to keep it that way with your help, can you please help. thanks.
98 1.1 k11 drive shafts - mfarrow
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Differential_free.png

Look at the above diagram. The green gear represents one of the gears sliding up and down on the bar (imagine another green gear at the top). If these can actually slide then this is bad news.

The red and yellow gears have splined holes in the centre of them (the 'grooved rings') for accepting the driveshafts. The driveshafts are what hold the yellow and red gears in place. Once you take the driveshafts out, these red and yellow gears are free to rotate about the green gears; and if they rotate too far they'll fall out!

I suspect you've inadvertently moved the red and yellow gears round too far, causing one or both to fall out, and become trapped in the gearbox (hence it's jammed). The only solution is to open the gearbox and put them back!

I can't help you any further on the rebuild. Good luck.

(P.S. to all you pedants I know they're called sun, planet, and annular gears but I thought I'd keep it simple).
98 1.1 k11 drive shafts - Number_Cruncher
Yes, as Mike says, the differential gears have slipped round, and dropped out. You'll need to gain access to the differential to put them back in. I don't know the layout of these gearboxes - if you're lucky, there's seperate access to the differential. If you're unlucky, you'll have to strip the entire gearbox.

For future reference, on FWD gearboxes, after you've taken one driveshaft out, slide a short piece of broom handle in to prevent the gears moving, only then, take the second driveshaft out. Keep the broom handle in place until the other side driveshaft is back in place.