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Differential Removal Help Needed


josh_t

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i have a 76 b210. it has the hitachi h150 rear end. i bought it 6 months ago and i havent driven it yet so this isnt that huge of a deal, but i checked my rear end fluid and it was bone dry. i am the type who likes to have everything clean so i want to pull it apart and clean it and make sure its not completely worn out. and i'm assuming it was empty because of a leak so i want to do this to seal it up as well. how do i remove it? i know there is i think 10 nuts holding the 3rd member in the housing and 4 on the driveshaft. do i have to pull the axles out of the way first or do they stay in? how much of a hassle is this task?

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Remove the drive shaft bolts, mark it's relationship so it goes back in the same position and move it out of the way. If the front of the diff is oily this is where it leaked out. The pinion nut will need loosening if you want to replace the seal. Lock the brakes to hold the pinion while loosening the nut... this won't be easy. The axles have to be pulled about 6" out to disconnect the axle spline. I doubt the brake line will stretch that much. Unbolt the diff and pull forward and off the studs.

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yes, you have to disconnect the brake lines. Then behind each axles are 4 nuts holding the axle in. Remove those and pull the axle out about 6". You won't need to loosen the pinion nut to remove the center assembly pumpkin/carrier.

 

Bone dry is very unusual even if it's been sitting for years. My advice is to fill it up and drive it. If it is noisy then you will need to replace it. If it is relatively quiet then spend the time to clean it up. You may not be able to tell by looking, but you can tell by driving it.

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Yes, that's better advice... fill and drive it. Too expensive to fix.

 

Is there oil 'wetness' on it? Got to figure there's a reason it's empty like a leaky pinion seal. Maybe someone drained it to replace and never finished...

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Sorry i didnt get back with you guys earlier. I didnt get the notification. I dont currently drive this car. It will be my daily driver in the near future tho. I would drive it but its uninsured and i dont get my license till later this year. Could putting it on jackstands and chocking the front wheels and "driving" it that way tell me anything or does it need to be under a load. I have done it before to see if the tranny would shift ok and i noticed a slight whine from the rear end but i heard more from the tires spinning than i did any whining. If i grab the drive shaft while everything is free (neutral, parking brake off) there is a little play but nothing spectacular.

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ok. i'm goin to check it tomorrow. kinda busy today. what kind of oil should i fill it with? i know its 90w gl-5 but can i use synthetic or does it need to be hypoid? any brands to recommend? and in the case that it does have noticeable play, how much would be your guess on getting a new ring and pinion and is it something i can do or is it something that has to be precise?

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I would run GL-5 in the diff. It's higher in sulphur anti scuff agents. Diffs transfer motion at 90 degree angles and the teeth 'rub' differently than a transmission where the motion is along the same axis. GL 4 contains about 50% less sulphur compounds to protect the brass synchros and won't properly protect a diff..

 

Old seals will often develop a leak if you switch to synthetic oil. It's that slippery!!

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well the seals are cheap. i plan on changing them when i change the fluid since i want to fix whatever leak caused it to be empty in the first place. and i like seeing the condition of things anyway i could check for any metal in the bottom of the housing while i'm in there.

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CAUTION: if you change the pinion seal, you are supposed to replace the crush tube in order to re-tighten the nut to the proper pre-load. For this reason, it is best to only replace it if it's leaking.

Many (most?) are still not leaking after 40 years. The pumpkin gasket more commonly leaks.

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ok . when i said play i meant i there is torsional play not radial. there is a tiny bit of torsional but not any radial play. and i isolated the u joints and its not them. so i think the bearing is fine. i am probably going to get the gasket and oil today. i am going to be bored sick so it will probably be a fun/challenging project for the day.

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You may not find a gasket these days. Usually a sealant is recommended. I used Permatex gasket maker sealant. It was clear blue and thick. It isn't a silicone RTV type but an actual sealer and much better. Be sure to degrease the two surfaces before using.

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surprisingly enough, autozone sells the gasket for 3.99. they sell the seal for the pinion too. i think i will take your advice and only change that one if it leaks anyway. it is just nice to see that autozone is of some use this time.

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is there another way besides using a slide hammer to remove the axles? i have heard it is possible to pry them out with pry bars on opposite sides of the axle carefully but even then i dont see where to pry on. i dont want to bend my backing plate any.

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Never used a slide hammer, just tap the backing plate as close to the axle as possible. A crack opens and gets bigger until it drops out. To protect the grease seal in the axle housing avoid letting the axle rest on it and use care when lifting out.

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You want the axle to be free to lift out enough to disengage the spline in the diff... maybe 4-6" so if leaving in the axle tube have something to support the weight of it. The E brake cable should be ok unless it's the type that stretches across the back. Then it will need to be un-clipped. Definitely undo the brake hard lines.

 

You can try a rubber hammer. I used a 6lb sledge shortened to a hammer length. You don't have to hit it hard just, just a thump to break it loose.

 

The axle may have copper shims around the mounting bolts so save them for assembly.

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ok. i do have the cable stretching across the back and i was planning on cleaning it too since it is kinda sticky. instead of supporting it in the axle tube could it just be completely removed and set off to the side?

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well the drivers side axle came out pretty easy. may be 15 or 20 minutes to get it out. now the passenger side one is trying to slide out and leave the bearing in there. its getting stuck after a half an inch or so. hasnt moved since. i really need it to come out tonight.

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