Shop says I need new gears, should I upgrade to something else?

[BlueOvalStangGT]

8 months ago a local speed shop installed my 3.73s. Took them 5 days but it only costed me $340. Now, whenever there is a load on my car, it makes a crazy whining noise. That noise goes away as soon as you put the clutch in or let off the gas. Brought it to the shop and they checked it out, adjusted the backlash twice and now their saying my gears wore wrong and I need new ones.They say it can be a number of things and it wasnt because of a bad install. He says I might have too much horsepower for the ones installed(richmond) and I need to upgrade to something else. What do you guys think about this? I was thinking since I pretty much have to pay them to do all that work, I might as well upgrade to maybe some stronger axles or a Aubrun locker or sometinhg. What would I need to do that and what do you think of my gears going bad like that?

 

[Gt1995]

how the hell much horsepower do u have to kill richmonds ?

 

[Joes95GT]

Brought it to the shop and they checked it out, adjusted the backlash twice and now their saying my gears wore wrong and I need new ones.

Bull$h!t...

They say it can be a number of things and it wasnt because of a bad install.

Of course they would tell you that...

He says I might have too much horsepower for the ones installed(richmond) and I need to upgrade to something else. What do you guys think about this?

That guy needs to change his profession...

I was thinking since I pretty much have to pay them to do all that work, I might as well upgrade to maybe some stronger axles or a Aubrun locker or sometinhg

I would first think about going to a different shop - then consider your options after they look at it.

Out of spec. backlash doesn't cause whining, so right there they're hosing you. Assuming the bearings (mainly the pinion bearing) are OK, the cause for your whining is an improper gear pattern.

Joe

 

[mytight95]

bad install.......... if you don't know exactly what you are doing with gears they will scream..........

sucks they are trying to BS you like that......i would make them pay for at least half of the new gearset, and not let them install them.......b/c more than likely the same thing will happen...


jason

 

[CManT1914]

Bullcrap, first of all, it shouldn't take ANYBODY 5 freakin days to install some gears. Second of all, if the noise goes away when you push in the clutch, I'm not sure it's the gears. Also, how the hell can you destroy gears unless they weren't installed properly? They are trying to rip you a new one. Tell them to take their new gears and shove it up their a$$.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Yeah thats pretty much what I figured, and yeah im goingto a different shop too. Joe, improper gear pattern, you mean they wore wrong right. So should I just get new gears/bearings or what?

 

[mytight95]

yeah new gears bearings etc......only way you are gonna loose the whine.......


jason

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Second of all, if the noise goes away when you push in the clutch, I'm not sure it's the gears.

Im open for suggestions.

 

[CManT1914]

Im open for suggestions.

I really don't know what it would be, I just know it can't be the gears. If the gears were causing the whine, they would do it anytime they were in motion, not just on acceleration. Maybe someone else can diagnose the whine.

 

[scarless]

Could be the throw-out bearing. Also, check your U-joints.

 

[CopMagnet5oh]

could be a driveshaft - U joints. under acceleration you would feel vibration and noise.

 

[Venom351R]

when gears do whine and it wasent the best install there still ok just that there going to whine some. You really really have to screw up a gear install pretty bad to make the gears junked or ruined. I have used 3.55's in mine and even though they had a wear pattern they still dont whine, sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you dont. Either way those guys are trying to screw you, go somewhere else. Richmond gears are fine even though the majority of people have FMS.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

So im meeting a freind so we can ride in the same car for work when I put the car in reverse to back into the parking space when I hear a clunk and then the car wouldnt move. I put my car through all the gears and it shifts fine and I give it a rev and the engine is fine. Walk around my car, nothing is leaking. It felt like someone pulled the Ebrake handle really hard. The car wanted to move but couldnt. Started added up tow truck bills and how I was gonna be so outta money when I decided to drop the clutch from lke 1800 in reverse to see if I could break whatever was binding up loose. It worked and I parked the car. Drove the car home and it drove fine till yesterday when at like a low rpm cruising speed I was getting clunking noises again. Is this my gears binding up? Thats the only thing I could think of. Someone above^^ said that it might be soemthing else causeing the whine, Any guesses? Its only under cruising and acceleration that it whines, not when you let off the gas. How do I check my U-joints?

 

[mustangman33]

are you sure its not your tranny? Thats what mines did when my input shaft went out. Mines whined in every gear except 4th and reverse. When is the last time you added tranny fluid.

 

[Joes95GT]

So im meeting a freind so we can ride in the same car for work when I put the car in reverse to back into the parking space when I hear a clunk and then the car wouldnt move. I put my car through all the gears and it shifts fine and I give it a rev and the engine is fine. Walk around my car, nothing is leaking. It felt like someone pulled the Ebrake handle really hard. The car wanted to move but couldnt. Started added up tow truck bills and how I was gonna be so outta money when I decided to drop the clutch from lke 1800 in reverse to see if I could break whatever was binding up loose. It worked and I parked the car. Drove the car home and it drove fine till yesterday when at like a low rpm cruising speed I was getting clunking noises again. Is this my gears binding up? Thats the only thing I could think of. Someone above^^ said that it might be soemthing else causeing the whine, Any guesses? Its only under cruising and acceleration that it whines, not when you let off the gas. How do I check my U-joints?

Don't worry about your U-joints. You'll know their bad when you have driveline vibrations or when they break.

That clunk is probably too much backlash, and is very common on bad installs. It's the pinion smacking the ring gear as soon as the clutch is applied. If there is absolutely no backlash, nothing will turn. If there is too much backlash, the pinion has enough room to move freely before it contacts the ring gear, the bang you hear is when the pinion finally does dig into the ring. If you continue to drive the car like that, you will bust teeth off the ring gear - guaranteed. This, presumably, is why the shop told you that you need a new set of gears; there could already be material broken off of the ring gear, which is making the situation worse.

Hope this helps...

Joe

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Don't worry about your U-joints. You'll know their bad when you have driveline vibrations or when they break.

That clunk is probably too much backlash, and is very common on bad installs. It's the pinion smacking the ring gear as soon as the clutch is applied. If there is absolutely no backlash, nothing will turn. If there is too much backlash, the pinion has enough room to move freely before it contacts the ring gear, the bang you hear is when the pinion finally does dig into the ring. If you continue to drive the car like that, you will bust teeth off the ring gear - guaranteed. This, presumably, is why the shop told you that you need a new set of gears; there could already be material broken off of the ring gear, which is making the situation worse.

Hope this helps...

Joe

Thanks alot man, im buying some FMS 3.73s from a freind(new) and gonna tell the shop(different one) to replace bearings n such. Should I buy the kit from summit of let the shop get it? So you think the whining is from the gears and nothing else right?>

 

[Joes95GT]

Get a new pinion bearing and let the shop handle anything else. You might not have bearing wear on anything, but a new pinion bearing is always a good idea because those are usuaully the ones to get beat up first if anything goes wrong.

Most of those kits from Summit are overkill - I like to stay away from them unless you feel like completely rebuilding the axle.

Joe

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

But your set on it being the gears whining? I think there might be a little vibration there but not much to get worried about.

 

[Joes95GT]

But your set on it being the gears whining? I think there might be a little vibration there but not much to get worried about.

After I tore up the rear in my car, we broke it apart to find the gear pattern to be way off, causing the whine. It also ate the pinion bearing. My Dad said those were the two most common reasons for a howling rear end. The possibilities are endless.

With all the noises you are describing, it certainly sounds like a gear pattern/wear problem to me. Maybe PM RIO5.0 and ask him. He knows this stuff just as well as (if not better than) me. Hopefully he might even chime in here....

Joe

 

[95riosnake]

My car was making that exact noise. When I pushed the clutch in or had no load due to acceleration, the noise would go away. Problem on mine: pinion bearings. This happened with the stock 3.08's. I ordered a complete rebuild kit for the rearend though, including moser axle bearings, timken axle seals, ford racing pinion bearings, carrier shims, carrier bearings, pinon seal, and FRPP 3.55 ring and pinion (was gonna go 3.73 but I plan to supercharge in the future). I'd say get the pinion bearings replaced or go for a rebuild on the rearend to eliminate any weak links like I did.