The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Need help

Yes, just be sure to mark the bearing caps so they can be reassembled correctly. When the housing was manufactured, the caps were bolted on, and then the final machining was done, like main bearings on an engine block. It's important to keep that relationship correct to make sure the holes stay round and in proper alignment.
Jerry

Left side out and washed. Broken lock washer on the bottom bolt.
Seems like the whole assembly will come out when I get right side off. We’ll see.

Dog doesn't seem to be much help.

This was a lot heavier than I remember when I was younger.
Got it cleaned enough that it’s not slippery
Marked the cap bearing retainers and both top bolts.

Now I would guess the next step is to take the bolts out of the ring gear. That should let me get to the last two bearings. Looks like I’m in the market for a press. I’m assuming they are pressed out and in.

Yeah, you'll need a bearing puller to get the differential bearings off the carrier. Similar to THIS. Also either a press or a 3-jaw puller.

Why did you mark the bolts? Their position isn't critical.

Question: If that spider gear you found on the bottom of the case wasn't split in two, how did it come out since the shaft was intact?

Don't take the ring gear bolts out yet- - - -unless there's some damage I'm not seeing in your picture, I don't see any serious damage to the ring gear. Also, if you take the locking tabs off the adjuster nuts, the bearing caps will come off and on a lot easier. The gear backlash is going to have to be adjusted on reassembly, so keeping the adjusting nuts in their original position isn't necessary, or desirable. If the ring and pinion gears don't have teeth missing or bad score marks, you can probably reassemble the thing with different spider and axle gears and a pivot shaft and drive on- - - -at least temporarily. Then you can make an informed decision about swapping to a different gear ratio at your convenience. Even if the gears howl a little at highway speed, earplugs are cheaper than rear end parts. Those third members are as tough as woodpecker lips- - - -just get the adjustments right as you reassemble things.
Jerry

I'll put up a close up showing a couple broken teeth on the ring gear... the pinion has rough spot on one tooth

that brings up what gear ratio to look for... hmm let me put it this way.. what ratios are available.. so far I've seen 3.55:1 and 3.90:1

assuming ring and pinion R&R is the next step to drain tranny and start taking the forward part of the torque tube off the transmission.. Its a 4 speed btw..

I'm feeling good just getting the sucker apart now it seems to get harder with the pinion removal..

klhansen I don't know how that gear got out but maybe that area of the carrier that was chipped out my be where it went.. possible it didn't come out until I started trying to move the truck.. just don't know.

Hotrod.. the pivot pin looks perfect.. no scrapes or gouges..

If that spider gear isn't split in two, I'm going to guess a previous owner didn't get the shaft through it when the rear axle was last assembled. It likely wound up between the ring and pinion and caused the rest of the destruction.

BTW, your truck has 3.90:1 rear end ratio. See the 39-10 markings on the pinion. Also, that's the stock ratio for a 54 1/2 ton. I don't know if the 3.55:1 ratio gear set is available for the '54 models. The '54 half tons also have a different differential case than the earlier 1/2 ton trucks, so the available 3.55:1 R&P set may not fit.
Look for the casting numbers on your differential case on the attached pic.

Oh. The dog is my motivation coach.

From another discussion the 3:55 won’t fit.

I just ordered a used good condition 3:90 from a 54 3100 on eBay. Fingers crossed.
I had also found and ordered a set of spider gears from eBay that also came out of a 54 3100 so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Now to figure out how to lower and pull the torque tube to get to the pinion. From the service manual it looked complicated

I’m also going to either have to get a couple bigger jack stands or another floor jack if I need to be on the frame rather than the axle.

That sounds like a good enough excuse to me for buying new tools.

He doesn't look to be setting a very good example. I might be napping right along side him.

Removing the u-joint isn't that bad a job. Be sure to stick a jack stand under the torque tube to catch it when you get the u-joint loose. Don't ask how I know about that.

I’m still a little unsure of the process. See if I have this right.
Reposition jack stands to frame
Drain transmission
Take bolts out of rear transmission housing
Pull housing to the rear?

Then what. Looking at service manual wasn’t clear.

You have to unbolt the u-joint bell from the transmission, slide it back, split the u-joint and remove the half that slips on the driveshaft. Then position the driveshaft below the transmission (I don't recall if a '54 has a rear transmission support crossmember like my '51 does, but if so, that will have to be removed first) and then unbolt the differential housing from the banjo (axle housing), and pull the whole thing FORWARD and out. I'd recommend some ratchet straps positioned under the differential housing and the torque tube to catch it as it comes out. It's heavy.

Off to harbor freight tomorrow morning to get some bigger jack stands. The ones I have won’t reach the frame. Always something in the way of progress.

Check Harbor Freight and Walmart.

Should have read your post sooner tclederman.. after I went to harbor freight I saw the same one at wally world for $10 less delivered.. oh well.. I don't like Walmart much anyway.

Another question for you pros... what is a good sae 90 oil for the trans and pumpkin.. I planned on using Mobil one 75-90..

Modern gear oil is fine for the rear axle, but you should use either mineral oil or gear oil rated GL-4 or lower for the transmission. GL-5 has sulfur in it that messes up the brass in the synchronizers.

After looking at all the bearings and such I think someone rebuilt the rear end and for whatever reason didn’t put that last spider gear in place. All the bearings and races show no wear at all. Same for axle bearings. The guy I bought this truck from I suspect rebuilt it and on first drive it tore up. That’s only thing that makes any sense.

It's possible to dislodge a spider gear while sliding the pivot pin into place- - - -usually the one opposite the pivot shaft lock pin hole. One of my students at the Tennessee state trade school where I was teaching did that, and also locked things up on a test drive. A rear end will work (for a short time) with only one spider gear in place.
Jerry

The spider gears have to to be placed directly opposite each other between the side gears, then rolled into position. I don't think there's room for one to be dislodged if they were lined up properly with the pin. The assembler just plain messed up installing them. I don't think there's much room for the loose spider to lay in the bottom of the case. It'll be sucked in between the ring and pinion in pretty short order.

Not sure the pin would go entirely in if the gear wasn’t centered

Is there a trick to getting the ring gear off the housing. Bolts are out a used rubber mallet then ball peen firmly but lightly around the edges. I put some PB on it and let it sit while I ask questions.

Use a drift & that ball peen hammer. Hammer the back edge of the gear as you go around to keep it even. It will come off with enough persuasion. You cannot dent the gear as it is hard steel.

George

Thread a few bolts back into the ring gear and leave a 1/8 inch space instead of tightening them fully. Hammer on the bolt heads. When the ring gear starts to move, back the bolts out a few threads and hit them again. Once it separates from the carrier little it will get easier to move.
Jerry

Got it off.. used a 1x4 and that ball peen and beat it evenly.. took a bit to get it going and had to use a little more force toward the end to get it past the carrier housing.. tight fit..
waiting on new ring gear to show up.

When the "new" gears arrive, cut the heads off a couple of long bolts to guide the ring gear into place as you install it onto the carrier. Put the ring gear onto the grate of a charcoal grill for a few minutes to expand the hole before you install it and it will drop right onto the room temperature carrier.
Jerry

Good idea Hotrod. I’ve got a gas grill so I’ll bake it a little. Already picked up 3 bolts to use as guides. Saw that on a YouTube video. Ring gear is sitting at local usps since yesterday. Patience working overtime.

Well the mystery deepens.. Got the ring and pinion gears in today and was doing a little more cleaning of the pumpkin and guess what.. found a hole in the upper side of the casing.. and its a old hole.. no fresh marks of violent gears and teeth flying around... so.. that makes me thing someone did rebuild the rear end at some point in the past and not only left a hole but likely a gear in the bottom.. which would have been covered by the oil..

So I cleaned up the hole and will bring out the JB weld again.. I know, I know.. but consider this out on the farm and you want to get it back to work. .. on the cheap I should add... there will be a price to pay down the road I'm sure..

Its been too hot after about 10:00 here to do anything in the garage and I've been catching up on yard work the last 4 days.. Hopefully by next week I'll have everything back together and ready to try moving it again... and discover the next problem.. lol

How about a picture of the hole?

By the casing, do you mean the axle housing? Yeah, a picture would sure help. There should be a vent fitting on the axle housing, 1/8" NPT tapping. On earlier axles it's on the passenger side axle tube a bit left of the banjo section. If that's what you mean, don't JB weld it shut. If you don't have a vent, you'll get oil pushed out the axle seals onto the brake shoes. Not good.

The hole is at 2:00. Second picture shows the crack. I didn’t take a picture from the outside.

Yeah, that hole is likely from that loose spider gear getting wedged between the ring gear and housing. It might have been the cause of the rest of the gear damage when it locked up.

If you want to stay with the torque tube setup, it looks like you're going to need a different housing. Even if the hole can be brazed up from the outside, I don't think I'd trust the integrity of the machining any more. This would be a good time to convert to a later model housing with the open driveline, and a corresponding transmission. The 55-59 3.90 ratio center section with the open driveshaft will bolt into your existing banjo housing, but you'll need to figure out a way to make the pivoting spring mounts rigid if you do that. Welding those rubber bushing pivots is a real PITA!
Jerry

After working on it all day off and on I finally got the ring gear on. Yea

Now the part I don’t like. Going tomorrow to get a torque wrench. $$$ for a good one but I try to not skimp on tools

Now need to find the torque to use. Anyone have that handy.

Ring gear bolts - 40-60 ft-lb
Others you might need:
Bearing cap bolts - 115-135 ft-lb
Pinion bearing retaining bolts - 85-95 ft-lb
Pinion Shaft bearing Nut - 200-240 ft-lb
U-joint yoke ball retainer bolts - 8-12 ft-lb
U-joint Yoke Attaching Bolt - 15-20 ft-lb

Thanks klhansen

Ok. Can’t get everything to stay in place while putting the carrier back in. Fought with it all morning so far. Any sage advice someone can give would be appreciated

I finally got the carrier in and the side gears. But I can’t get the ring gear to rotate to get the spider gears in.

It’s in neutral btw. When I got the truck he had the top of the transmission off to the side. I just slid it over and dropped it down. Is it possible he didn’t have yokes in the right place and it has a gear engaged. I can move the shifter and it feels like it goes into gear.

Does anyone have a picture of where those yokes are supposed to be on the gears.
Thanks for any help.

You were able to rotate the original ring gear to get it apart so it doesn't seem likely that the problem is in the transmission. Is it possible that in the process of getting the carrier in place that you have the ring gear mesh with the pinion gear jammed such that they can not move relative to each other?