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  #1  
Old 12-08-2014, 09:13 PM
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W123 drive shaft

I was trying to unbolt the drive shaft from the rear of the transmission, and then pry it back. Well, it won't move back at all. I read about loosening the nut on the drive shaft. I don't have the two wrenches I have read about one 41mm & the other 46mm. I have checked around, and I didn't come up with any. What other options will help moving the drive shaft enough to get the transmission out? If you unbolt the differential end will it lift up there so you can possibly pull it back, and not be confronted with the nut on the drive shaft?

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Old 12-08-2014, 10:30 PM
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Is the flex disc simply stuck to the yoke? Or have you separated the flex disc and the driveshaft still won't move? If it's the second, you can unbolt the center support from the body of the car and it will help it move even without loosening the drive shaft nuts.
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Old 12-09-2014, 11:01 AM
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I use a very large pair of Channelocks with the trans in park to loosen/tighten the nut.

Uberwasser is correct. But I've never worked on a driveshaft where I couldn't slide the splines with some prying force, even with the nut tightened.
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Old 12-09-2014, 11:15 AM
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The 2 that I've removed (300SD and 240D) I dropped the center support which makes clearance for the front yoke to slide rearward. Mine both took a significant pry as the flex disc was well and truly stuck on its centering pin. I had to work my way around the circumference of the disc and work it rearward.

I still have both those driveshafts if anyone wants them - I can't speak to their condition.

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Old 12-09-2014, 01:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebe View Post
.. If you unbolt the differential end will it lift up there so you can possibly pull it back, and not be confronted with the nut on the drive shaft?
^^^ this is the method I use when pulling trannys. You'll need to also unbolt the center support bearing to be able to move it back a bit.
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Old 12-09-2014, 03:16 PM
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What I have done so far was to unbolt the driveshaft where it mates to the flex disc(three bolts). I didn't take the bolts out of the flex disc on the back side of the transmission. I is kind of hard to do any prying there because I only found the bolt heads on the flex disc to pry the driveshaft yoke to. It's awkward and I didn't think I was able to get much pressure there to push the driveshaft back! The bolt on the transmission must be torqued tightly or the driveshat collar on the tail shaft spleens is stuck tightly!
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Old 12-09-2014, 03:24 PM
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I used a Chain Type Pipe Wrench to loosen the Collar Nut. It was not on tight.
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W123 drive shaft-chain-pipe-wrench-dec-15.jpg  
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Old 12-09-2014, 03:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebe View Post
What I have done so far was to unbolt the driveshaft where it mates to the flex disc(three bolts). I didn't take the bolts out of the flex disc on the back side of the transmission. I is kind of hard to do any prying there because I only found the bolt heads on the flex disc to pry the driveshaft yoke to. It's awkward and I didn't think I was able to get much pressure there to push the driveshaft back! The bolt on the transmission must be torqued tightly or the driveshat collar on the tail shaft spleens is stuck tightly!
Keep trying to pry it out. There are little spacer tabs in the the flex disk that gets pressed on the flex disk, that's what your trying to break free. Sometimes I try to angle the driveshaft and turn it, that then breaks free the pressed on tabs.
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Old 12-09-2014, 03:54 PM
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I used a long pry bar on the driveshaft, against the crossmember with a block of wood. Slight taps on the shaft where it slides to free it up.
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Old 12-12-2014, 04:29 PM
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Help was much appreciated. I was able to loosen the driveshaft nut, and I turned it a couple of turns. It didn't move back even then by a screwdriver like some posts claimed. I did some more reading on the posts here about the tabs. That is when I was able to free it up and move it back out of the way!

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