The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Trans noise NOT, Rear End melt down

Hi folks,

Here is a little up-date on my drive line noise. I pulled the transmission last week and even though the bearings and shafts looked very good I ordered all new bearings for it just in case. I start looking at the drive shafts and the rear drive shaft moves in and out of the tube a good inch or more. I remove the nose piece on the diff and ball bearings start raining out the bottom. I remove the rear cover and there is a ton of junk in the bottom, mangled bearing cages, ground up races and big and small ball bearings. Both the front and rear pinion bearings were totally gone only the inner race was left on the rear and the front had a partial outer that cracked when I pulled it out. I am truly amazed that the rear end worked at all and I have driven it a few hundred miles. I was telling you all that the truck felt like a cluster bearing was bad due to a binding when going from forward to reverse I think this is it! I have new pinion bearings on order and I cleaned out the front case this afternoon, no other broken pieces and the gears while marked and worn are all still good. At this point I will have a new drive line from the clutch back, all the bearings from the input shaft on the transmission to the rear pinion bearing including all the ball bearings in the drive shaft!

Now here’s the question of the hour, actually two. First the nose piece on the diff is worn with a groove about 1/8 inches deep where the pinion came forward, what can I do if anything for that? I have thought about surfacing the flange but I would get rather thin. Second, what can you guys tell me about setting the pinion depth, I don’t see any way other than shims behind the front bearing?