Reduction gear set issue

Maxo · #1 05-21-2008, 10:36 AM

Ok, so I had been driving my '92 and was getting the flashing power light - solenoid C code, about 95% of the time so after about a month I decided to remove the tail housing and have a look.
After examination it is very evident that my reduction gear set is not in alignment... In other words, the top gear is not flush with the bottom gear as it (the top gear) sits out so that about an 1/8inch of the teeth do contact the lower gear.
I thought that the lower reduction gear was maybe sitting too far in since it looks like it's nearly touching the parking pawl but if that's the case then I have two problems...
Where the upper gear shaft goes into the clutch basket there's a needle bearing and it appears that the upper reduction gear shaft has been extending beyond that bearing and rubbing on the solid metal behind it. There's actually a grove there now. This leads me to believe that the upper reduction gear is not seated all the way.
Any ideas as to what would cause the upper reduction gear to sit further out than it should?
I did replace the front diff, is it possible that the input shaft wasn't inserted correctly and isn't allowing the upper reduction gear shaft to go in far enough?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Maxo · #2 05-21-2008, 01:00 PM

Well, my upper reduction gear may not be the culprit. I just remembered it was missing a small flat ring of sorts that fits inside where the basket attaches to the gear. I think that would definitely account for the rubbing occurring past the needle bearing.
This means that the lower gear is likely sitting to far forward. Is there supposed to be a washer that goes on the pinion shaft before putting on the reduction gear? I know there's on after, before the nut, just not sure if there's one before the gear.

Hocrest · #3 05-21-2008, 01:10 PM

Yeah, I think there is one in there, but it's been about a year since the last time I put one back together.

Maxo · #4 05-22-2008, 08:13 AM

Yep, there is supposed to be a ring behind the lower gear... I took my lower gear off and there wasn't a ring there. So I checked the donor tranny and behold, it was laying just inside the shaft hole. It must have slid off when I pulled the pinion shaft out the other side.
I looked inside my current tranny as best I could, since I had to pull the pinion shaft out the this one too, but didn't see anything. I looked using a small led light so I was able to see quite well. I'm hoping it just fell off when I had the shaft completely out and isn't rolling around inside my tranny.
Hopefully this closes the last chapter in my epic duty solenoid c saga.