3.54 Crown & Pinion Sources

[twas_brillig]

A buddy is looking at sourcing a 3.54 crown and pinion for his BJ8, and found the following potential sources. Denis Welch advises that theirs is made in the UK but AH and Moss are mum on theirs.
I bought a Lempert some years ago (we're running an all syncrho Toyota 5 speed), but it appears that the folks I bought it from didn't set it up right and it whines (we'll swap it in again this summer and see how it works and how it sounds; hopefully get that done so t'other chap can see what it feels like before he orders one. So, (other than price, and I prefer 'value' to 'cheap', but have no idea as to how to rate 'value' here), what advice can the group provide, as there is a significant price variation. Thanks, Doug

			currency	rate	Cdn	US
	Denis Welch	625	pound	1.7024	$1,064	$835
	AH Spares	495	pounds	1.7024	$843	$661
	Moss	1299	US$	1.275	$1,656	$1,299

 

[Bob_Spidell]

re: "... we'll swap it in again this summer and see how it works and how it sounds ..."

Please report back; I have the same issue. My dad and I set mine up; he was a good mechanic but we only had crude tools and no access to the variety of spacers you need so we had to improvise, and I've heard some owners got the whine even though they had 'pros' set theirs up.

FWIW; I think Moss gets some of their 'special/uprated' parts from DWM (head gaskets, etc.). AHSpares may as well; I watched their video on their uprated steering box and the DWM logo was visible on at least one of the parts; they may sell to each other. I'd be comfortable with the DWM gears; they're (DWR/M) not perfect but generally know what they're doing, but I have no experience with their diffs (I have one of their 'constant clearance' steering boxes sitting on the shelf--no time/energy to tackle that project just yet).

 

[BoyRacer]

Not sure if this will be helpful but when installing new ring and pinion gears it is neessary to break them in for the first 500 miles. That means only driving short distances at first so the gears can cool down in between stints. Then changing the oil at 500 miles. I installed Lempert gears a few years back, gently broke them in, and never had any whine.

 

[twas_brillig]

I just failed the IQ test: the price I pulled from the Denis Welch web-page was for their Jag crown & pinion; their Healey 3.54 is 399 pounds (see > Crown Wheel & Pinion 3.54:1- Denis Welch Motorsport have commissioned the manufacture of < ) not the 625 I cited originally. Apologies!! DOug

 

[Claretannie]

I obtained mine from Hardy engineering in Surrey in the UK. Gearbox and diff specialists for years. Ask for Bill

 

[HealeyRick]

Not sure if this will be helpful but when installing new ring and pinion gears it is neessary to break them in for the first 500 miles. That means only driving short distances at first so the gears can cool down in between stints. Then changing the oil at 500 miles. I installed Lempert gears a few years back, gently broke them in, and never had any whine.

I had Fred Crowley install mine and broke it in the same way ... no whine or problems. It made me think though that why don't you need to break in the rear end gears like that when you buy a new car?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I had Fred Crowley install mine and broke it in the same way ... no whine or problems. It made me think though that why don't you need to break in the rear end gears like that when you buy a new car?

Good question. My last two new cars--Mustangs--were bought off-the-lot with less than 10 miles on the odo. The '08's diff did whine a little; the '19's may or may not--the engine's too dang loud to hear it anyway. Engine breakins aren't as rigorous, either, usually something like "Don't bounce off the rev-limiter for 500 miles;" I think some have limiters that enforce it. The standard explanation is "The machining is so much better now." Not many solid lifter new cars around, either (I can't think of any). And, a lot/most have "lifetime oil" rear ends with no drain holes.

Some diffs have a tendency to whine; my dad was a factory rep for Ford in the mid-sixties; he said almost all the Mustangs had diff whine (he also said people would bring their cars to the dealer to complain the oil pressure would drop when the engine slowed down).

Back on-topic: If you have a whiney diff, can it be fixed? If so, would that require another break-in procedure?

 

[dougie]

Not sure if this will be helpful but when installing new ring and pinion gears it is neessary to break them in for the first 500 miles. That means only driving short distances at first so the gears can cool down in between stints. Then changing the oil at 500 miles. I installed Lempert gears a few years back, gently broke them in, and never had any whine.

You can do this break-in procedure, but if you're a racer and require a new gear set to use on the track ASAP, I suggest having them REM finished, > In-house REM Polishing process by Weddle Industries | Weddle Industries | Racing Transaxles, Gears, Gearboxes, Clutches <. I've used this processed multiple times with success.

 

[HealeyPassion]

I just failed the IQ test: the price I pulled from the Denis Welch web-page was for their Jag crown & pinion; their Healey 3.54 is 399 pounds (see > Crown Wheel & Pinion 3.54:1- Denis Welch Motorsport have commissioned the manufacture of < ) not the 625 I cited originally. Apologies!! DOug

Got my DWM 3.54 delivered to my door for $623.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

You can do this break-in procedure, but if you're a racer and require a new gear set to use on the track ASAP, I suggest having them REM finished, > In-house REM Polishing process by Weddle Industries | Weddle Industries | Racing Transaxles, Gears, Gearboxes, Clutches <. I've used this processed multiple times with success.

Looks like excessive wear on some of the drive-side heel teeth. What would cause that?

 

[dougie]

"Looks like excessive wear on some of the drive-side heel teeth. What would cause that?"

Bob -

If you're referencing the photo I attached, it's either your computer monitor, light refection, or your imagination. The photo was taken prior to installtion, no wear had been applied yet. The gears & Quaife LSD had just been installed in the carrier, with the ring & pinion being REM Micro polished.

 

[HealeyPassion]

My mechanic and the differential rebuilding shop both thought the DWM 3.54 ring and pinion set were really nice quality pieces. I got them in 7 days.... UK to Colorado. They apologized it missed the intended plane or it would have been 6 days! I seldom get stuff from CA in 6 days!

 

[Bob_Spidell]

"Looks like excessive wear on some of the drive-side heel teeth. What would cause that?"

Bob -

If you're referencing the photo I attached, it's either your computer monitor, light refection, or your imagination. The photo was taken prior to installtion, no wear had been applied yet. The gears & Quaife LSD had just been installed in the carrier, with the ring & pinion being REM Micro polished.

Looks like a reflection.

 

[dougie]