Tight pinion pin..need help

Hi guys & gals,

I'm in the process of "refreshing" the rear end of my 71 B (new leaf springs, diff bushings, bearing seals, brakes....etc...etc...) and I'm having trouble with the pinion pin. I punched out the roll pin that holds the pinion pin in place then started to drift it out but it was tight....REAL TIGHT. I managed to tap it out about half way (just enough so it didn't jamb into the housing) and then had to make a tool to pull it out from the opposite end. I know it's going to be trouble trying to get it back in. I tossed it in the freezer to see if it would help but I'm not optimistic.
Any ideas?????

If there is no galling on it the spider gears probably had it in a bind some way. I've never seen a clean one that didn't float out and back in when everything was set just right.

John...thanks for the reply.....I tried the fit with the two pinion gears while out of the diff and the fit is prefect. Slides into both gears perfectly. The problem is in the housing. I can't even get it started through the hole without heavy resistance. If I try to tap it in, it binds. I believe I should be able to work the pin in by hand and not have to force it in.

Any other suggestions?????

The advise I got on this forum was to give it a good polish with very fine steel wool. That worked great and I also froze it. Once you get it started, light taps will finish the job.

Mike

The old oil that turned to varnish on the shaft is probably the problem. Clean the bores of the gears and the differential housing with carb cleaner and an old toothbrush. Steel wool the shaft as already mentioned.

Well...I got the pin in. The problem was in the leading edge of the hole in the housing. I opened up the edge just a bit and once the pin cleared it, it wasn't too hard to tap in. Everything's now nice and tight. Here's a pic.

I've always wondered whose brain fart of an idea was it to put fiber thrust washers with the side gears. Were yours still there or did they become part of the lubricant?

Dan, they were still there and in pretty good shape although a bit thinner that the new ones I installed.