Rear End Decoder?
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Rear End Decoder?
In my searches I have found references to this forum to decode the rear end codes. I can't find a decoder. From what I have read I may have a 3.5, limited slip rear end (3L50 on the tag).
The reason I ask is because like others my truck SLAMS into reverse even at 500rpm. I was told that it is probably worn gears with too much play. I can't move the drive shaft by hand and would have thought that possible with worn gears. Since my rebuilt tranny is under warranty for another 25K I'd like to get to the bottom of this before I go do some serious tap dancing on the company I bought the tranny from.
I'm not real pleased with the feel of it and I was pretty certain the slamming was the tranny, not my a.., I mean rear end.
Thanks folks,
The reason I ask is because like others my truck SLAMS into reverse even at 500rpm. I was told that it is probably worn gears with too much play. I can't move the drive shaft by hand and would have thought that possible with worn gears. Since my rebuilt tranny is under warranty for another 25K I'd like to get to the bottom of this before I go do some serious tap dancing on the company I bought the tranny from.
I'm not real pleased with the feel of it and I was pretty certain the slamming was the tranny, not my a.., I mean rear end.
Thanks folks,
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From: South Kitsap County, WA
Are you sure those gears aren't in the tranny. I've never heard of a warn rear being the culprit of a tranny going into reverse. If you can't move the drive shaft (IE sloppy gears, U-joints, et al)... it's gotta be the tranny or something more closely associated with it.
-Kerry
-Kerry
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From: Hallettsville, Texas
How are you checking it? Do you have all of the stress/bind off of the driveline when you check it? Try putting your parking brake on and put your truck in neutral and see what you get as far as rear gear slop.
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KSpilkinton, it is not going into gear. It slams when I put it into reverse. I reread my post and realized it could have been taken as you did.
I cleaned the tag on the differential so I could get the numbers off of it. I'll check them against the door jam tag.
I'll go to that decoder and see what's what. In general is it a pretty easy task to rebuild the rear end, or should I buy a rebuilt? I hate buying anything I can rebuild.
I cleaned the tag on the differential so I could get the numbers off of it. I'll check them against the door jam tag.
I'll go to that decoder and see what's what. In general is it a pretty easy task to rebuild the rear end, or should I buy a rebuilt? I hate buying anything I can rebuild.
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From: South Kitsap County, WA
Scott,
Horton-Racing has posed the question about the binding caused by the drive shaft. A way to isolate this would be disconnecting the drive line from the rear of the tranny, maybe rolling the engine by hand (plugs out) to see if you can feel any binding from that end. Then run the truck and see if it'll shift. If it still has difficulty shifting or slams.. I'd focus on the tranny. I'd also jack the rear up without the driveline hooked up and check for slop in the rear gears.
This should help isolate the problem. Diagnosis... well that takes a bit more. Rebuilding a rear can take you a bit when you haven't done it before. You need a few items most people don't have in their garage... check the site or the web for how-to's to give you an rough idea on what you might need.
-Kerry
Horton-Racing has posed the question about the binding caused by the drive shaft. A way to isolate this would be disconnecting the drive line from the rear of the tranny, maybe rolling the engine by hand (plugs out) to see if you can feel any binding from that end. Then run the truck and see if it'll shift. If it still has difficulty shifting or slams.. I'd focus on the tranny. I'd also jack the rear up without the driveline hooked up and check for slop in the rear gears.
This should help isolate the problem. Diagnosis... well that takes a bit more. Rebuilding a rear can take you a bit when you haven't done it before. You need a few items most people don't have in their garage... check the site or the web for how-to's to give you an rough idea on what you might need.
-Kerry
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Thanks for the info.
Saturday I'll do the tests you recommended. While I have the drive train unhooked from the tranny I'll pull it out and replace the universal. I did that several years ago and one of the little solders fell out of ranks and I bent it. So I threw it away. No doubt the rest of the little guys are swaying around with too much room. Could be part of the problem also.
I'll look into the How Tos and see whats what with the diff. My biggest problem with a lot of tasks is the tools required to do them right. Over the years I have collected a nice set, but I still find it lacking.
I'm gonna look for a rebuilt and see how much that costs as well.
Saturday I'll do the tests you recommended. While I have the drive train unhooked from the tranny I'll pull it out and replace the universal. I did that several years ago and one of the little solders fell out of ranks and I bent it. So I threw it away. No doubt the rest of the little guys are swaying around with too much room. Could be part of the problem also.
I'll look into the How Tos and see whats what with the diff. My biggest problem with a lot of tasks is the tools required to do them right. Over the years I have collected a nice set, but I still find it lacking.
I'm gonna look for a rebuilt and see how much that costs as well.
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I have looked at all the information I can find (still searching in fact) for my rear end. I have an axel code of H6. I can't figure out what that means in terms of size and ratio. So far all the decoders I have found either don't include my year model or don't decode that much info.
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From: South Kitsap County, WA
Scott - it is a factory trac-loc, if the differential has a removeable carrier in front it's a 9," it is definitely a 3.50 ratio. THis is why I'm leaning for a 9," I do not know of any 3.50 geared factory 8.8's. The H6 is a code used from '82 to '86 and maybe newer. I checked the 3.50 ratio against the 16 code, which is a 3.50 open, from the same years.
If it's a 9" then you can pull the center section an rebuild while the bulk of the rear is still in the truck.
Tools you'll need that most people don't have include a mag base with dial indicator to set lash, a decent torque wrench or two.. can't recall ranges, possibly a bearing puller if you have to pop an axle and replace it...
-Kerry
If it's a 9" then you can pull the center section an rebuild while the bulk of the rear is still in the truck.
Tools you'll need that most people don't have include a mag base with dial indicator to set lash, a decent torque wrench or two.. can't recall ranges, possibly a bearing puller if you have to pop an axle and replace it...
-Kerry
Last edited by kspilkinton; Apr 22, 2004 at 09:51 PM.
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From: Longview, WA
hey, my chilton just lists the H6 as having 3.50 gears. which is also what my 78 bronco has....does that mean its a ford 9" ?
i just went and wrote down all the numbers i could see under the truck, and i have all these numbers that dont really mean anything..the chilton says my trans is a C-4 auto, according to the door tag, however the chilton guide only lists my tranny under '75, '82, and 84-86. im confused.also, my catalog id's the tranny as C-6.
one more thing, my rear diff. has a tag, and i cant figure out how the hell to decode it, i have all these catalog's and nothin.
it goes like this...
DM-AE 8AC
50 9 644B
any ideas?
i just went and wrote down all the numbers i could see under the truck, and i have all these numbers that dont really mean anything..the chilton says my trans is a C-4 auto, according to the door tag, however the chilton guide only lists my tranny under '75, '82, and 84-86. im confused.also, my catalog id's the tranny as C-6.
one more thing, my rear diff. has a tag, and i cant figure out how the hell to decode it, i have all these catalog's and nothin.
it goes like this...
DM-AE 8AC
50 9 644B
any ideas?
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Thanks Kspilkinton,
Of course I don't have the mag base with a dial indicator so I'll have to find one somewhere. Like Muxpux I have the numbers off of the tag and can't make heads or tails of it. The front of the dif is bolted on. Does the 9" refernce refer to the overall diameter of the dif? It would be most excelent to rebuild it without removing the axels.
Of course I don't have the mag base with a dial indicator so I'll have to find one somewhere. Like Muxpux I have the numbers off of the tag and can't make heads or tails of it. The front of the dif is bolted on. Does the 9" refernce refer to the overall diameter of the dif? It would be most excelent to rebuild it without removing the axels.
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From: South Kitsap County, WA
Muxpux - check out the tranny id section here at the site, if you haven't already. It should be in the tech articles section. You have a Ford 9 inch. The lower line of the tag reads as a 3.50 open 9 inch. The 3 is under the carrier bolt head.
Scott-The 9" refers to the ring gear overall diameter, just as all Ford corporate axles refer to the diameter (7.5, 8.8, 10.25, 10.5...etc). The 9" is the most popular rear end for custom and racing application as you can remove the carrier and rebuild it without ever disturbing your pinion angle (which is a good thing).
-Kerry
Scott-The 9" refers to the ring gear overall diameter, just as all Ford corporate axles refer to the diameter (7.5, 8.8, 10.25, 10.5...etc). The 9" is the most popular rear end for custom and racing application as you can remove the carrier and rebuild it without ever disturbing your pinion angle (which is a good thing).
-Kerry
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