'84 300D T - Please Help. Driveshaft Not Quite Out
 

'84 300D T
I have the driveshaft almost out. Almost is the key word.

All rear flex disk bolts out. Emergency brake cables out of the way. Large collet nut backed off. Support bearing unbolted and spinning. Two bolts removed from the front flex disk. I am not able to get it to drop enough to clear the shaft on the rear. All tires off the ground. Transmission is in neutral. What am I missing?
Steve

not sure what
 

Big Nut Youre Talking About. Unbolt The Rest Of The Bolts On The Front Flex And Drop The Whole Ds.

Tom W

Actually, that should enable you to collapse the driveshaft to get enough clearance? When I removed the driveshaft on my 300TE it collapsed easily. Based on this experience I guess yours may just need some persuasion if does not move.
Bruno

Bruno,
I believe I may have created my own problem. The order that I unbolted things may have caused me a little additional work (practice). I had the support bearing, e-cable assembly and rear flex unbolted w/o at least loosening all of the front flex bolts. I thought I had read removing two of the front ones would work. Though I am not certain how much more I need to gain before the rear portion of the shaft and flex will clear the input shaft on the differential, it has to be darned close. I plan to rebolt the rear flex and support bearing and then loosen the remaining front flex bolts. I gave up at the point I was applying some pressure at the rear flex disk with a four foot bar and thought that was too excessive. After all, it will not go back together that way . . . another day, a new perspective and I am certain better results. Thanks.
Steve
PS The manual claims I need to support the transmission and remove the rear support . . .

I removed the 124 driveshaft last week. I had to pry on the rear flex disc to get the centering pin on the diff to clear the driveshaft bushing. I used a 4ft crowbar. Removing the tranny support was necessary to get access to the bolts on the front flex disc on my model. But, all I was after was the center support and rear driveshaft bushing so the front shaft did not need to come out.

edit> It says in the manual to "Force propeller shaft away from centering pin on transmission and on rear axle." For 123 cars.

If it were me, I'd remove that other front bolt and the transmission mount. Support trans with a 2 x 6 and floor jack on the pan. Then apply some penetrant to the collet fingers and make sure they are moving freely. I had these stick once and they sure held fast. When I finally got the collet to release (having everything else free) it all came out so easily I just had to laugh at myself.