How hard to install gears in a driveway and what do I need?
I am buing a set of 3.55 gears from a guy. He said that if I buy them he will give me a new pinon bearing and some shims. I just wanted to know how hard it would be to do in a drive way and what Else I needed.
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79 Mercury Capri- 89 GT ground effects.
306, Hooker long tube headers, E-303 cam, Carter AFB 650 cfm carburetor sitting on a 65 GT500 intake manifold, A/C delete. 5-speed.
To come--4.10 gears, subframe connectors, 5 lug kit, Magnaflow(headers back)
sorry but if your asking this question you have no place installing gears... its fairly hard and takes alot of precise measurements and special tool... if you decide to do it post pics!1!11
It's very complicated and even more so if doing it on your back in a driveway. You need precision tools to set backlash, not to mention you really don't want to be in such close quarters when you open it up and drain the gear fluid. Anyone who's smelled this fluid will agree. If you want to do this yourself, it's recommended you find a shop with a lift to use. It'll be a messy, smelly job to do in a driveway. You'd also need a press to put on the pinion bearing.
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Yeah I agree....don't do it unless you know what you're doing. It's not as simple as it may sound. If you don't set the backlash correctly, you'll have alot of problems including NOISY, WHINEY gears. Better to pay somebody $200.00 than to try it yourself.
Go with PI heads and quit watching The Fast and the Furious. (thanks 2 IhaveadopeGT)
Remember, it is almost impossible for anyone, myself included, to diagnose a problem over the internet without seeing the car. My advice is simply that, advice based on years of experience. I don't want you or anyone taking my word as gospel. I am trying to give some direction as to what I think may be happening.
i agree if you don't know what you're doing don't attempt it. if it is a used set of gears, the pinion depth has to be set exactly where it was before because the gears get a wear pattern. you also need a dial indicator to set the backlash which needs to be done with shims on the side of the carrier, also if it is on jackstands you need to crank the hell out of the pinion nut for it to cruch the crush sleeve and if you crush it too much you're going to need a new one. especially since it's a used gear set, if they are not set exactly right they will wear out fast
If you pay someone to do it, make sure they know what they're doing!!!
I had a so called race shop put 3.73's in my 93GT and there was a whinning after the install. I asked if that was normal. Not knowing then, what I know now, he said "oh that's normal because it's a stepper gear".
Well, the shop I go to now, told me that the whine is from the pinion angle not being set right.
There should be no noise with a gear swap.
Don't believe them if they tell you thats normal!
It is a pain!! Just wait till you get some time off and come to dad's to do it. I can help. Dad said a guy at work has the tools necessary to do it and he can use the hydraulic press at work.
Drew
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87 GT (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) new paint job, 306 w/ TFS stage 1 cam, TFS intake , still cant decide on heads.
The only way I ever setup my own gears is back when I had a 9". Pulling the chunk and doing on the bench is great, I'll never do another one under the car.
My little Vert will be going to a shop to have the 4:10's installed even though I have all the tools in the shop!
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'87 Coupe - My "Eleanor"
Stock '91 Bottom End - Anderson Built TFS Heads - TFS 1.6 Roller Rockers - E303 Cam - Weiand X Intake - Barry Grant Race Demon 650 - UPR K-member - UPR A-Arms - UPR Upper & Lower Control Arms - Strange/UPR Coilovers - 5-lug Conversion - Strange Axles
I have a general idea of what I am doing but it never hurts to have more information. The smell of the differential fluid does not bother me, I used to change it at work. I can get the dial indicators from work, I would pay someone to put in the gears, but they want more than $200. I can get the bearing pressed in, maybe I am a little in over my head but I like to do things myself. Thanks for the comments!
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79 Mercury Capri- 89 GT ground effects.
306, Hooker long tube headers, E-303 cam, Carter AFB 650 cfm carburetor sitting on a 65 GT500 intake manifold, A/C delete. 5-speed.
To come--4.10 gears, subframe connectors, 5 lug kit, Magnaflow(headers back)
well since you know that you need "dial indicators" (nobody used the name of the tool in this thread" you prob already know more than the avarge bear. if you think you can do it i say give it a try. do you know how to use a dial indicator as that is important to!
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1990 5.0 Mustang LX, SBF 357 (.030), Speed Pro Hyper Pistons (for now, 427 later ), Camshaft? well its changed again, Nicely Ported Pro Comp 210cc Heads, Edlebrock Super Victor Intake, Barry Grant 850 Demon Carb, MAC 1 3/4 Long Tubes, TKO 500, Spec Stage 3 Clutch, 3 row radiater , Black Magic Elec. Fan, 6 point roll cage , Custom throught floor sub-frame connectors, 5 lug conversion, Rear disk brake conversion, and some Mickey Thompson ET Streests. AKA YOUR BASIC DAILY DRIVER
I just did a gear swap on my lift and I would not want to do it on the ground. The biggest problems with doing it on the ground (based on my car) would be that the driveshaft bolts were very difficult to break free and crushing the pinion crush sleave would be a very large challenge.
BTW, 10 years ago I tried to do a swap while the car was on the ground and I had to abort. I couldn't even get the carrier pried out of the rearend. On the other hand, I bet swapping gears on cars while on the ground has been done 100's of times.
I don't see how a shop could be profitable at charging $200 to do this work. $200 to do the job is a STEAL!.
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How hard to install gears in a driveway and what do I need? 
(thanks 2 IhaveadopeGT)
