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Reinstalling Differential - Help Needed


laytonlight

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Now that I have the replacement shaft in, I'm having difficulty getting the differential back on the shaft. I also have a couple of questions: 1) The parts breakdowns and the manual shows two shaft washers or spacers, one on each side of the differential gear. (1 & 2 In the photo.) When I took it off, there was only one washer on the outboard side of the gear. (2 in the photo.) Is this right? Does the gear sit against the inboard part of the differential without a spacer? Also, in the photo, I'm assuming I have the orientation of the gear correct? 2) How do I get the gear to slide over the keys. (3 in the photo.) If I hold them in place and tap the gear inward, they want to drive out the back side. Is that the correct procedure?


Getting kind of frustrated, so I thought I'd post this and see what is said. As always, help and/or encouragement is appreciated!
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I would put it back together with the amount of washers that were taken out. These manuals as Rod has stated have typo`s and even wrong part numbers in some of them. The key should stay in on there own. Can you hold the keys in place with a pair of channel locks or vise grips to get the gear started? Once the gear starts over the keys they should stay in place.
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I just checked a couple of spare differential that I have on the shelf. They have one washer on each side of the gear. These were removed from the older B series units.
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Well, the channel lock trick worked. (Thanks Ray! sm01) I installed the same number of washers that came out of it. The ID of the washer that went back on is wide enough that it sits over the snap ring. When I put the differential back on it turns and doesn't feel very smooth, for about a quarter turn and then locks in and turns the inner shaft. Is that right? I packed some grease back in it before I put it back on. I seem to remember some discussion in the threads I looked through about how the limited slip is supposed to work & checking it without driving it. I'll look through some more of those, but if anyone has any input or experience... Thanks again,
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i had to pull mine completely apart... as i pulled the washers over the keys getting it off. general consensus was to put the same washers back on the transmission side on the diff ... I got new machine bushing washers and made the same thickness and went with it... i cant tell you my success or not but I did get one comment from a somewhat respected resource on the site... put ONE washer on the transmission side if you want it to work... he seemed pretty confident... the parts drawings are diff between parts vs, service manuals and seemed to be a "shim to fit" manufacturing issue... now i dont believe there was any "right way" just that you had to shim to work right... good luck i seemed to want to shim relative to the keys on the other side.
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Chris, thanks for the info. I got it back together and took it for a test drive. It seems to drive and turn OK. It sounds loud, but it may have sounded like that before, but I didn't hear it due to the deck noise. Also, there is slop in the drive in that, when starting down a grade, it coasts for a foot or so before the 1st gear slows it. It was doing that before, but I thought it was due to the key-way on the left side being so wide that the key was almost rolling over. I don't think it's as bad as it was, but it's still there. That's why I started this project, to replace the shaft and left hub. I only got into pulling the differential to replace the shaft. My grease gun is out and I'm going to get some grease tomorrow and pump some more in there and see how it goes, unless someone thinks there's something else I should check. B)
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Layton, There is no noise to be made by the differential unless you are making a sharp turn. When you are going in a straight line none of the spider gears are turning, so there is nothing moving that could make noise. You can run the diff without a shim washer behind the gear on the transmission side, but I have always seen one in there. I will never put more than one, because it will move the gear far enough to engage both sets of spider gears in the diff. It should only engage the spider gears on the transmission side. If it overlaps both sets of gears, then the diff will be locked. Most of what I know is from memory and was done around 25 years ago when I started tractor pulling with a Simplicity. If one of mine does not line up correctly, then I make it line up, even if I have to make my own washers or shims. It is just something that I have learned from years of working on machines. Most of my machines are in many ways better than they came from the factory. When you say that you still have quite a bit of slop in the drivetrain, well that would more than likely be coming from the transmission, or the keys on the driveshaft yokes, or the BGB. It could be anywhere between the engine and the wheels, but is probably not in the parts that you just replaced. Most of these units will show slack when you crest a hill and it goes from pulling up the hill to holding back going down the hill. Also the transition from up to down is not instantaneous, so it will make the slop seem much worse than it really is. Most of my machines show noticeable slop, but I just don't worry about it. Unless the cause shows itself I usually follow the philosophy: "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it". Been lucky so far.:D
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