Differential rebuild everything but ring gear and pinion

Tiny
BERCHEL HELTON
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 FORD F-150
  • 4.6L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 222,000 MILES
I am replacing bearings racers and so forth, basically everything but ring gear and pinion. Everything came apart as normal other than the pinion gear will not come out even under 8000lbs from a hydrologic press and 40lbs sledge hammer. It will not budge the bearing still spins greatly and was not going to replace those but after the beating and pressure I am worried it will fail. So short if heating the case (which I do not want to do) or trying to cut the bearing and race out I am at a loss as to what to do to remove it.
Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 3:05 PM

13 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
I have to ask this. Did you remove the flange and nut? Did the outer bearing come out okay? The inner bearing is pressed to the pinion so it should slide out. It sounds like the outer bearing is the one that is frozen. Worse case is that you will have to cut the bearing apart to remove it from the case. Here are the differential rebuild instructions (locker) a non locker is easier fyi. Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know what happens. Also further in this post will show you how to do the axle bearing and pinion gear and bearing.
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 3:11 PM
Tiny
BERCHEL HELTON
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  • 7 POSTS
Bearing is still in and holding the pinion in the case. But yes everything else is removed.
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 3:59 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Okay, it sounds like you need to remove the cage and bearings for the outer bearing. The race left on the pinion should fit through the hole of the race for the bearing.

Roy
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 4:01 PM
Tiny
BERCHEL HELTON
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  • 7 POSTS
How can I remove it? No way to grab a hold of it with any tool to remove it.
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 4:07 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
You will need to break away the cage and bearings from the race on the pinion. Use an air hammer to bust them up. You are replacing the bearing and race anyway.

Roy
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 4:09 PM
Tiny
BERCHEL HELTON
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  • 7 POSTS
Okay, that is what my next move was but wanted to double check before hand.
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 4:11 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Yep, hope the pinion is okay after all this.
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 4:14 PM
Tiny
BERCHEL HELTON
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Me too, but worse case replace it and ring gear. Truthfully I am more worried about damaging the differential case than anything.
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Monday, February 19th, 2018 AT 5:15 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
By breaking the cage and bearing, you will only damage the race while in there, not the case.

Roy
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Tuesday, February 20th, 2018 AT 1:44 AM
Tiny
BERCHEL HELTON
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Thought I would give you an update. I got it out with a little heat in the bearing every thing is ready to go back together fresh and clean. Just working on the pinion gear threads my helper mushroomed the first three threads and no where close to me has a die that size, but other than that every thing is going great and surprisingly for 220,000 miles. The gears are in great shape all wear patterns almost perfectly.
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Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 AT 12:06 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Glad to hear it. You may want to consider replacing the ring and pinion. If he mushroomed the pinion, he may have damaged the shaft so it is not completely straight.

Roy
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Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 AT 12:40 PM
Tiny
BERCHEL HELTON
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I am considering it, I was hoping on how stuck it was that it did not bend it a millwright. Buddy is taking it in to shop tomorrow to see if it is bent and to fix the threads for me. With any luck it is straight, especially since nothing about the rear end showed and signs of bad wear even the drive shaft came out at.002 and.003 when we put the dial indicator on them for shaft play.
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Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 AT 1:21 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Sounds good replacement will be necessary if it cannot be fixed.
Roy
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Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 AT 1:22 PM

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