I picked up a 1990 Sterling 10.25, 3.55 claimer from the neighborhood to replace the Dana 60 with a 4.10 rear axle.
This will go under an old 1952 Ford bread truck that's been outfitted with a 2V 400 Magnum with C6.
Everything looked good and there are no leaks or seepage. The pinion yoke fits tight with no slop but.....
When the pinion seal was pulled to check the front bearing, as I was wiping the race down and looking inside i found a hole.
Yes a hole at about 8 o'clock in the casting running under the bearing race.
Took a picture and shared with a co-worker who builds 4 wheel monsters and engines as a hobby.
His thought was that it is a method to get lube into the front bearing and not a problem. It was his "theory" admit-ably and
so I am credulous and wonder if I have to scrap the axle and call it a day.

Sterling hole in casing.

The hole is kind of ragged and not "finished"at all, taking up about an inch run along the underside of the bearing race.
I will pop the rear end off the pumpkin this weekend and look for steel gravel.
Thanks.

 

No gravel... the inside is clean.
Have seen some weird casting stuff in the past... unfinished looking anomalies.
Am I just being naive?

 

It's not uncommon to have a oil passage to channel oil under a bearing race, it looks like its cast like that to me.

I would use it.