Estima SAD coupling

[gats]

I have just finished replacing the coupling on the forward end of the SAD shaft.

Some reports stated that the SAD shaft needed to be completely removed from the car to do this job. I found it can be done by just removing the coupling on the rearward end of the SAD shaft, to allow the shaft to be moved rearwards so the forward coupling can be slid forward off the SAD shaft. Not a major job. Needs 12 and 13mm sockets with extensions, and a 12mm ring spanner. I used ramps under the front wheels to get working space under the car.

NB!! Make sure to mark (with a white out pen?) the location of the SAD shaft relative to the harmonic balancer at the engine end, so you can re assemble it correctly, or you will have shaft balance problems and MAJOR vibrations. Maybe also mark the auxiliary equipment pulley relative to the SAD shaft. not sure about this, but better safe than sorry.

I have found the forward coupling wears out every couple of years or so, much more quickly than the rearward coupling. Some say it's a design fault. My old coupling had an aluminium disc body, and I replaced it with a coupling with poly disc body (supplied by Poly Flex Marine (07) 3284 2799), hopefully with a longer life.

Any other ideas on these issues?

[ledgend]

glad to hear you had a win, how much for both couplings.

[gats]

Thanks for the thoughts Legend.

Over the past three years since buying my Estima I have replaced the front SAD coupling three times. The first two were aluminium body disc couplings from Alljap Auto Spares (Virginia in Brisbane) at $250 a pair, then just recently a synthetic (polyurethene?) body disc at $160 for one. I hope to get more life out of this later one. The rear SAD coulping that came with the van is still working - it has the poly body disc.

Thanks for the thoughts Legend.