Lock wiring the diff.

TL;DR you should buy a safety wire kit ASAP 

Enough with that leaky diff.

After two months the Caterham was asserting its dominance in my alley, as well as on my usual parking spot at work. She's British for sure 🇬🇧, but that's the kind of fantasy I was expecting to prevent by buying a virtually new car. And anyway it's never a good looks.

As the bolts come with Loctite in their bag, it's no oversight from the factory nor a case of a Friday afternoon job. 

Let's assume I drive cleanly but am somewhat demanding with the drivetrain. 

The garage did a quick job of cleaning up the diff, understanding what was wrong, and re-torque the bolts that hold the diff on the axle. 

It started leaking again 2 months later. Enough was enough and I bought a safety wire kit : a dedicated plier and 25 meters of stainless steel wire.

YouTube was a good resource to learn how to use the pliers and also how to place safety wire in a proper aviation-style manner.

So I removed the bolts one pair at a time, and drilled 2.5mm holes in their hex heads. The bolts were secured in a pair of M8 nuts in my vise. I drilled free-handed like a madman. I broke 2 or 3 drill bits but enjoyed the work. I did use WD40 as a lubricant/coolant.

Warning the bottom-most bolts will let the oil drain by the thread when removed. You have to plug the hole with your thumb and replace the bolt by another one right away. It can come from higher on the diff or be a M8 bolt you have on hand. 

It didn't move after that. The lock wires are nicely under tension and do their job.