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brewski · 10-26-2007, 05:36 PM

1967 Lemans
Presently 2.56 open rear end. Working on putting in a Eaton Posi 3.55. Full floating axles (no "C" clips, so have to remove add-on disc brakes and all at each wheel).

Can't get the pinion shaft out. Rear end open and carrier removed. Pinion shaft nut removed. Beat on the pinion shaft until exhausted. Tried a puller on the yoke to get it off of the pinion shaft. After air impact wrench and cheater bars, no luck. Tried heating with a propane torch (don't have any other kind), no luck. Pried on the pinion gear until I snapped off some teeth. No luck.

Emergency Emergency Will Robinson! I can't leave the car sitting where it is much longer. In it's present condition, it would be significant work to put back together, call a tow truck and pay someone to finish what I couldn't do. (Damages the ego as well!)

What does it take to get this sucker out of there?

george kujanski · 10-26-2007, 06:58 PM

Here's what the book shows. The long lever arm is bolted to the companion flange. You can make that out of a sturdy piece of angle iron, Weld a large nut to what will be the inside of the bar and use a corresponding bolt to tighten up against the end of the pinion shaft.

george kujanski · 10-26-2007, 07:08 PM

Here's one a made a while back...the ears of the bracket bolt behind the ears of the companion flange and I inserted a hydraulic bottle jack into the bracket. Thing is, I used it on a axle that was out of the car with the pinion hanging down; my bottle jack doesn't work horizontally. Worked very well tho..can't beat hydraulics for muscle.

george

Old Blue 66 · 10-26-2007, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by george kujanski

Here's one a made a while back...the ears of the bracket bolt behind the ears of the companion flange and I inserted a hydraulic bottle jack into the bracket. Thing is, I used it on a axle that was out of the car with the pinion hanging down; my bottle jack doesn't work horizontally. Worked very well tho..can't beat hydraulics for muscle.

george

I know FIRST hand that this works!!!! Thanks again George!!

brewski · 10-26-2007, 08:53 PM

Thanks George. I take it the "companion flange" is the yoke that connects the U-joint. The info I had said to "drive out the pinion shaft with a brass punch". Yeah right! I don't have any way to weld anything, so it looks like I'm screwed. I'll have to get everything back together and pay to get it done. Gee, wish I hadn't broken the teeth on the existing pinion gear!

Old Blue 66 · 10-26-2007, 09:07 PM

I had exactly the same problem last fall. I did the torch thing, the puller over and over again. No luck. From what I understand, its common for the pinion shaft to get stuck.

Its too bad you have to move the car so quickly because it would take no time (and I would assume little cost) for a guy at a machine shop to put togther what George did for mine. It worked perfect. I told George he should work on fabricating and selling his contraption.

brewski · 10-26-2007, 09:16 PM

Paul, so your diff was out of the car as well? I guess the bug-a-boo is not being able to use a bottle jack on one still in the car.

Old Blue 66 · 10-26-2007, 09:24 PM

I dont remember if there was room to get the bottle jack and the thing that George made under the car. My guess is that there probibly was.

I took the rear end out of the car and brought it over to his house. Even with the bottle jack putting all that pressure on the pinion, it still didnt want to come out. If memory serves, we still had to beat it with a hammer or a sledge hammer.

george kujanski · 10-27-2007, 12:30 PM

The bottle jack worked very well...the only issue was the end of the pinion shaft was mushroomed from Paul beating on it with a hammer

We had to grind off the mushroomed end because it wouldn't pass thru the hole in the companion flange.

Brewski: you can probably go to a welding shop and easily get someone to weld on a nut, or actually, you can get it done without welding by holding the nut with a good sized wrench while turning the bolt. It can be done.

There also are bottle jacks that work horizontally if you can make a bracket like I did.

Lastly, if you have the time and would like to borrow my bracket, let me know. I'll loan it to you, just like Autozone.

George

brewski · 10-27-2007, 03:18 PM

George, Thanks for the offer. I didn't want to, but I pulled the rear end out. I've not worked into this much depth on a car before, so I'm freaking out. I have a bottle jack in a cheap press frame, essentially a 12 ton press. I put the rear end on the press and the press gave it all it had but the pinion shaft didn't budge. I beat on it as well, so I've got a good mushroom going. I'm going to have to wait until Monday and try to find a machine shop that will get this resolved for me. Geez I'm depressed.

Cammer-6 · 10-27-2007, 04:16 PM

working on old stuff is fun huh?
Have you tried a good soak with blaster on the spline of the pinion gear?
Im guessing that rust marries the flange and pinion to an almost inseparable
piece. this would work now that you can place it an upright position.

Old Blue 66 · 10-27-2007, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewski

George, Thanks for the offer. I didn't want to, but I pulled the rear end out. I've not worked into this much depth on a car before, so I'm freaking out. I have a bottle jack in a cheap press frame, essentially a 12 ton press. I put the rear end on the press and the press gave it all it had but the pinion shaft didn't budge. I beat on it as well, so I've got a good mushroom going. I'm going to have to wait until Monday and try to find a machine shop that will get this resolved for me. Geez I'm depressed.

Sorta felt the same way at first. After asessing the removal and the reinstallation for a while, it wasnt that bad. Was a good excuse to put the new springs in too!!! Im kickin' myself now because I shoulda put in new shocks as well.

brewski · 10-28-2007, 10:07 AM

Well, I use to think working on cars would be fun. Maybe that's not a question to reflect upon right now. Had this same feeling when I couldn't get the rear suspension disconnected due to the rust. I had to pay to get it done. Labor is the only area where I'm suppose to be able to save enough to make this darn car affordable!!

The rear end has set all night with rust solvent puddled around the spline area and a puller connected to the yoke putting lots of "pull" on the yoke. Zero results. Forty years has made the yoke and pinion shaft one unit.

Old Blue 66 · 10-28-2007, 10:37 AM

Do yo have access to an impact gun?? If so the exrta torque may help.

Do you have the rear end out?? If, consider taking it to a machine shop or a muffler shop for help. I cant imagine they would charge you more than just a few bucks. If you have the time, Id take George up on his offer to borrow the strap he made. Nothing will give more push than a bottle jack.

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