The rear differential in the truck has been growling and also has silver oil so I think it toast.
I picked up this at the local wrecking yard and it has some rust on the ring gear. The question is
do I clean up the gear and run it for a while so I can pick up the parts I need for a full rebuild.
I was able to get a look at the pinion and did not see any rust on the theeth.
Well the oil looked a bit on the brown mud side and the ring had some rust.




The think I don't want to do is make silver lube and destroy all the usable parts in this axle. I was told by a shop I used to use a very long time ago that having a housing full of silver
oil was very hard to get clean. If you don't get all the fragments out then you back to grinding things up with the metal in the lube.

Things I am thinking about.
I could index the ring gear with a bolt put into the ring gear and mark the carrier with something that won't wash off in cleaning. Then put the ring gear into some of that
Evapo-Rust Rust Remover to clean it. I see that WD 40 also has some type of rust remover also. and then reassemble.

I would just hold onto the clean housing and get the parts to build it right the first time.

The last option is take it back but I am already deep into the assembly and just don't want to give in on this.

So I would like to hear your thoughts. I really want to make this a one time fix and not an on going hassle.

Thanks

 

You ain't going to like this. But it sort of depends if you just want a replacement without changing out the guts.

We used to blow differentials occasionally in the testing, and I tended to get yard replacements. We had a hard lesson too (my second), so with the understanding, we would pull the cover at the yard in or out of the vehicle, for it being hurt, or rusted.

If if you get the oxide off of the surface there will still be pitting on the sliding gears that will increase wear. I realize your hip-deep, but my call would be to take it back Sean.

My first lesson was at the age of 18, taking back a '66 Mustang axle after I had cleaned and painted it.

 

I don't know what the question is? but if were me, I would run your "toasted" rear end till I got the parts and reassembled the junk yard rear end. But, you probably paid the price for a good working rear end. You could take pictures and negotiate a credit with the yard? If they don't budge bring it back. They had a defective part in their inventory and you might think that this way they could still make some money on what is just a core they sold you.

 

I agree with Jack, take it back. Your putting good money to bad. Your never going to get all that metal out without the proper cleaning. And why waste your time and money for anrear that was supposed to be good in the first place.

 

Why don't you save the money on a junkyard axle add rebuild what you have now? Seems like a waste of money otherwise.

 

Id run that all day. The wear referred to from pitting is not a cylinder wall. Its a "mesh". Thats hardened steel.

 

that's the problem, hardened steel, as pressure is applied to the gear face, the edges of the pits will break off in very small chunks. as time goes on the pits increase in size and so do the chunks breaking off . When the pinon gear gets involved in the degradation things get serious.

 

That is the issue I want to avoid. So I guess I will go have a chat with the yard about this axle assembly.

 

Agreed.

Master over haul kit and freshen the original. Make sure you completely tear it down to clean the contamination out and also pull the hub bearings and races to replace them too, especially if you had metallic in the oil.

 

Just got back from the wrecking yard. They said they will replace that assembly.
I made arrangements to go out Monday and look at one that has only 80K miles
on it and remove the cover and take a look before I bring it home.

Now all I need to do is to put this one back in a loose assembled state.

I am going to hang onto the bad axle I am running right now and I will post photos of the carnage.

 

Just say no to glitter!

 

Also, gonna need u bolts both times, bleed brakes, etc.

 

So here is an update on the cluster **** I now know why the rear dif was making noise.





As you can see in that first photo it looks like the pinion bearing went belly up.
I am not fished with the install yet. The axle is in the truck not and all I need to do is put brakes back on it.
just for giggles I grabbed the pinion input and gave is a quick turn. Talk about slop.

 

it must have been making quite a noise. It was on it's way to cutting worm gear.

 

The odd thing is it was not making that much noise. I could feel it more than hear it. The only time it was making noise was on deceleration. If you gave it a little throttle
it would quiet right down. I am still surprised that there was not more metal flake in the oil. I was expecting to see sparkling silver when the oil drained out.

Once I am done putting the axle back into the truck I will dig into this one and post some more photos and a video of me rotating the pinion.