The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 41 3:55 heat swap questions

So I’m in the middle of a the 3:55 gear swap in my and I have questions.

One, i put the pinion stuff together but I’m scared I installed the pinion ring backwards, right now the big beveled side is facing the oil bell, is that right or should the big beval side face the double bearing?

Two, I knocked the big bushing out on the u joint end of the torque tube, the old bushings were separate so it was two Bushings, but the new one is one tube with the bushings in each end, is this normal?

Last, at what point does that bushing go on, before or after the drive shaft on. I

The original arrangement of the two original parts at the end of the torque tube are/were as you describe:
- an interior seal
- an exterior bushing/bearing

The replacement that you have is/was called an "Okie Bushing" (because of where it was made, and, perhaps because it a allowed a quick&dirty repair by almost anyone with a few tools). This type of replacement serves as both a bearing/bushing and a a seal.

This arrangement/repair-part allowed a "quick & dirty" repair of the bushing/bearing&seal:
- it allows for pushing back ("out of the way") the old bushing&seal (easier than removal; and, "out of sight - out of mind")
- it provides the new bushing/bearing & seal
- it saves a lot of time and effort

When doing a R&P replacement, this type of bushing is not really needed (you could easily use a separate bearing/bushing and seal), but, the Okie style bushing is readily available, at it works well.

Ian

Tim is correct on the bushing.

Check out my Tech Tip it will have pics to show the correct direction of the ring.

Does that bushing go in before or after the drive shaft?

Also I’ve been referring to your tech tip for the whole process it’s helping a lot but I can’t quite see the direction of the ring, maybe I’m just not seeing it right

The OKIE bushing can be installed either with the drive shaft in or out. If it were me since it is apart, install it with it out.

The bushing goes in after the pinion shaft is installed in the torque tube. One thing to check before is to test fit the bushing both in the torque tube and over the pinion shaft before assembly. They do make two different sizes. If it’s really tight you have the wrong bushing.

Use this photo for the ring. Pinion the ring I think you’re asking about has the larger end facing the gear.

For a great General Motors slide show, see this link on Deve's page. The slide show on link above (from 1952) shows the oil retainer in a different position than mine (see slide 35 and 36). I panicked when I put mine together because I thought the oil retainer was in the wrong spot! Luckily I had taken this photo Pinion prior to dissassembly that showed the proper orientation (it is the same as Sweet's Tech tip photos). I hope this helps. The real beauty of the Okie sleeve is that the new bushings ride on a previously unused section of the driveshaft where as replacing the old bushings uses the potentially worn section the original bushings rode on and worn. When installing the Okie bushing (it's driven in once the drive shaft is installed) make sure you clean up the driveshaft teeth with a file to eliminate and sharp edges that will damage the Okie seal when you install it.

Thanks for the help, I understand a bit better now, I did have the pinion ring backwards I noticed where the retainer bolts had left thier mark on it which confermed that, I managed to take off and re press the bearing with no damage so, so far so good I guess