Setting pinion preload

-
ken5124

ken5124

65 Valiant Signet
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
615
Reaction score
104
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Need some help.. I have replaced the pinion crush sleeve on my 489 case with an eliminator kit. I am using used bearings and when I set it at only about 4 inch pounds preload, it seems the yoke has too much resistance in it... I do not have the ring gear in yet. I am just not sure how tight it should be to turn without the gears in it.. and don;'t want to wreck anything

Can Anyone offer suggestions on how tight the pinion should be to turn"by feel" in this circumstance..? My old open rear end seems to have a lot less rolling resistance, even with the gears in it..

Thanks
 
Hopefully 68Fishy(Tracy)will chime in.He knows his stuff around tranny,s and rears.LOL.He,s helped me lots in the past.Good luck.
 
Regardless of what books will tell you, set the preload with used pinion bearings as close to zero as you can. No sloop, that will destroy a ring and pinion, but even 4 inch pounds can be alot. If you pinch a used set of pinion bearings (too much preload) you stand of good chance of cooking the small pinion bearing (should be a 88048. If you put in a new pinion seal, you'll feel that drag, but I'd set the pre-load as close to zero as possible. Make sure you oil the bearings and grease the lip of the seal when you reassemble. I also use Pipe Thread Compound (TFE Paste) in a tube, to smear the top 1/4 inch or so of the yoke splines with my finger to make sure oil doesn't leak through the splines.

Russ.

Edit. Also, always clean the pinion nut theads with Brake Klean, and use red Locktite on the theads, and use a new pinion nut if you can from a 8.5 ten bolt Chevy (if I remember right) . It's a lock nut and not the junk nut Mopar uses.
 
The only way to do it right is to use a rotating torque torque wrench. It should take around 10-15 inch pounds of rotating force to be right with used bearings. With new bearings that figre is higher.. Like 20-25 inch pounds. Honestly, I would put bearings in it if you're doing it all anyway.
 
67DartGT340 said:
Ken did you try calling Jerry, he would let you know what to do. He is good that way.
Click to expand...

Jerry kinda messed up on this one when he sold it to me..howled bad, I think he re used the crush sleeve... the pinion didn't turn smoothly when I got it.
 
Thanks Double M and Moper..

Unfortunately the only inch pound wrench I could find is a click style.

I will take out all the slack and put a bit of pre load on it... I don't think the reading this wrench is giving me is accurate... it says 4 but there is a lot of drag.. Without a seal or the ring gear installed
 
that's just the pinion gear, but with the seal. If it's used, and it was already noisey, chances are if you get it close... Say take out the slop as was suggested. Then run a pattern, if it's centered, run it. Noise or not. Once gears get noisey, they usually dont get quiet.
 
Without a proper inch pound torque wrench you'll have to go by feel. Add two thou to what you have and see how that feels.

The common mistake I get from my customers is their "rear end guy" changed the pinion seal, and two weeks later I get the phone call to fix it. Cooked pinion bearings every time.

On the nine inch Fords I do for the stock car guys around here, I'll set preload at only 10 to 12 inch pounds with new bearings. Otherwise they burn them up.

Russ.
 
ken5124 said:
Jerry kinda messed up on this one when he sold it to me..howled bad, I think he re used the crush sleeve... the pinion didn't turn smoothly when I got it.
Click to expand...


First time I bought one from Jerry it howled like an airplane, especially when I was slowing down. I brought it back to him and him change the bearings. Now it only has a low howl from time to time, and some old Mopar guys I talk to tell me their posi ends have always done that. Take it back to Jerry and let him deal with hit, it shoulod not be your problem. throw your 2.76s back in and get him to fix it right. He'll do it no problem.
 
Measure the crush sleeve you took out and try that length with your sleeve eliminator.
 
A howl has more to do with pinion depth/pattern than bearings. Now a grinding/roar has more to do with bearing condition. this has been my experience. On a used set of gears it is more important to get a good centered pattern on the coast side of the ring gear.
 
Well the rear end is finally quiet.. Thought others might benefit from my experience

here's my saga.. which all began with a used 489 suregrip with used 323 gears.. found to be very noisy on install with front pinion play after first use.

Installed crush sleeve eliminator kit.. set everything to specs, still howled / whined under load.. VERY Loud.

Pulled the gears again, Brought it back to Jerry, who replaced the inner ( large) pinion bearing , he checked and re set everything again.

Installed in the car ( getting good at this already), same problem, noisy under any load.

Decided to eliminate possibilities of gears making the noise.. Pulled it out again, found and removed some caked on grease on the carrier bearings installed the used suregrip section with existing bearings with my 276 ring gear into my original "quiet" 742 case.. Set it up myself, had a mechanic give it a once over and

Voila!! quiet at last.

returned the 489 case and 323 used set for a partial refund ( thanks jerry) and will keep what I have... 276 not so bad with the price of gas right now anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top