GN 8.5 rear Question

[Thechief]

so i pulled my rear to clean and paint it once pulled the back cover and flipped it to drain it in to a pan after half of the fluid drained this pin dropped and i don't know where it goes or come from can some one help me out and tell me where it goes?

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[pontiacgp]

Start checking the bearings.....when you take the carrier out make sure you keep the shims marked so they go back in the same way

 

[ssn696]

That looks like a roller from a tapered roller bearing. Doesn't look chewed up, so with luck you did not eat the differential. But it's pretty amazing one of those got out of its bearing cage. And that aluminum housing cover probably does not have a magnet in it to catch loose bits like this, so consider yourself lucky.

 

[pontiacgp]

there should be a magnet laying on the bottom of the pumpkin. Make sure you use one that can take the heat.

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D82SH

 

[Thechief]

So after tearing up the whole rear, i realized that there is not broken bearings, the funny thing is that i found another one of the rollers in there also, here are some pics of the internals.

can some tell me if this rear takes a crush bearing? and what are the torque spects

 

[ssn696]

Yes. In the pinion picture it's just above the letters 'GM'. Your differential carrier has a dot-matrix date code of 2002 in the picture - 19557 makes it an Eaton Posi-traction. It has been replaced since the axle was under the original GN. So, the two rollers you found may have come from the old carrier or pinion bearings. The good news is that you found them before they got mixed up in the gear teeth. You can probably just put this guy back together and go on with your project. Just don't over-torque the pinion nut. Sorry, I don't have that spec for you.

 

[Raymondautoresto]

lol that is one thing I can say I have never seen before lol... YOU ARE LUCKY!!

 

[pontiacgp]

I don't think the rollers came from the axle bearings but you might as well check them since you have the rear end apart. As for the pinion if you didn't mark where the nut was tighten it up until it has about 6-8 lbs to turn it. After you tighten it give a few good hit with a rubber mallet before you check the rotating torque. You won't find a torque wrench to check that little resistance so you'll have to rely on your hand to test the resistance.

 

[ssn696]

Axle bearings are straight rollers. I wonder if the old differential grenaded?

 

[pontiacgp]

Your right about the axle bearings being straight rollers and you must be right about how those rollers ended up in there or the guy had enemies in his shop