1966 differential crush bearing won't come out

[Steeletbird]

2 different differentials 2 confusing issuse .... it wont come apart why ??? hopefully someone can help me figure this out? i know this may be a long description but is necessary... i decided to remove the diff from my 66 tbird to check the bearing and replace the seal that was leaking and i was told to replace the crush bearing so bought new ones... i also have a parts car (66 tbird..) YES i pulled it completely out of the rear end as you can see.... the original RED one painted red and clean one ... wont come apart whereas the one from my parts car ( the non-red one ) came apart easily ... practically fell apart .... . am i missing something here is the red one just jammed for some reason i even tried tapping the shaft but it wont move ..... as a last resort ( persay ) ( sorry for a seemingly stupid question ) out of frustration ... couldnt i just rebuild the parts car one ...... and pop it in

seems strange are they totally different ..arnt they compatible can i switch them ..came from same car year both are 66 tbird

 

[74 Harley]

Some good observations on your part.
Now, for '66 you could have two different rear ends. The standard is a 9", 428 cars got a 9 3/8 unit that looks identical.
Since you are working with gears, no you can't just switch them. They're already worn in together.
The unit that came out of your parts car has a lot of miles or abuse.
If you took the ring gear out then set your pinion back in place a block of wood on the shaft and hit it. Really hard.
However if your pinion bearings feel nice and smooth they probably don't need replacement.

 

[Steeletbird]

thks for the observation.... i forgot to mention, i removed the whole differential out of the axle housing " and THEN removed these.... on my " good " car ... i figured it was a LOT easier working on them out of the car to replace the seal and bearings if needed .... Since i took the axles out to replace leaking seals and bearings ( bought a kit to convert to rotors from drums ) i mangled the metal " cap on my car that covered the bearing and seal etc... so had to use the one off my parts car .... doooh my car was/is a 390 4bbl .... i know for a fact this car has the original engine .... i had it rebuilt .... i was told by someone a long time ago when replacing the seal ( and obviously removing the big bolt ) i needed to replace the crush washer ( which is why i was trying to take it apart to replace ..... ( red one) but that is as far as i could get it/go ..... whereas the parts car one came apart very easy ..... the bearings seem to run smoothly on mine ...how the heck does it come apart ..... i did take a block of wood and whack the shaft but didnt budge at all ... figured i would leave it for now until i figured out what the ???? any ideas or should i just leave it alone and slap it back in

 

[Steeletbird]

i also found this picture i took of the diff on my car ... i think u can read the numbers

 

[74 Harley]

I have only replaced the crush sleeve when installing new bearings. I've never had any issues by replacing a seal.

 

[Steeletbird]

so just replace the seal as pictured and throw it back in .. ? works for me .... then i can put axles back in with new seals and bearings for rotor conversion

 

[74 Harley]

That's what I would do. While it's apart don't forget to really clean out the inside of the axle housing. It's a pain but worth doing.

 

[Steeletbird]

ok ...thks for the help ...i'll do that ... yeah i cleaned the axle housing out good ... i was doing a " test fitting of the axles and found one really tight .... oh welll just get a biiger hammer i guess lol KIDDING .. would u suggest putting the outer axle seal on the axle housing first or on the axle itself .... curious

 

[BigClay]

Sorry, but it sounds like you are into something beyond your abilities. Do you have a service manual that covers 9” axles?
I think you have some descriptions messed up. The only thing that is “crush” in your diff is the little “ring” (it’s a spacer) that is in front of the rear pinion bearing. A new one is installed with new bearings to set the proper distance between the bearings. It is “crushed” when the pinion shaft is “torqued” during final assembly. The rear pinion bearing is “pressed” on and you WONT get it off. The Crush Ring can be reinstalled if using the original bearings, but special attention must be given when “re-torquing” everything together. The seal can be replaced without disturbing any of the above. The front bearing housings are interchangeable only if you use the bearing that was in it. (Or replace both the bearing and race with new ). My suggestion is to find a “Hot Rod Guy” that has built 9” axles, to help you. (Many hot rods/performance cars use that same differential).