i just changed my pinion seal in the rea of my f250. i can not put the drive flange back on. i looked at all the splines and can't find a dead one. i have rotated the flange all the way around hopeing to find the one spline that allows it to just slide backon.

 

what model is your truck?

 

Please give us more info. Year, engine. rear, 2 or 4 wd????
We can help you we just need more info.

Your pinion flange should slide beck on the way it came off. There isn't usually a "dead spline".

More info please.

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its a 2003 f250 crew cab 4wd v10. my local parts store guided me a lil ways on it but not enough i guess. i pulled the driveshaft off and changed the universal joints. just thought wat a better time then now then to change the pinion seal. i pulled the nut off( off course not marking it or counting any threads before hand) then i had to get a puller to pull the flange off. the seal came out easily and the new one went back in. the old flange though did not. i ran to the nearest ford dealership to get a new flange and still no luck. i looked all over the flange splines on the yoke and the pinion and found no dead or fat splines.

 

Are you sure you used the correct seal, or got it in all of the way, that is most likely the reason why the flange won't go on, the seal rides on a lip on the flange. The lip isn't going inside the seal, you always need to put a touch of grease on them to aid in installing it without damaging the seal. I replaced the gears in my old CJ years ago, and the pinion seal in my Suburban, sometimes you have to push a bit to get the seal to slip on the lip.

 

i didn't use any grease. i can tho. the seal went in fairly easily, i made sure that it sat flush with the rear diff. i can not get the drive flange to go back on now. i dont know if the splines on the pinion r messed up or wat. i cleaned them and they look good. i even went as far as buying a new flange from the ford dealership. i actually bought two seals because i thought the one new seal was the wrong one so i took it back out to check it. alldata is claiming there is a installer tool to reinstall the flange. maybe i just need that tool. the flange will only start maybe one eighth of an inch on the splines for the pinion.

 

Did it require a tool to pull it off, by pushing the pinion out of the flange, because if it did, it means it goes on tight, something I've never seen, all mine just slide on, it'd be near impossible to set the torque on it if it's tight. Sounds like it's contacting something, if it's the pinion as you say, it's either damaged of requires clocking to install, should always mark things during disassemble.

 

the only tool it required to pull it off was a two or three way jaw puller. it did however take effort all the way to the end of the splines. all data claimes u dnt need to mark anything if u use a new flange. wat about just tightening the pinion nut to run the flange all the way in to the diff? i can beat the flange almost all the way in. it stops with about a eighth of an inch left to go. maybe some grease aroung the lip of the dust cover? wat grease tho? shouldnt have to beat it u would think.

 

Any grease will do just fine, yeah, beating is not recommended, you risk damaging the ring gear and/or pinion.