RedLS1GTO
03-28-2011, 7:31am
The Dana 44 has opened my eyes to a whole new level of crap as far as parts suppliers and misinformation from the so-called experts so I thought I would start a thread and address a few of those issues. I started one a while ago but it was early into the process. Rather than go back and try to update everything, I figured I would start fresh with a new one. Some of it is probably a repeat.
This whole thing started because the last time I had the car on the track, both halfshaft seals started leaking on me. When I say leaking, I mean LEAKING. I should have known something much worse was going on inside.
When I pulled it apart, the fluid was smoked, despite the fact that most of it was very recently added. There was also a lot of metal in the bottom of the case. As soon as we saw that it became an easy choice to do a full rebuild instead of just a change of the halfshaft seals as I had originally hoped.
I'm not going to do a full rebuild writeup because there are a few resources out there that are pretty well written.
Here is the service manual for the limited slip:
Trac Lok service manual (pdf) (http://www2.dana.com/pdf/5313-3.pdf)
I will add a few notes to things that I learned the heard way.
1st, do your best not to screw up the snap rings that hold the yokes in place. They are pretty much impossible to get and are not the same as the ones in the Jeep (as I was told). They are actually differing sizes during the original manufacture and are responsible for the amount of play in the axles. The tolerance for endplay in the yoke should be measured to between .0005" (.013mm) to .0085 (.216mm) and is adjusted by using the various sized rings. I was finally able to buy an assortment from Tom's Differentials - Home of MADE IN THE U.S.A. (http://www.tomsdifferentials.com) however, since he won't ship anything less than $25 I also ended up with some t-shirts. :kick:
Next. Do NOT trust a website that says the clutches are for a Dana 44. I bought some from an online store and it turned out that they were for a 36. Another :kick:.
I finally got them from Zip, but they were (and still are) misplaced on their website too. Here is the correct link:
Dana 44 clutches (http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid={3a7d2256-5457-47b8-867c-297cdb6702ff}&gid={4f41d1ad-6f45-4e54-b72f-80ef426c2e2c}&GroupName=Do-It-Yourself+Differential+Rebuild&pname=80-82%2f85-96+Differential+Clutch+Disc+Pack&Referer=&Alias=&ptct=SGR-SR&CTitle=&)
Also from Zip, I used this kit for the bearings etc. The one issue that I had that I haven't resolved is that the shims were a lot different than the ones in mine and wouldn't work. Luckily I had the help of a good mechanic who had some shims that did work.
Dana 44 rebuild kit (http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=%7B63e95d81-0e3e-495a-a465-dd2cfb3ba731%7D&gid=%7Bd66a9139-db17-40b9-aff8-6fb70f7a94de%7D&GroupName=Mount+%26+Rebuild+Components&pname=85-96+Dana+44+Differential+Bearing+%26+Seal+Kit&Referer=&Alias=&ptct=SGR-SR&CTitle=&)
I'm not sure if it is the chicken or the egg, but when I pulled apart the limited slip, there was a spherical washer missing that is supposed to be on the outside of the side gear. With this gone it gave .0030 play which made everything loose which led to destruction of every bearing inside of the rear end. The bearings on the carrier fell off (are supposed to be pressed on), the carrier itself fell out rather than being pressed tight as it is supposed to be, the backlash was a HUGE amount... long story short, the whole thing was sloppy.
The last part that was a colossal pain in the ass were those spherical washers. They really shouldn't have been difficult to find, but GM has the wrong part number on their drawings! :kick: I ordered them. They came in wrong. I called another dealer to see what happened, they had the same wrong part number. Apparently I am the only person who has ever needed these things. Finally, after a lot of time, research, and wrong parts I was able to get them from Tom's Differentials (and some more t-shirts to make $25). :kick:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4214.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4230.jpg
Twisting out the side gears:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4232.jpg
Junk clutches:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4239.jpg
Now, after MONTHS of trying to get all of the parts together and multiple times ending up with the wrong part it was on to reassembly...
The parts:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5240.jpg
The service manual lists a few specialty tools that are required. They certainly would make the job easier but we managed without. The hardest to overcome was a spreader tool used to hold the pinion gears in the limited slip unit. We twisted the gears in using the half shafts and some patience. To get the spherical washers in, you have to spread the gears against the clutches to create some clearance. We made a separate spreader for each side out of some threaded rod, nuts, and washers. It ended up working like a champ. :cool:
Twisting in the side gears:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5242.jpg
Homemade spreader:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5246.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5248.jpg
Snap rings... worth 100x their weight in gold.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5250.jpg
Trac Lok finished:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5252.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5253.jpg
Installing pinion seal:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5251.jpg
Test fitting carrier/setting backlash:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5254.jpg
Ready to go back into the car...
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5259.jpg
Sorry Pete... this is what it is supposed to look like... :leaving:
Lastly, a shout out to the shop dog! :)
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5260.jpg
This whole thing started because the last time I had the car on the track, both halfshaft seals started leaking on me. When I say leaking, I mean LEAKING. I should have known something much worse was going on inside.
When I pulled it apart, the fluid was smoked, despite the fact that most of it was very recently added. There was also a lot of metal in the bottom of the case. As soon as we saw that it became an easy choice to do a full rebuild instead of just a change of the halfshaft seals as I had originally hoped.
I'm not going to do a full rebuild writeup because there are a few resources out there that are pretty well written.
Here is the service manual for the limited slip:
Trac Lok service manual (pdf) (http://www2.dana.com/pdf/5313-3.pdf)
I will add a few notes to things that I learned the heard way.
1st, do your best not to screw up the snap rings that hold the yokes in place. They are pretty much impossible to get and are not the same as the ones in the Jeep (as I was told). They are actually differing sizes during the original manufacture and are responsible for the amount of play in the axles. The tolerance for endplay in the yoke should be measured to between .0005" (.013mm) to .0085 (.216mm) and is adjusted by using the various sized rings. I was finally able to buy an assortment from Tom's Differentials - Home of MADE IN THE U.S.A. (http://www.tomsdifferentials.com) however, since he won't ship anything less than $25 I also ended up with some t-shirts. :kick:
Next. Do NOT trust a website that says the clutches are for a Dana 44. I bought some from an online store and it turned out that they were for a 36. Another :kick:.
I finally got them from Zip, but they were (and still are) misplaced on their website too. Here is the correct link:
Dana 44 clutches (http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid={3a7d2256-5457-47b8-867c-297cdb6702ff}&gid={4f41d1ad-6f45-4e54-b72f-80ef426c2e2c}&GroupName=Do-It-Yourself+Differential+Rebuild&pname=80-82%2f85-96+Differential+Clutch+Disc+Pack&Referer=&Alias=&ptct=SGR-SR&CTitle=&)
Also from Zip, I used this kit for the bearings etc. The one issue that I had that I haven't resolved is that the shims were a lot different than the ones in mine and wouldn't work. Luckily I had the help of a good mechanic who had some shims that did work.
Dana 44 rebuild kit (http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=%7B63e95d81-0e3e-495a-a465-dd2cfb3ba731%7D&gid=%7Bd66a9139-db17-40b9-aff8-6fb70f7a94de%7D&GroupName=Mount+%26+Rebuild+Components&pname=85-96+Dana+44+Differential+Bearing+%26+Seal+Kit&Referer=&Alias=&ptct=SGR-SR&CTitle=&)
I'm not sure if it is the chicken or the egg, but when I pulled apart the limited slip, there was a spherical washer missing that is supposed to be on the outside of the side gear. With this gone it gave .0030 play which made everything loose which led to destruction of every bearing inside of the rear end. The bearings on the carrier fell off (are supposed to be pressed on), the carrier itself fell out rather than being pressed tight as it is supposed to be, the backlash was a HUGE amount... long story short, the whole thing was sloppy.
The last part that was a colossal pain in the ass were those spherical washers. They really shouldn't have been difficult to find, but GM has the wrong part number on their drawings! :kick: I ordered them. They came in wrong. I called another dealer to see what happened, they had the same wrong part number. Apparently I am the only person who has ever needed these things. Finally, after a lot of time, research, and wrong parts I was able to get them from Tom's Differentials (and some more t-shirts to make $25). :kick:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4214.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4230.jpg
Twisting out the side gears:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4232.jpg
Junk clutches:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_4239.jpg
Now, after MONTHS of trying to get all of the parts together and multiple times ending up with the wrong part it was on to reassembly...
The parts:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5240.jpg
The service manual lists a few specialty tools that are required. They certainly would make the job easier but we managed without. The hardest to overcome was a spreader tool used to hold the pinion gears in the limited slip unit. We twisted the gears in using the half shafts and some patience. To get the spherical washers in, you have to spread the gears against the clutches to create some clearance. We made a separate spreader for each side out of some threaded rod, nuts, and washers. It ended up working like a champ. :cool:
Twisting in the side gears:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5242.jpg
Homemade spreader:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5246.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5248.jpg
Snap rings... worth 100x their weight in gold.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5250.jpg
Trac Lok finished:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5252.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5253.jpg
Installing pinion seal:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5251.jpg
Test fitting carrier/setting backlash:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5254.jpg
Ready to go back into the car...
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5259.jpg
Sorry Pete... this is what it is supposed to look like... :leaving:
Lastly, a shout out to the shop dog! :)
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p90/botch1980/Race%20Car/Rear%20End/IMG_5260.jpg