Pinion Spacer
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Oh nice..just ordered some shims and stuff from him...and I think the package is already underway 
drats...should have ordered the solid spacer also. Maybe I can quickly borrow a buddies lathe and whip one up.....
BTW, do you machine them to spec? I'll just machine one a little shorter than the crush sleeve and shim it up.
drats...should have ordered the solid spacer also. Maybe I can quickly borrow a buddies lathe and whip one up.....BTW, do you machine them to spec? I'll just machine one a little shorter than the crush sleeve and shim it up.
No I don't machine to specs. I turn it so it rest nicely on the pressed on bearing only touching the inner race and a slide fit over the pinion at this point and narrow it down so again it rides only on the inner part of the outer bearing. There is set from a larger id to a small id and the same with the outer od.
Use the bearings for dimensions and a old crush sleeve for length..
I never buy them, just whip them up using those for dimensions.
I am guessing in the $40 range from Gary, but only guessing.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
?? I'm confused here, you make the solid spacer too long? Then you can never fine tune it...only if it's short you can shim it up. How do you get it to the final length? You don't machine it to specs..so then how is it done???
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Marck my spacers are too long. I install the pinion in the housing with a too long spacer. I use the impact to tighten the pinion nut. I then put a dial indicator on the end of the pinion and check free play between the bearings, remember the spacer is too long. Lets say the dial indicator reads .015 free play. I then remove the spacer, put it back in the lathe and turn about .012 to .014 off the end. Again reinstall the spacer and check end play. You should have only .001 to .003
Once agian if the dial indicator reads this amount put the spacer back in the lathe and remove this free play.
This time the spacer upon reinstalling should have no end play and a slight drag on the bearing,
I do not use shims but keep reducing the length of the spacer until it gives the right drag on the bearings.
After this I forget about the spacer and move to the carrier for beloading the bearings without the pinion in place.
You have dialed in the spacer and even if you change the spacer under the pressed on bearing the spacer length doesn't change nor the preload.
This only take a few minutes of fiddling if you have a lathe sitting beside you and a good impact for tightening and loosening the pinion nut
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
so you do turn to spec, that's what I asked and you said no. Must be miscommunication...that's exactly what I meant, machine it too long, measure play, trim it down to spec and reinstall and maybe shim it up to get it dead on.
I cna't do that, I'll have to machine it a tad short and shim up the rest, the lathe is not where the rest of the car is
I cna't do that, I'll have to machine it a tad short and shim up the rest, the lathe is not where the rest of the car is
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
so you do turn to spec, that's what I asked and you said no. Must be miscommunication...that's exactly what I meant, machine it too long, measure play, trim it down to spec and reinstall and maybe shim it up to get it dead on.
I cna't do that, I'll have to machine it a tad short and shim up the rest, the lathe is not where the rest of the car is
I cna't do that, I'll have to machine it a tad short and shim up the rest, the lathe is not where the rest of the car is
If the lathe is not where the car is take the housing and pinion to the lathe and do it right there.
You are NOT setting gear tooth pattern. You are just setting the distance between the bearings and that doesn't change with pinion shimming.
A word of caution. My son is very talented at setting send plays and he taught me that when you check bearings like this you have to seat the bearing, align the rollers. He pushes down on a bearing and rocks it back and forth 50 times and usually picks up .004 extra in free play that you never got when just installing the bearing, turning it a few times and then taking a reading. Rock the bearings back and forth to seat them.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,164
Likes: 3,967
From: Connecticut, USA
Norval has it down pretty good. I have them in kit form with shims. Same procedure basically. Measure the old one add .020 shim so it is too long- you don't want to start off too tight. Then assemble and torque the old nut to 100 ft/lbs check rotating torque. I always go by my torque wrench- too **** I guess!!LOL
Since they are all different I final finish it on the surface grinder. I can get them to dial in to the 15-18 in/lb range with new bearings. I just used on the diff I put in my car.
Marck, your order went out almost a week ago it should be close to you?
Since they are all different I final finish it on the surface grinder. I can get them to dial in to the 15-18 in/lb range with new bearings. I just used on the diff I put in my car.
Marck, your order went out almost a week ago it should be close to you?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Gary I got lucky and found a length of chrome moly heavy walled tubing that has almost the right id and od. A slight cleanup and I have my spacer.
I do use the dial indictor to check end play and find when the end play is zero the bearing preload feels good.
It takes very little time to whip these spacer up
I do use the dial indictor to check end play and find when the end play is zero the bearing preload feels good.
It takes very little time to whip these spacer up
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
This needs a little cleaning up but is close. Alot easier then starting with solid material.
For those in inches. 1.160 ID and 2.0 od
While chrome moly is NOT required I had a number of lengths sitting around.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
you can start with a solid 2 inch diameter piece and run a 1 inch drill bit through it. I just got lucky and found this material and it only saves me drilling the 1 inch hole. that is really not a big deal on a lathe but my son and I seem to make a couple of these each year
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Marck we both know what we are trying to say. I just like doing it with the solid spacer instead of dealing with shims.
Both will work fine
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
you can still do the same using shims, just stack the used shims back up there and it'll be fine, the shims + spacer still determine the min. distance between the 2 bearing races and with that the bearing preload. I'm gonna do it with shims, much easier for me.
