Differential help needed
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 11
Likes: 3
Differential help needed
I have the back end of my 74 tore apart for a suspension rebuild and I decided to open the differential to have a look while it's out of the car. I hadn't noticed any issues but I just bought the car a few months ago. I haven't had it up to highway speed yet. I drained the fuild and mounted it to the engine stand. When I took of the cover I noticed some light scoring(see pics). It looks like the pinon gear is making contact with the side yoke assembly(sorry if I got the terminology wrong, I'm ignorant of differentials). There were no metal filings in the oil that I drained. Maybe it was fixed previously? What causes this? What should I check? I don't see any other wear on the gears or any other parts.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,136
Likes: 3,939
From: Connecticut, USA
Pinion hit the case as you can see. Be sure there in no endplay in the pinion. I've blended and polished cases like that and reused them. Be sure there are no cracks in it as well.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 11
Likes: 3
Thanks Gary, I appreciate the reply. I checked the case again, I don't see any cracks. I also checked the pinion for play, it doesn't seem to have any play with the diff in the engine stand, pinion side down. I suppose the case could be sitting on the pinion gear and I wouldn't see any play. I'll check it again once it's in it's normal orientation. If I do find that it has excessive play, is there anyway to reduce the play without tearing the whole thing apart?
Thanks.
Dan
Thanks.
Dan
