'70 Sport Custom Rebuild- She's been adopted!

[sargentrs]

Thanks! You, too. Awesome engine you got going for yours.

[sargentrs]

Ok, let's see if I can document this without boring everyone. Got the differential carrier back after having new bearings pressed all around. I have to admit, having never been inside a diff carrier, I was apprehensive about my ability to do this but it was surprisingly simple. First, mark the location of the outer case, inner case and ring gear.

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Next, remove the ring gear bolts and tap the ring gear, gently, off the case. I'd read something about marking the bolts, etc. because they were different lengths, and so on but they were all identical, and I'm putting in new ones in so no need. After the ring gears off, separate the small case from the larger case. I used a sharp wood chisel and just a couple of taps did it without nicking the cases.

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Then remove the gear from the small case. It comes right out but make sure you get the thrust washer too (mine was stuck to the gear so no biggie).

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[sargentrs]

Now turn your attention to the large case. Using a drive punch, tap out the 3 roll pins holding the gear pins in place.

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There's one on the "through" shaft and one in each of the stub shafts. Using a punch, drive out the "through" shaft then you can get to the inside of the stub shafts and tap them out too. You've gotta come in at an angle to the get the first one out but then you can go through the outside hole to get the last one. Once they're out, you can remove the center junction block and remove the rest of the gears.

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[sargentrs]

Clean out the inside of the cases and open up your PowerTrax No Slip Traction System Since my pictures don't show much fine detail I'll just say read the directions. In a nutshell, grease up and drop one of these in

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Then drop this in making sure the big tab lines up in the widest spacing of the gear teeth

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Put some axle grease on these little yellow springs and stick them in the holes in this piece.

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[sargentrs]

And drop it in with the springs facing up

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Line up the pin slots in the coupler with the holes in the case and tap the "through" shaft in. Careful when you get to those small springs and make sure they compress under the shaft

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Once you've got that one in, tap the 2 stub shafts in

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and tap your roll pins back in, from the outside, to lock your pins in.

[sargentrs]

Locate the 2 short, fat springs and the 2 long, skinny springs and slide the long one inside the fat one.

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I used a dab of axle grease to hold 'em together. Again, using a little axle grease on the bottom, place them in the holes in the coupler you last installed

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Now just install the other halves like you did the first halves (flipped over of course).

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[sargentrs]

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At this point you should be able to press down, firmly, on the outer coupling and feel the springs compress and decompress. Mate your cases back together, tap your ring gear on, and bolt it back together with new ring bolts. Make sure you've lined your cases and gear back up with the marks you made when you started.

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All in all I'll have to say it was a real easy install. Hopefully it'll perform as well! At this point, I'll have to go by faith until I actually have it, and axles, back in the housing so I can spin test it. Hopefully by the end of this week!

[basketcase0302]

Did you use relative or true bearing grease on that?
Nice job Randy, I bet it'll throw you back in the seat nicely.

[sargentrs]

Relatively true bearing grease! I believe I was actually pointing due north The last .... I have a dream!

[sargentrs]

Axle are back with fresh new bearings! Wheel studs are on order and will be picking them up in the morning. Getting closer!

[sargentrs]

Do yourselves a favor..pay a professional to set your ring and pinion gears in your differential! After 10 hours, in a span of 3 days, I think I finally got it "close enough". I was so frustrated I didn't even take pictures. The hardest part is setting the pre-load on your pinion bearings. It takes mega force to crush that sleeve! I finally budged it and think I got it set around 15 in/lbs+ (spec is 15-25). I ended up taking a piece of pipe, drilling holes in it, bolting it to the yoke and clamping the pipe to the bench. Then put ALL my 250# rear on a 2ft long torque wrench and bounced to get it to crush the sleeve. The pinion gear doesn't turn freely in the flange, it takes a little effort. Gear mesh is "acceptable" but I think my gears are a little too worn for a good pattern. Backlash is good at .010. If I hand grenade the gears on the first burnout, so be it! I'll take it to a rear end shop, buy new gears and let them do it. Just hope it doesn't take my PowerTrax with it. Sorry for the rant!

[sargentrs]

Home at last!

[mybros71]

It takes fortitude to tear into a differential, especially when you give a hang aboud doing it correctly. Nice job.

I read your thread and saw that you bought new bolts for the beam/radius arm connection. Did you buy them special, or just regular hardware? The reason I ask is I just bought some and had a bear of a time finding some that had enough length as well as enough thread to get a good clamp on the radius arm. I ended up finding some but I stoill had to use a washed on the bottom to make sure.

Tony

[sargentrs]

Thanks, Tony! Hmmm...now that you mention it, I didn't pay that much attention to the thread length. I just went on McMaster Carr's website and bought 3/4 x 6-1/2" Grade 8 bolts and locknuts to match. Thanks for pointing that out. I'll compare what I bought to the old one's and see if I'm going to have a problem.

[mybros71]

I was told that it is pretty important to get the radius arm clamped securely onto the beam. I need to proof read more.