am i going to be better off paying someone to do this? the only gauge tool i have is a dial indicator. i have never done a rearend before, but was looking forward to doing it myself.

edit: i hate that word. guuaauuuge. i always get it wrong.

Scott, what is "it" that you're doing?

In the sept. issue of high perf. pontiac they sorta go over it.
You may want to pick up a copy.

I have not done it myself, but I don't think the dial indicator is going to do it. You are going to have to buy a special tool to setup either the pinion depth or backlash. The mechanic that setup my gears owned a special guage tool to set the back lash. I also saw it done on Horsepower TV Sunday. They used a special guage tool too.

what i'm doing is trading out my 2 series 3.23:1 gears for a 3 series and lower gears. i have all new parts.

i have watched a video on it, and it was a bit unclear on why they needed this gauge, when they had to add or remove pinion shims to get the tooth pattern correct anyway. i was also unclear on how to get the correct side to side setting of the case/carrier... seems like this would be needed too. the backlash they just checked with a regular dial. this was a richmond gear video.

i guess i'll just take it to someone who's done it before. a pinion depth gauge set looks like it would cost me more than having someone do it. i really wanted to say i did it myself though. i hope i can find someone who enjoys providing quality work.

thanks for helping me make up my mind guys.

found a site to tell me how to do it without the special tool. math and lots of accurate measuring. i hate math. still cant find a way to find the correct side spacing for a new carrier. everywhere i look they put new gears on old carriers, and reuse the original side shims.... nevermind. that's the backlash setting. d'oh! oh well. guess i'll be calling around for a good shop.

Scott,
Ive never done one the firebirds, but I have set up plenty in the heavy equipment world. You need to have a dial indicator , inch pound torque wrench and a mic. You need an asortment of shims and blueing or white grease works to read the tooth pattern. Oh you need a press for installing the pinion bearings on and off so you can add or remove the shims. My question is look at the end of the new pinion gear. Is there a number stamped on the end? Does the rear end use a crush sleeve on the pinion? Joe

thanks Joe,
yeah, both the ring and pinion have #s. i'm pretty confident i can do it myself with a depth micrometer and some math to find the centerline offset, instead of the $400 tool. my bro told me he's been meaning to buy a press, so i'm kinda counting on him to follow thru on that. we can always use a press. they have a 20 ton with a couple plates down at harbor freight for low cost, and a 12 ton for about what i would expect to pay to have someone do the work for me. then i think if i buy a bearing splitter, and the mic, i have the rest of what i need.

the installation destructions/video say i can install the crush sleeve at the very last, after i get it all set, and find my tooth pattern. they say tighten the pinion down without it for the procedures. i have heard of others who install the old sleeve for the set-up....

Hey Six what was the site you found? I would like to check it out.

I worked with a old school guy on setting up a rear for one of my cars. One tip would be to hone out the inside of the pinion bearing so it slides on and off really easy. That is by far the worse part of the setup process. They make a bearing like this too.(saw it on Hot Rod TV)

Good luck let us know how it comes out.

it is actually for a ford rearend, but the principal is the same for ring gear centerline (i only wish i could change the pinion shims as easy as on a frod)

http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Articles/Drivetrain/Rear_End/Page_2.php

add/divide/subtract/combine to get pinion depth from bearing centerline $20+math is better than $400+lazy. wish i could be lazier but it's not like i do them everyday.

i s'pose i could easily get that measurement off by as much as .001", but it makes a good starter to bolt things together w/out breaking anything, and to measure the tooth pattern.

actually, i'm still not positive i will do it myself. i need the press, or access to one. i called a few places for price, and so far, only one taker... $300... and he didn't sound too sure of himself. i'll buy the press myself before that. i just wont get it done as soon.

Aha! I thought you were talking about a Ford diff! See what working on That brand'll get ya into?
Yes, you can do it without the tool, just more measuring like you say. Go ahead, give it a shot, you can handle this, Scott! You'll find it much more convenient to try things and learn on your bench than when laying under your car (I'm assuming 8 or 9 inch).

You can get a pinion depth tool from Jeg's or summit for $99. You will still need to do all the math. A good inch-pound torgue wrench will cost you just about as much. An installation kit will include new side shims. Make sure to keep your old ones because the total shim thickness should stay the same. You'll also need a slide hammer style seal puller to get the axel housing seals out. Pressing the axel bearings off is tough because you'll need a long throat press.

John

i am working on my BOP. we got my brother's cougar's 8" done at a shop after i got the 3rd member out a few weeks ago. apparently he didn't want me to practice gearwork on it. go figure. it's all done and on the road, running like a defiled platypus. (ask me why i chose that description)

the BOP i will have on the bench in the garage it's already out of the car. i have all the other tools except the press/adapters, and a gear..oops.. bearing splitter. i think i'll stick with the $20 depth micrometer, but thanks for the tips.

the side shims do have me a bit concerened. i got the "deluxe installation kit". but since i am changing the carrier, why/how is it that it can take the exact same amount of side shims as the old one?

Okay, ............ why that description?

i'm glad you asked

sorry this aint firebird related, but it takes up space in the same yard, and i had to work on it some

1968 cougar, 2bbl 289ci, 3spd floor shift, open highway gears. even with close to 200,000 miles, this car started evey day, and was very reliable. this was your grandma's car.

currently, the car sports a 3.80 open rear, a T5 transmission, and an engine which could be described as special. it has about 11:1 compression, and a cam with enough duration to make the girls ask "are you done yet?" it cannot drive slowly through a neighborhood without lugging, but will get to 30mph before you can sneeze. internally, the engine contains chrysler rods, and chevrolet pistons. it is a 351w, bored and stroked to a 375.

i didn't think 'scalded cat' fit quite as well.
defiling platypus?

Shade tree mechanics tips (Its what I did but not what I recomend)

A larg chanin can be used to pull the axles out. Use it like a slide hammer.

The axle bearing can be removed with a cut off wheel. Be carfull not to hit the axel itself.

I put on the new axel bearings by using a larg removable trailer hitch as a slide hammer.

I used a very larg pipe wrench to hold the pinion while I tightened the nut.

I lost a rear axle bearing in Boulder,CO on a 69 Bonneville while towing another car cross country in 1977. Not very pleasant looking in the side view as your wheel starts going off the edge of a steep drop. I was able to put a new one on, using the old one as a press against the new one with a piece of pipe over it and pounding with a hammer. It held until I got rid of the Bonnie two years later. That was on a Sunday, no shops open except a parts house in Boulder that happened to have a bearing.

firebird axles are non c-clip

i now have a 20ton press for the price of the 12ton
i also bought a bearing separator. still want a depth micrometer.

i have a 10# slide hammer with hub and bearing/seal attachments. i have a few other tools to fill more than one box... including several torque wrenches and a 36" aluminum pipe wrench.

i've done lots of fwd and rwd bearings before. just never rearend gears. it just seems to be generally accepted to take it to the one guy in town that does them. bleh!

the kit didn't come with new axle bearings or seals but i replaced the left one a few thousand miles ago. i do need to do the right side.