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Getting back to it - rear end question

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drooartz

drooartz

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I took most of the summer off from Tunebug projects, for reasons temporal and financial. With the rapid approach of Fall it's time to get back and get working. I've got six months until my self-imposed deadline of a running car by April, so I'd better get busy.

I'm committing myself to doing at least some small task every day until I'm done, and have even given my wife free reign to nag me about it (she liked that part. :smile: ). I've really got most of the bits I'm restoring done, it's just that everything has to be reassembled and a few things have to be engineered (mostly around the disc brake conversion and switch to the later rib case transmission). But I will be driving next year!

My first task is to pop in the 3.9 diff that I pulled from the donor Midget. What should I do to clean it up prior to installation?
 
Paint brush and mineral spirits.
 
The last time I cleaned and painted a diff. I used acetone and scotchbrite pads with gloves and outside of course, and then used por-15 to paint it and it still looks like new. it was off the car so that makes it easier.
 
When I clean up diff, I first remove the front flange and seal, impact wrench comes in real heandy here. Then I just park them in the part washer for a day or so, then retreive them blow them dry, then I got one of those deep laudry sinks at the shop, i wash them a second time with hot water and sopa, prettyy much like I do engine blocks, then blow them dry again, and spray down the internal with WD40. I bead balst the front nut, lack waher and flange, the put a fresh coat of paint on them. I normnally paint the exterior diff housing with Dupli Color hi heat engine pait, cast coat aluminum, makes it look like fresh cast aluminum, and will stay looking like that. The install a new seal, and reintall the front flange. Here's photo of one done this way.
 

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Hap, how do you hold the diff on place while you torque the pinion nut?
 
Drew, I would put a set of thrust bearings in the pinion and also the ones for the ring gear if they look or feel bad at all. The pinion ones are timken taper type bearings and should not be that much at a bearing distributor. Ate least take them out and inspect them. Save all shims and make sure they go back in the right order.
 
Drew,

I don't have anything to add on the rear end, but I wanted to say, that when I was restoring my B, I had the same goal. A little something every day. That way you're always moving forward. Even if that little something is to sit in the garage, have a beer and plan your next step. Also, plan your work so that your constantly thinking a few steps ahead. Ordering parts so you have them in time so you don't have to wait when you get ready. Plus, if you do have to wait, there is always something to shine, polish or paint.

Keep us posted!
 
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