Progress Thread 2nd Fox Body - some window trim work!

And more evidence that I would have been tearing this apart eventually. I guess this is why the pinion seal was starting to leak.
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I also have a better understanding of why the owner before my cousin (who I bought it from) gave him a set of gears and rebuild kit. I guess he knew something was going on!
 
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Yep that is how mine looked other than the missing gear pieces. I was glad I went thru mine as well. Many years of neglect by previous owners. The gear oil that come out of mine was black and burned. Looks like it was never changed in the 174k the car had on it at the time. It was the only fluid I never changed when I bought the car. I should have. Only put 14k on it since ownership at that point so I don’t think it was all on me. Only mistake I made was putting used gears in. I had a set of 65k 3.55’s laying around. Should have bought new but I was trying to save a few bucks and because they were relatively low mileage I figured it would be fine. Made it hard to setup used gears for my first gear swap. What I learned is that used gears have memory. They tend to want to go back to their original spot making getting the pattern spot on next to impossible. I spent hours and hours and hours experimenting/fooling with it. Finally got it close and decided to cut my losses and ran with it. Coasting at highway speed I can hear a slight whine if the radio is off or low. Other than that I do not notice it. Have over 20k on the clock since I went thru the rear and no issues other than the whine. It is also nice not having a peg leg anymore. I had some fun before I replaced the tires last year. You have done a nice job on your car to date. Good luck to you.
Had some time before work today, so I ran and got the 1 1/16 socket I need to get the pinion gear out.
And I found all the missing clutch tabs and the two pieces of gear sitting in the back of the housing! I guess it’s a good thing I tore this apart.
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Yep that is how mine looked other than the missing gear pieces. I was glad I went thru mine as well. Many years of neglect by previous owners. The gear oil that come out of mine was black and burned. Looks like it was never changed in the 174k the car had on it at the time. It was the only fluid I never changed when I bought the car. I should have. Only put 14k on it since ownership at that point so I don’t think it was all on me. Only mistake I made was putting used gears in. I had a set of 65k 3.55’s laying around. Should have bought new but I was trying to save a few bucks and because they were relatively low mileage I figured it would be fine. Made it hard to setup used gears for my first gear swap. What I learned is that used gears have memory. They tend to want to go back to their original spot making getting the pattern spot on next to impossible. I spent hours and hours and hours experimenting/fooling with it. Finally got it close and decided to cut my losses and ran with it. Coasting at highway speed I can hear a slight whine if the radio is off or low. Other than that I do not notice it. Have over 20k on the clock since I went thru the rear and no issues other than the whine. It is also nice not having a peg leg anymore. I had some fun before I replaced the tires last year. You have done a nice job on your car to date. Good luck to you.
Thanks man, appreciate that!
This gear thing is definitely something new for me, but I’m determined to get it right. I’ll probably spend the money on tools that I could have spent to have someone do it, but what’s the fun in that!
I’ll take my time, and hopefully get some good results!
 
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I bought all the tools as well, even a HF press so I could do the bearings. Only thing I do not have is the pinion depth tool. I have not done gears since but I have changed a couple sets of carrier bearings and added the trac-loc to my peg leg Ranger. All easy stuff. I'll be watching your progress :cheers:
 
I bought all the tools as well, even a HF press so I could do the bearings. Only thing I do not have is the pinion depth tool. I have not done gears since but I have changed a couple sets of carrier bearings and added the trac-loc to my peg leg Ranger. All easy stuff. I'll be watching your progress :cheers:
Lol..... I was in HF the other day measuring their 12 ton press to see if it would fit in a space I have in the garage. Still contemplating, but I’ll probably pull the trigger!
 
That is the one I have. I think I payed a little under $90 for it, plus the splitter tools about 4 years ago. It actually does not take up much space. I have it next to my furnace. In my opinion, it has already paid for itself for the little I have used it as my local Napa is charging almost $50 to press a axle bearing on :notnice:
 
Finally got the last of the rear end taken apart. After a week of PB blaster every day, I still had to beat the snot out of these bushing cases........ but they’re out. (I really need to get an air hammer)
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Once those bushings were out, I spent the rest of the day with wire wheels, and every kind of degreaser I had. Finally have it where cleaning it with acetone is leaving the rag clean! Next up.... paint!
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Off tomorrow, but as my luck would have it, a Nor’easter is bearing down on us. So painting the rear will wait!

I did have a small stroke of good luck though, and I noticed online today that another local Harbor Freight got the press back in stock. Ran there before work with my rain check for $119, and sure enough they had them.
So hopefully tomorrow I can get that put together and set up!
 
So, like a kid on Christmas...... got home from work and had to put the press together. It was almost too easy to get this bearing off!!
Came home to a box of misc. parts from Summit too. Now all I need is some time!

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As always, nice work.
I’ll be going to HF on Sunday to get my 12 ton press too. :nice:
Thanks Mike!
Pretty simple machine....... and not that you need a tip, but leave these eye bolts pretty loose at first. Makes getting the large springs on nice and easy, then I tightened up the eye bolts to take up the slack.
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So I’ve hollowed out the old Timken pinion bearing and got it to slide over the new pinion gear, to use as a set up bearing. But much like in the Eric the Car Guy vid, my new pinion bearing is a Koyo. They don’t fit in each other’s races, so now I will need to order a new Timken bearing and race if I’m going to be able to use this one as a set up piece. :mad:
 
Brought the rear end, and the gloss black spray paint into the den to warm up for the night (yes, I got the ok from my better half first).
I think I’m done with the warm weather, so I gotta do what I gotta do.
Im off tomorrow, so once the sun comes around on the blacktop driveway, I’ll have my window to paint.
Fingers crossed!
 
Productive day today. Got the housing all painted:
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Pinion snubber mount cleaned up and painted:
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Rear upper control arms removed. Chassis side bushings don’t look bad. Should I drop the $100 on new from MM? I need to think on it.
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And one of the muffler mount brackets cleaned, and coated with Rust Reformer. I’ll hit it with paint tomorrow:
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