Hello everyone, I'm having a rather brainracking problem with an 86 blazer, I'm trying to take the rear axle's and the gut's of the diff out and after taking the little screw out for the main pin in the diff, the big pin won't slide out. there's some sorta strange locker or something in there, look's like it work's a little by a weight swinging around on one shaft. Another Shaft with a little gear on the end of it that run's under the ring gear, spinning only when one axle shaft is spun but not when both. I can't get the thing apart . Any Help would be appriciated, BTW I can't find ANY pictures of it at all on the net. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
CK5
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Strange Diff
- Thread starter incognyto
- Start date
D
**DONOTDELETE**
Guest
"C" clip maybe !!!
That is the infamous Gov-lock. Non rebuildable.
Rene
Rene
Since the big pin will not come out, take a look at the little screw you referred to. That little screw locks the big pin in place, many times during removal the little screw will break off. Does the screw appear to be complete? If it's broken you may have to use a hammer and large punch to drive the big pin out (shearing what is left of the little pin). Once the big pin is out you can remove the "C" clips from the axle shafts and remove them and then the carrier.
Beware - this method may not be the best and it may cause damage to surrounding components.
Beware - this method may not be the best and it may cause damage to surrounding components.
Savage
Registered Member
Could'nt tell from your post, but I asume you have pulled the C-clips & pulled the axles... undo the 4 bolts on your carrier berrings {mark cap position first for reinstalation} you might need to use a soft face mallet & prybars to help remove the carrier. I have used a slide hammer puller to pull the carrier as an alternative.
From what I had heard at the local gear center the Gov-loc is rebuildable but... with the high cost of parts, substandard operation & renouned history of breakage most reputable shops would reccomend you to just throw it away & get an Eaton, Auburn or better yet a Detroit TrueTrac. The only thing that makes the TrueTrac better than the other two is that it doesn't use clutch disc's so there are no wearing parts. All three sell for less than $450us. Dual TrueTracs is what I plan to do when the rear Gov-Loc fails in our '91 Blazer. Savage /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
From what I had heard at the local gear center the Gov-loc is rebuildable but... with the high cost of parts, substandard operation & renouned history of breakage most reputable shops would reccomend you to just throw it away & get an Eaton, Auburn or better yet a Detroit TrueTrac. The only thing that makes the TrueTrac better than the other two is that it doesn't use clutch disc's so there are no wearing parts. All three sell for less than $450us. Dual TrueTracs is what I plan to do when the rear Gov-Loc fails in our '91 Blazer. Savage /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
I've never pulled a gov-lock out of the axle housing, but I've *tried*. The pinion shaft (thats what its called) that passes through the center of the carrier acted like it was threaded or something, even after pulling the little lock "bolt" out. Of course, if that breaks, (it is fairly long, but only threaded towards the head of the screw) you will have to dig it out.
The pinion shaft would actually rotate a bit, and slide out a bit also, but would not come out either way, and I didn't want to hit it hard enough to crack the carrier. (BTDT trying to shear a broken pinion shaft lock bolt)
The pinion shaft would actually rotate a bit, and slide out a bit also, but would not come out either way, and I didn't want to hit it hard enough to crack the carrier. (BTDT trying to shear a broken pinion shaft lock bolt)
I recently talked to a tech at Randy's ring and pinion about the gov lock in a SF 14 bolt and was told they're not rebuildable. We ended up replacing it with another gov-lock (used but in good working order)
Rene
Rene
I asked Randy's about buying a gov-lock when/if my 10 bolt unit finally gives up. (since they sell Eaton stuff)
The sales person told me they would NOT sell me a gov-lock, too many problems, and they NEVER recommend them.
Apparently GM still uses them to this day, and Randy's sees two year old trucks coming in with broken gov-locks.
The way I figure it now, if I (or anyone) can get away with running a gov-lock and not breaking it, I obviously don't wheel hard enough to need anything more than an eaton posi.
The sales person told me they would NOT sell me a gov-lock, too many problems, and they NEVER recommend them.
Apparently GM still uses them to this day, and Randy's sees two year old trucks coming in with broken gov-locks.
The way I figure it now, if I (or anyone) can get away with running a gov-lock and not breaking it, I obviously don't wheel hard enough to need anything more than an eaton posi.
Great thank's a bunch guys/galss for all the help... now that I was told it was a gov-lock I looked that up and that is definatly what it is... hopefully I can get the big pin out so I can take the axle's and the carrier for spares... should I use the gov-lock, get it checked out maybe? it would definatly be better then just an open diff right?? and would I possibly have to turn that huge pin to get it out? ... I'm sure the little screw that hold's it in is complete??? thanks again.
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I use the gov-lock, get it checked out maybe? it would definatly be better then just an open diff right?? and would I possibly have to turn that huge pin to get it out? ... I'm sure the little screw that hold's it in is complete???
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I dunno...if I had axles with the right ratio (and I did) that was a gov-lock, and I wasn't going to be running large tires, off road, with a lot of gas pedal action, I'd run it.
If I had plans to burn out, wheel hard, or anything along those lines, I wouldn't bother with it. If you can get it out, great. It never hurts to have spares. But I wouldn't go through the process of changing carriers, swapping gears, etc., just to have it, unless you are really easy on the truck. I'm easy on mine, because I know if I beat on that gov-lock, it will come apart, taking everything else in the diff housing with it. At least if it just wears out, the gears should still be salvageable, and the axles/housing too.
You might try searching on here for the pinion shaft removal procedure for the gov-lock, can't recall if there is any difference than an open or posi diff (which are both just drop the pin out deals) but someone may have covered that on here. Most take it out in pieces :P
The pinion shaft "lock bolt" is rounded on the end..maybe 1" of bolt left AFTER the threads near the head...it passes all the way through the pinion shaft, and into the other side of the carrier a bit. If the end of the bolt isn't rounded, and the bolt doesn't look like its long enough to pass all the way through the pinion shaft and into the other side of the carrier, its probably broken. FWIW, the bolt USUALLY shears off right where the threads end.
I use the gov-lock, get it checked out maybe? it would definatly be better then just an open diff right?? and would I possibly have to turn that huge pin to get it out? ... I'm sure the little screw that hold's it in is complete???
[/ QUOTE ]
I dunno...if I had axles with the right ratio (and I did) that was a gov-lock, and I wasn't going to be running large tires, off road, with a lot of gas pedal action, I'd run it.
If I had plans to burn out, wheel hard, or anything along those lines, I wouldn't bother with it. If you can get it out, great. It never hurts to have spares. But I wouldn't go through the process of changing carriers, swapping gears, etc., just to have it, unless you are really easy on the truck. I'm easy on mine, because I know if I beat on that gov-lock, it will come apart, taking everything else in the diff housing with it. At least if it just wears out, the gears should still be salvageable, and the axles/housing too.
You might try searching on here for the pinion shaft removal procedure for the gov-lock, can't recall if there is any difference than an open or posi diff (which are both just drop the pin out deals) but someone may have covered that on here. Most take it out in pieces :P
The pinion shaft "lock bolt" is rounded on the end..maybe 1" of bolt left AFTER the threads near the head...it passes all the way through the pinion shaft, and into the other side of the carrier a bit. If the end of the bolt isn't rounded, and the bolt doesn't look like its long enough to pass all the way through the pinion shaft and into the other side of the carrier, its probably broken. FWIW, the bolt USUALLY shears off right where the threads end.
