vauxhallviva.com

In the Spring 2020 issue of Classics magazine there is a Q+A section. There are 2 questions on the Viva, is either of these answers correct?

Peter

Apologies for the upside down version. No matter how many times I resave it the right way up its hell bent on being that way

Peter

More than likely the spigot bearing in the centre of the flywheel. I always pack that with HMP grease when replacing a clutch, and I've heard of some that actually remove it from the flywheel!!
Not sure of the material they are made from, but I believe it is some sort of phospher (sic) bronze.

I'm not an expert in either HA or HB but surely the HA axle I'd not the same a HB. The suspension attachments are completely different for a start.

hbpeter wrote:In the Spring 2020 issue of Classics magazine there is a Q+A section. There are 2 questions on the Viva, is either of these answers correct?

1972nail wrote:I'm not an expert in either HA or HB but surely the HA axle I'd not the same a HB. The suspension attachments are completely different for a start.

HAs are mysterious things to me too. I think it's possibly right about the spigot bearing. But as for the axles, the HA rear is leaf-sprung for starters, they might mean by dimensions the track width is possibly the same, but nothing else, as you both suspect, it's badly wrong, they're totally different axles, there's no way surely that an HB (or HC) axle could ever be fitted to an HA without massive reworking of the shell/underbody.

I think that most of the internal parts are interchangeable between late HA and early HB but certainly it is not a straight swap as the response suggests.

Thats what I thought, ta for putting it the right way up. I'll email the mag and tell them.

Peter

It would be a brave undertaking to transfer the internals. With the popularity of the HA front-axle with the hot-rodder/custom builders, there's likely to be some surplus unwanted HA rear axles kicking about, though with no reason to keep the remains, rear-axles included, they might well have simply been scrapped without a thought along with the shells. Given the long production run of the vans and their notoriety for body rot with those that surface mostly very ropey unsaveable ones, there's still a decent enough chance of an HA van rear axle surfacing. Which would seem the far easier route to take, than cobbling together HB parts into an HA van or saloon axle-housing.

The HB rear axle is completely different to the HA rear axle and is in no way interchangable regardless of external dimensions. The mag "expert" is way out on his action.
As for the squeal from the clutch then I would go for the spigot bush which appears to have "dried up", that is assuming that there is oil in the gearbox!! Before fitting a new Spigot bush it needs to be lubricated. This is done by placing the bush on your finger and filling it with fresh engine oil then cover with your thumb and squeeze as hard as you can. you will see the oil ooze through the bush sides, it is now ready to be fitted. be careful not to knock it right into the end of the crankshaft, it should sit level with the flywheel centre.
Mike