I am rebuilding a 410 gear set I removed from a 1970 C-20 and I have a tight pinion after the yoke and retainer was installed. This request for help is, I laid the parts on the work bench in the order I removed them. Cleaned everything and began to reassemble. I installed the rear bearing and the thin washer down in the 3rd member. I did not assemble the yoke and retainer to the pinion and tighten to 160 lbs as per the service manual. Instead, I installed the first of two front bearings and then the race. Next came the spacer and the remaining bearing. Then, I installed the seal in the retainer with the remaining spacer and torqued to spec the retainer. Once that was done I checked the rotation of the pinion by hand. I could not turn the pinion by hand, it felt snug. It was not snug before the retainer was installed. So I put the pinion nut on and spun the pinion with a drill. It did fell a bit looser and I could spin the pinion by hand afterwards. I believe the seal had a hold on the pinion shaft, via the last spacer. Now is were the problem begins. I installed the yoke and tighten the pinion nut, just too 100 lbs. That locked up the pinion. Will not turn any more by hand. Help. I attached the service manual I used to rebuild the rear.
Unless the shell of the seal is rubbing against the bearing, I don't think it is seal drag. I would disassemble it and re-check the sequence/position of the spacers and shims.
1957 Chevrolet 5700 LCF 283 SM420 2 speed rear, 1955 IH 300U T/A, 1978 Corvette 350 auto, 1978 Yamaha DT175, 1999 Harley Davidson Softail Fat Boy
I take it you are using the tapered roller brgs. There is a spacer that goes between the 2 brgs. It is machined to match the brgs. & provide the proper preload. You may have the wrong spacer or you left the spacer out. You should be able to tighten the pinion nut any amount without it locking up.
George
They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne Super In the Gallery Forum
If anything has been changed (bearings, spacers, shims, etc.) the manufacturing tolerances can require some tweaking of the spacer to establish the right preload on the bearings. Rarely, if ever, can parts be swapped around without making some slight changes in the spacing of things. Jerry
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