Drive Shaft Removal

[Troy]

Hello All. I'm helping my son resurrect my old '80 528i. We're installing the '90 535i engine and 5-speed from my wrecked '79 528i. We removed all the bolts from the drive shaft, but the darn thing just won't let go at the back. It is stuck to the input flange of the diff. Before I take the 4-lb shop hammer to it, do any of you have a suggestion?

[Mike W.]

Jam a beefy screwdriver in between the diff and D/S flanges and pop it loose. It's a snug fit to keep it located and over the years sometimes becomes more than snug. Shouldn't be too bad since you're not rust belt though.