Is it hard to install Gears
- Thread starter schwbs5.0
- Start date
bmorrisj
Member
speedracer238
New Member
bmorrisj said:
bmorris is right. It's not to physically hard, but you need certain tools and its not something you just learn as you go. Take it to the pros...
If you really have to ask then you really don't know what you will be getting yourself into let alone know much about the process, which needless to say - is very involved. It takes a lot of precision and accurate instruments. It is not a trial and error type of thing, if you mess up, you mess up and your money goes down the drain.speedracer238 said:
The install isn't very difficult, but if you set it up wrong, your going to have all kinds of problems.
I have got to jump off this bandwagon. It just does not sound hard to install gears. I am planning to do my gears on my own this winter (maybe I'll be singing a different tune after I do). But if I had a dollar for every post on StangNet from someone who just did their own gear install - and it was their first time cracking open the rear end - then I would have plenty to pay for a dealership installation.
Seriously, read up - lots. And you will get a better handle on whether this is something that you might want to tackle.
Here are a few helpful threads on point.
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=429117&highlight=gears
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=479678&highlight=gears+omg
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=494931&highlight=gears
Seriously, read up - lots. And you will get a better handle on whether this is something that you might want to tackle.
Here are a few helpful threads on point.
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=429117&highlight=gears
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=479678&highlight=gears+omg
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=494931&highlight=gears
Thomas302
Member
I am not saying go out and do it on your own your first time with no help, but its a nice skill to know. Have someone that knows how do it, but be there and watch them and learn all you can. I was scared of gear installation, but after I helped a few times, its not to hard. The main things to watch are backlash, should be somewhere between .008-.012, and pinion depth. To set backlash, shim the carrier right to left. Make sure what shims you remove from one side, you put back in the other, example, if you remove .005 from the right, put .005 back into the left side, you have to use a dial indicator. To set pinion depth, shim the pinion gear up or down to ride in the ring gear properly. Just note what your stock gears where before you remove them. If the stock gears had .009 backlash, and the pinion was in the center of the ring gear, set the new gears the same. Its very time consuming, because you may have to press the pinion bearing on and off many times to change shims. Make sure you install a new crush sleave. You will never learn anything, if you have someone else work on your car. Just my .02.
IMPORTSMOKER
Member
Dont be discouraged...it is VERY easy...all you need is a good dial indicator and a few wrenches...meke sure to get the install kit and follow the directions to the teeth...set the pinion preload at 15in pds..and backlash at .008-.010....good luck!
ponycar17
Founding Member
90mustangGT said:
I'm a supporter of this... I did my own; I learned a lot, but they still whine... You'll need a magnetic mount dial indicator as one of your weapons in your arsenal. First, measure the backlash of a KNOWN GOOD gearset. Try to mimmic that backlash in your new gear set... One other thing that would make sense is to measure the pinion head from far end to the shim/bearing land to determine the proper pinion depth. Now, measure your new pinion head from far end to shim spot.. Add a shim that corresponds to your old pinion depth...
I'm probably not helping to the novice, but the process is a PITA... After all the prep work I did, I still should've paid more attention to the mesh pattern... Oh well...
bmorrisj
Member
i agree with the latest...( i should be more optimistic) get an experienced helper (or you be the helper) and watch closely to what is being done, i'm sure you can pick it up.
PhLoBuS
New Member
i paid 300 and had it done in 3 hours... I could have done it myself and it would have taken me more than 3 hours =] and I had a leak and they fixed it... I think its worth bringing to a garage because if its not done correctly you can screw up your whole rear end
Think of it this way, its easy as hell to put together a bottom end of a motor...just drop in the crank, bolt it down, connect the rods, etc etc. I wonder why everyone is not building their own engines? Same theory applies to the gears to a lesser degree. If you are the type that can visualize reading from print, then you could possibly do it yourself, if not the first, then maybe the second time. If you have trouble rethreading the 2 oil plugs in your pan, then I would say take it to a shop.
1991GreeNLX
New Member
well if u dont know what the hell your doing to begin with dont do it save your time and your rear end and go get it done. But i will state this when you get your set of gears make sure it some with a crush sleve it's a little round piece of metal comes with most FRPP gear ratios as far as shims all the gears ive seen put in most stangs dont need them alot of GM's do weird huh?
I'm in the middle of it right now. It is not VERY easy as some here have said. I have been doing industrial maintenance and working on gas turbines for 14 years so I am by no way new at working on machines. If done properly, it is a tedious process. If you are bound and determined to do it, there is an article by Chris Neighbors that is a MUST. Read it twenty times, then dig in.
