The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline rear end trouble do i need to upgrade?

So I have a 51 3100 I pulled the cover on the rearend and found the carrier bearing at the bottom everything seems fine no chipped tooth but their is a lot of play in the pinion. how hard of a fix is this. Should I fix this or go with an open end rear end if I do that I need a tranny. What tranny would fit my 216 that I could later bolt up to a 350. Let mw know I'm thinking fixing my stock rearend would be cheaper the bearing replacement is not a problem just don't know how much play the pinion should have

I'm pretty sure shop manual calls for .008 backlash on ring gear. My 38 had a lot of slack in the rear gears. Adjusted back into spec and all is well. Good luck.

if you can't fix what you have, you gonna get lucky converting to a whole new driveline? - the pinion should not have much "play" at all, a shop manual would be helpful - if you don't have one try here

Bill

I found out that my pinion bearings are shot as well looks like it will cost me 300 in parts then I need to find someone to put it in. Anyone near sacramento ca that can help? Not sure what to do fix it or just replace the carrier bearings so I can move it then up grade later. This truck will be sitting for a few years but I do want to cruise it down the block from time to time. Not sure what to do

Ok this is what I'm doing. Change out carrier bearing this should atleast get me rollinng then sometime in the future get rear end driveshaft made and a tranny. What trannys will bolt up to my 216? Will a saginaw 3 speed work? Some guy want a$100 for a working one. Will it work if not what will

Benfur

If you are going to do one, do the other. Carrier bearings are not the weak link in this system. The pinion bearings are. In order to get to them you need to tear the entire system down. Besides, the carrier bearings are the cheaper of the bearings anyway. If you can pull the parts and find the bearings, it will be cheaper than the $300.