I would clean it good externally, being careful not to get any trash in it through the vent hole, do the pinion seal, and inspect the front pinion bearing while it's accessible. Also consider pulling the stub axles and remove the flanges and replace those seals as well, while the unit is out. Sometimes the flanges are very tight on the stub axles and are a PITA to R&R, but not replacing them only to discover them leaking in a couple hundred miles sucks too... your call.
With the stub axles out, it's just a few bolts and the rear housing will come right off, clean and inspect the R&P gears and poke a hole in the bottom of it for a drain plug, and you're good...
The real techy stuff comes in if you have to get into replacing carrier and/or pinion bearings and resetting the gears.
Glen
--Previous Message--
: From all that I have read, there are few
: that are willing to try this, and fewer
: that have. For now, I'll order the
: afore mentioned [won't be out too much]
: and do this slowly. Really, the
: intention was only to try replacing the
: seal. Then the thought of the age/used
: bearings came into play. I've had no
: experience with the Diff howling or
: giving the ratcheting/clunk-ing noises.
: Actually very smoooth considering. It's
: been sitting up on the stands mostly,
: and then there's the leaks. I bought
: Redline MT-90 locally after doing
: research; I'd like it to stay in long
: enough to experience the change...
: Yeah, I'd like to have a flush-head
: Allen set-screw-type plug cut-in as a
: drain plug. Smart idea to put in, shame
: the factory felt other-wise. Can this
: be done in a fully-assembled state, or
: will it need to be torn apart to cut
: the threads?
: This nasty bugger needs a bath; after
: thirty dirty years without a bath, it
: aint no diamond! But to replace it,
: would be about the same! and without
: income to suport this
: "habit", I have to watch
: everything. I do have a really fine
: shop locally who could step-in if I get
: in over my head as a
: "Plan-B". We always have a
: "Plan-B", right?
:
: --Previous Message--
: Ed if the ONLY thing wrong with it is
: the
: pinion seal leak, it can be changed
: fairly easily, ideally along with a new
: spacer, & PROPERLY set preload.
: As the pinion flange nut is tightened,
: it takes a LOT of torque initially to
: get it to start to collapse the spacer,
: then the pinion preloads and you have
: to find the sweet spot as it is
: tightened. If you go too far, the
: spacer is no good.
: When the diff is together, it's hard to
: determine the preload because you are
: also feeling drag from the carrier
: preload, and the stub axle seals if the
: axles are still in the diff.
: The pinion bearings can't be changed
: w/o complete teardown because the outer
: races are /pressed/driven in & out
: of the housing.
: If you change pinion or carrier
: bearings, other than the front pinion,
: they will require precise setting,
: sometimes a lot of work to get right.
: The other area that might need
: attention is the diff itself. Both the
: axle gears and diff "spider"
: gears have selective fit shims to set
: diff action.
: It's also a good time to drill &
: tap for an oil drain plug if it hasn't
: got one yet...
: Just a few more things to consider, it
: all depends on what your unit needs
: though.
: Glen
:
: --Previous Message--
: Glen, many thanks for continuing the
: thread. I have the catalog in front of
: me and was about to order and something
: told me to make another check... The
: original thought was to replace the
: input seal, then reading the previous
: thread, 'was rethinking it through and
: started to consider the sleeve as you
: mentioned to add to the list. Then,
: well, since we're this far, maybe
: having a fresh bearing on hand would be
: good... Since this is an '80 model,
: looks like parts are available. Good.
: So I'm looking to have the pinion shaft
: seal, Pinion shaft bearing and the
: collapsible bearing spacer...
: "False-reading"?
: The diff is out, awaiting a good
: cleaning/inspection, but I think will
: have to wait a bit more: Mothers Day is
: coming and so are finals starting
: Monday... it waited this long... at
: least the one for the GT is installed
: setting pretty! Let me know what you
: think
:
: --Previous Message--
: Those sleeves are a PITA, it's easy to
: get a false reading, and once they are
: torqued down they should not be
: reused... although it has been done
: successfully many times. Any pinion
: bearing wear can be a factor as well
: but you won't know until it's apart.
: Also the replacement sleeves can be a
: potential problem. Case in point, there
: were some sleeves on the market a few
: years ago, TR IRS rear hub application,
: that were rolled from flat stock and
: had a super-hard weld joining the butt
: ends, pretty much impossible to get a
: good crush on.
: FWIW I usually convert the late diffs
: to a conventional spacer & shims. I
: can post details if you want.
: Are you just replacing the seal with
: the diff in the car?
: Glen
:
: --Previous Message--
: Thanks Glen
: I'm taking this job real slow and being
: thoughtful each step of the way. At
: present. I'm photographing top and
: bottom, front to rear so I can look
: closely more closely at each angle. I
: will give the folks at Moss a jingle
: probably this weekend so I can have
: parts-in-hand before I get started on
: the removal. I'll look at replacing the
: collapsible sleeve as well: I've read a
: lot of input about that, and this is
: the area that concerns me the most:
: achieving the same "pre-load"
: as was made initially. I'll keep all
: posted.
:
: --Previous Message--
: Ed I have no recommendation on the
: seal,
: Moss etc will be able to supply that,
: but make sure that the flange journal
: isn't badly worn.
: Also the later cars have a collapsible
: sleeve to set the pinion preload, and
: the flange has to be in the exact axial
: location that it was in before when
: refitting it.
: Glen
:
: --Previous Message--
: We have a leak-y input Differential
: Seal
: and will be replacing it. Any
: preferences as to who sells a better
: seal for installing? We want to do this
: right the first time. Biases? Anybody?
:
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