8-3/4" 489 Pumpkin Pinion Seal Replacement?

[PurpleBeeper]

I've got a couple questions about replacing the pinion seal on a 489 pumpkin 8-3/4" rear end with the pumpkin in the car.

1. Does replacing the seal mess up the pinion/ring gear lash?

2. Is there a tool you can buy to hold the pinion yoke in place while you remove the large pinion yoke nut? I think I've seen on here where someone made their own, but wondering if it's something you can buy somewhere?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVISE

 

[dadsbee]

Is it the 489 or 742 that uses a crush sleeve?

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Is it the 489 or 742 that uses a crush sleeve?
View attachment 730602 View attachment 730603 View attachment 730604

Thanks for the pictures bee! I believe it is the 489 case that uses the crush sleeve.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Replace crush sleeve. If have the crush sleeve eliminator no problem. dadsbee is easiest.

 

[MoparLeo]

Hopefully the picture isn't showing someone using a torque wrench to loosen the pinion nut. Big no-no. Helps to ruin calibration.

 

[66Satellite47]

Just a thought, if the pinion seal is leaking, there might be other issues.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Groove in the yoke from seal wear, mine .005 with 80k.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrysler-M...r-sleeve-speedy-sleeve-with-tool/183713220661
not mine

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Groove in the yoke from seal wear, mine .005 with 80k.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrysler-M...r-sleeve-speedy-sleeve-with-tool/183713220661
not mine

Thanks Fran....so walk me through this. fyi-this is the original seal (50 yrs. old) and I noticed some gear lube leaking from it recently. It does not have a crush sleeve eliminator.
1. Do I need to pull the pumpkin & rebuild it to replace the crush sleeve?

I seem to recall MANY years ago (30 yrs. ago?) on a 3.55 489 pumpkin that I had a seal leak in the same place. Geez, that was a long time ago. I very vaguely recall prying out the lip of a seal & driving in a new one after I'd removed the rear end yoke...or something like that....and I might not have done it right back then.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Just a thought, if the pinion seal is leaking, there might be other issues.

Like what?

I have another, freshly rebuilt, 2.76 gear pumpkin which I hope to install soon. However, I'm wondering if it's relatively easy to stop this one from leaking until I can get the 2.76 pumpkin in.

 

[Dipstick]

To replace the seal on a 489, mark the end of the pinion threads with a center punch and right next to it mark the pinion nut. Remove the nut, washer and yoke and replace the seal. Pack the garter spring on the seal with heavy grease to prevent it from popping off when driving in the new seal.

Inspect the seal surface on the yoke for any evidence of a groove and install the yoke. Then clean the threads on the pinion and nut, apply some red Loctite and install the nut. Tighten the nut until there is no in/out play and the previous punch marks line up.

This method retains the previous pinion bearing preload.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

To replace the seal on a 489, mark the end of the pinion threads with a center punch and right next to it mark the pinion nut. Remove the nut, washer and yoke and replace the seal. Pack the garter spring on the seal with heavy grease to prevent it from popping off when driving in the new seal.

Inspect the seal surface on the yoke for any evidence of a groove and install the yoke. Then clean the threads on the pinion and nut, apply some red Loctite and install the nut. Tighten the nut until there is no in/out play and the previous punch marks line up.

This method retains the previous pinion bearing preload.

Dipstick --> YOU ARE THE MAN! That makes complete sense. I wish I could push the "thanks" button 5 times!

 

[Cranky]

To replace the seal on a 489, mark the end of the pinion threads with a center punch and right next to it mark the pinion nut. Remove the nut, washer and yoke and replace the seal. Pack the garter spring on the seal with heavy grease to prevent it from popping off when driving in the new seal.

Inspect the seal surface on the yoke for any evidence of a groove and install the yoke. Then clean the threads on the pinion and nut, apply some red Loctite and install the nut. Tighten the nut until there is no in/out play and the previous punch marks line up.

This method retains the previous pinion bearing preload.

Done it this way many times only I just scribe a line on the nut and face of the pinion shaft. Also used an impact because it's easier....and just a dab of the red works fine so don't coat the whole mess with it unless you really want to fight it if you ever want to remove the nut again someday. And someone is probably going to say to replace the crush sleeve because that's what the book says to do. Poo on that! It's really a bear to crush down a new sleeve and I've never had a problem reusing them. Also, the 89 case does use that dang crush sleeve while the 41 and the 42 does not.

 

[dadsbee]

Hopefully the picture isn't showing someone using a torque wrench to loosen the pinion nut. Big no-no. Helps to ruin calibration.

Give me a little bit of credit... of course it's an assembly shot and you can tell that by the direction the pipe wrench is holding the yolk. He asked how to hold the yolk.. that's how.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Groove in the yoke from seal wear, mine .005 with 80k.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrysler-M...r-sleeve-speedy-sleeve-with-tool/183713220661
not mine

Hey Fran, another question. Is this part something that you drive onto the yoke itself if it's grooved in the pinion seal area?

 

[PurpleBeeper]

My electric impact wrench just sucks. I've only been able to use it removing the top nuts off of struts & putting on the big harmonic balancer bolt. I really like the pipe wrench + cheater pipe against the leaf spring idea from dadsbee.

I just remembered a 2nd time I tried to install a pinion seal on a '73 Charger. I had the car on the ground & tried a breaker bar with a long cheater pipe on it. The freaking tires were spinning on the ground & the nut didn't budge. I also tried to remove a big nut once from a center section out of the car with the yoke in a huge vice...wouldn't budge until I put some concentrated hydrochloric acid on the threads! Those nuts can be TIGHT

 

[Fran Blacker]

Had a question mark on changing crush sleeve but removed it before posting, guess you don't have to. The speedy sleeve comes with a cup to drive it on. You put some sealer on yoke before putting on sleeve. I put a board on top of cut because it takes some hits with a 2 lb hammer. Your stretch sleeve onto yoke.

 

[5.7 hemi]

Crush sleeve eliminator kit, makes life sooo much easier.

 

[Cranky]

Crush sleeve eliminator kit, makes life sooo much easier.

The first time for me to install a solid spacer I had to machine it because it was too long and the bearings wouldn't mate up with the races but did notify the company that sold it to me. From then on, they were fine but never heard of anyone else that had that problem.

 

[old guys rule]

So you can use the crush sleeve Eliminator over again?

 

[Cranky]

So you can use the crush sleeve Eliminator over again?

Yes....it's a spacer and does not crush and uses shims to get the right bearing preload.