Problems fitting new donut

Having a nightmare with a '5 minute' job I thought I'd do over xmas. Replacing the donut on my 300tdi, having removed the rear prop and old donut it took me ages to get the knackered bush out of the end of the propshaft, anyway finally got the old bush out, put new one in, put new UJ on front of prop and happys days...or so I thought

Come to put the prop back on this morning and I can't get it to line up on the donut. At first I bolted the donut up to the diff and then realised I couldn't get the bolts in from the back which go onto the prop, so I loosened all the bolts and got the three bolts in that fasten onto the prop, problem is when you put one bolt through the other two don't line up? I've rotated the donut but each time the three bolts won't line up?

What am I doing wrong?

1 bolt at a time and rotate it to the next

Sorry James I don't understand? Do I put a bolt through the back of the donut and into the flange on the prop then rotate the donut again? The problem seems to be when you have one bolt in the other bolt holes are higher, they're a good 5 mil out

Isn't the donut supposed to flex?

also, isn't there a correct way for the donut to face? i,m sure i read somewhere about someone trying to fit donut back to front

cheers

jim A
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1996300Tdi auto(Jap reimport)

i usually fit them by using my middle finger and thumb then open wide and bite be careful of spillage in over filled doughnuts tho.................

































sorry could not resist and haven't got a clue

janderson41 said:

also, isn't there a correct way for the donut to face? i,m sure i read somewhere about someone trying to fit donut back to front

cheers

jim A
----------------
1996300Tdi auto(Jap reimport)

Click to expand...

bolt dough nut to diff flange with the other 3 bolts loose in there holes then fit one bolt doughnut to prop rotate till holes align and fit the next one ,doughnut will fit either way

thought it was mine! said:

be careful of spillage in over filled doughnuts tho.................

Click to expand...

Good advice! Only recently I became the victim of an overfilled Greggs blueberry donut, there was no warning on the paper bag and the result was horrific.

Mind you I didn't feel half as silly as I do tonight, having realised the reason my 'rotoflex coupling ' wouldn't line up was because I had jacked the rear axle up in order to get my big (post xmas) chest under the disco, doh!

Thanks for the replies though and all the help..now sorted