Any tips/tricks to installing a pinion bearing?

[GNICETRY]

My friend helped me out today and found out that my rubbibg sound is coming from my pinion bearing. Is it a straightforward job or any problems we should know about?

 

[jetmech]

just make sure when you take everything apart you keep all the shims and put them back exactly where they came from. the pinion bearing will need to be pressed off and the new one pressed on.. Also mark the pinion nut before you loosen it and when you put it back to gether go 1/8 of a turn tighter when put back together. you may want to replace the seal too.

 

[Intercooler]

Originally posted by jetmech
just make sure when you take everything apart you keep all the shims and put them back exactly where they came from. the pinion bearing will need to be pressed off and the new one pressed on.. Also mark the pinion nut before you loosen it and when you put it back to gether go 1/8 of a turn tighter when put back together. you may want to replace the seal too.

I prefer a new nut, definately a new crush collar, new bearing race and seal. There is a tool made to ease the installation of the bearing race but I tapped mine in place with a brace hammer and brass drift. You will also need to crush the new crush collar which takes about 125-150 ft. lbs. but you can not exceed like 15 in. lbs. in rotational force. In order to check this you will need a torque wrench capable of reading on this scale and once the pinion nut starts to get tight keep going a 1/8th of a turn and checking how easily it rotates with the in.lb. torque wrench until you get near 15 then stop. I also use some red loctite on the nut before putting it on so it doesn't back off. E-mail me if you have questions.

 

[Intercooler]

My friend Frankg and I did ours about a week apart. His was due to a carrier clutch problem and mine was a leaking seal. In all this we should have checked the rotational force in (in.lbs.) before taking them apart as a reference but didn't (do it if you think yours is decent shape). This will get you in the ballpark when putting it back together. Zipping the pinion nut off with air tools is the way to go but putting it back together is all manual! Don't use a torque wrench because it will probably go off scale! We used a long 1/2" breaker bar on the pinion nut with both of us dropping a ball to pull on it and a big pipe wrench on the pinion yoke wedged under the car to keep it from turning. Worked like a charm!