Stomis
Professional Amateur
Went to install my locker and found it in the bottom of my differential. I ordered a new one and am really hoping that I dont need to remove the pinion to install this. Does anyone have experience with replacing these?
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
14 bolt pinion pilot bearing
- Thread starter Stomis
- Start date
It just fell out? Did it cause any other damage?
Stomis
Professional Amateur
It exploded. I'm lucky I caught it right when it crunched. I checked the gears and they still are good. No excessive play anywhere else.
Whats the installation like?
Whats the installation like?
There should be a serrated press in washer that helps retain that pilot bearing. Is it still there or maybe someone never installed it the last time the diff was worked on.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
I read more through the install guide. I see I have to pull the pinion >.< Whatever though. After that I just tap in the bearing from behind with a hammer it seems like.
That washer should be behind the bearing on the pinion side of contact or on the cover side?
It doesnt seem like it fell out. Just like it was a ****ty bearing and exploded.
That washer should be behind the bearing on the pinion side of contact or on the cover side?
It doesnt seem like it fell out. Just like it was a ****ty bearing and exploded.
The serrated retaining washer will be on the pinion side of the pilot bearing. If the old one is still there you will destroy it in order to get it out so you'll need a new one regardless.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Part number? Ease of availability?
I'm reading through the install on pirate and it mentions nothing of this washer.
I'm reading through the install on pirate and it mentions nothing of this washer.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Heres what I'm going off of. This exploded view shows no washer that you speak of. If someone could chime in on this it would be awesome since I am doing thing tomorrow morning...
Its been a few years since I fully rebuilt a 14 bolt but I don't remember there being any washer or anything there BUT...
I remember when the 5.38 gears for the 14 bolt first came out that there was a huge thread on pirate complaining about the way they were cut, part of the end of the pinion got cut slightly (unintentionally) during the gear cutting process. The gear suppliers solution was to supply shims to move the pinion support bearing onto the good surface, which means there is some kind of snap ring or something that determines the depth of that bearing.
Luckily for you, however, the 14 bolt has a removable pinion support so you won't need to mess with re-shimming anything. Drop the driveshaft and remove the 6 pinion support bolts. Remove the pinion support and DON'T LOSE OR BEND ANY OF THE SHIMS that will be between the housing and pinion support. The whole pinion and everything will come out. Reassembly is the opposite of disassembly, just make sure everything is REALLY clean.
AFAIK the 14 bolt and 9" are the only two that have removable pinion supports and allow you to remove the pinion without messing with pinion bearing preload.
I remember when the 5.38 gears for the 14 bolt first came out that there was a huge thread on pirate complaining about the way they were cut, part of the end of the pinion got cut slightly (unintentionally) during the gear cutting process. The gear suppliers solution was to supply shims to move the pinion support bearing onto the good surface, which means there is some kind of snap ring or something that determines the depth of that bearing.
Luckily for you, however, the 14 bolt has a removable pinion support so you won't need to mess with re-shimming anything. Drop the driveshaft and remove the 6 pinion support bolts. Remove the pinion support and DON'T LOSE OR BEND ANY OF THE SHIMS that will be between the housing and pinion support. The whole pinion and everything will come out. Reassembly is the opposite of disassembly, just make sure everything is REALLY clean.
AFAIK the 14 bolt and 9" are the only two that have removable pinion supports and allow you to remove the pinion without messing with pinion bearing preload.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Yeah I am damn glad of this, seeing as how I have no rearend setup experience.
So does that mean there will be a snap ring for my 14bolt, with 3.73's or only on those aftermarket gears?
What I was saying is that I don't remember there being a snap ring or washer but I bet there is one.
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Ok well this went, alright... The bearing is seated into the housing and held inplace by the pinion assembly. I pulled my entire rear apart like a big boy, replaced the bearing installed the locker and damn it I set my own backlash!
I got it dialed in perfect with the meter and checked the contact patch the best I could. Surprisingly this was where I ran into the most trouble. For the love of god I could not get a clean contact patch mark like any pictures with the stuff they send you with gears.
I tried:
lithium grease - just pulled where the contact was instead of marking
white out - dried too fast
wax - didnt work
spray paint - dried to fast
The best thing I could rig up was grease mixed with house paint and even then it would leave the contact patch backwards.I would put some on and the pinion would get coated. If I cleaned the ring gear off and not the pinion it would imprint my contact patch backwards of how it usually is...
But my meter read in at .007 backlash which is ideal so I read. The gears felt like they had the normal hair of play before they caught. I'm just gonna drive it easy for a few days and after the gears break in on the new spot check things out. I'll also be listening for any hums or whines obviously.
I got it dialed in perfect with the meter and checked the contact patch the best I could. Surprisingly this was where I ran into the most trouble. For the love of god I could not get a clean contact patch mark like any pictures with the stuff they send you with gears.
I tried:
lithium grease - just pulled where the contact was instead of marking
white out - dried too fast
wax - didnt work
spray paint - dried to fast
The best thing I could rig up was grease mixed with house paint and even then it would leave the contact patch backwards.I would put some on and the pinion would get coated. If I cleaned the ring gear off and not the pinion it would imprint my contact patch backwards of how it usually is...
But my meter read in at .007 backlash which is ideal so I read. The gears felt like they had the normal hair of play before they caught. I'm just gonna drive it easy for a few days and after the gears break in on the new spot check things out. I'll also be listening for any hums or whines obviously.
So no serrated retaining washer found?
Stomis
Professional Amateur
No sir. None included with the new bearing. None mentioned in the pirate4x4 VERY detailed walkthrough, couldnt find one on and breakdown sheet.
Well damn, must be the Ford 9" i remember then. They use a pinion pilot bearing as well and i know for a fact that they use the serrated retaining washer.
I have used mustard in a pinch.....worked great
Stomis
Professional Amateur
I have used mustard in a pinch.....worked great
Damn lol that probably woulda worked really good...
Stomis
Professional Amateur
Ok took it for a test drive and got really scared the first time the locker slapped in 
I forgot what its like to drive with a locked rear... been a while.
I drove it around the neighborhood and holy shat everything seems, dare I say it good. I didnt hear any hums buzzing or anything like that. In other words it didnt sound like a fire truck was following me like my last bad diff did. Next thing to do would be to take it up high speed I would assume but I have work...
I forgot what its like to drive with a locked rear... been a while.I drove it around the neighborhood and holy shat everything seems, dare I say it good. I didnt hear any hums buzzing or anything like that. In other words it didnt sound like a fire truck was following me like my last bad diff did. Next thing to do would be to take it up high speed I would assume but I have work...
