Please help: Inner Pinion Bearing Race for 8.8 is kicking my ass

SOHC_Foodblister · Aug 1, 2019

'Do gears!" They said...

"It'll be great!" They said...

"Pull the pumpkin they said."...

"It'll tap right in..."

Guys, Ive spent many hours and calories trying to pound this MFer into the hole it goes in:

I've used 3 different race & seal driver tools, I've frozen the race, I've beat on it with a brass punch and steel punch, I've beat on the driver with ball peen hammer, rubber mallet, big ole hammers, and big effing 10lb sledge. I even tried to press it in with my 20 ton shop press.

The best Ive been able to accomplish is to get the race installed about half way, but super crooked. I know Im using the correct race, it is exatly the same dimensions as the old race.

As a last resort, Im going to try to heat the differential as I place the frozen race into the hole. After that, I am out of ideas and Im coming to you guys with my hat in my hand. This thing is kicking my ass and I need help.

white95 · Aug 1, 2019

Honestly, short of them somehow giving you the incorrect bearing in the correct box it should tap in easily with some lube.

SOHC_Foodblister · Aug 1, 2019

I know. The outter race went in with little effort. This thing is another story entirely? Is there anyway the hole could've somehow deformed?

96blak54 · Aug 1, 2019

I too have never had an issue replacing the race and i used similar tooling. It has to be the race!

If the old race isnt grooved from the old bearing, just re-use it or at least see if that race will set in.

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RAU03MACH · Aug 1, 2019

SOHC_Foodblister said:
'Do gears!" They said...

"It'll be great!" They said...

"Pull the pumpkin they said."...

"It'll tap right in..."

Guys, Ive spent many hours and calories trying to pound this MFer into the hole it goes in:

I've used 3 different race & seal driver tools, I've frozen the race, I've beat on it with a brass punch and steel punch, I've beat on the driver with ball peen hammer, rubber mallet, big ole hammers, and big effing 10lb sledge. I even tried to press it in with my 20 ton shop press.

The best Ive been able to accomplish is to get the race installed about half way, but super crooked. I know Im using the correct race, it is exatly the same dimensions as the old race.

As a last resort, Im going to try to heat the differential as I place the frozen race into the hole. After that, I am out of ideas and Im coming to you guys with my hat in my hand. This thing is kicking my ass and I need help.

Depends on the company that made it or where it was made
like china
about thousands off difference ,
I get a lot of that from autozone .

SOHC_Foodblister · Aug 1, 2019

Whewwww!!!

Got it to go in!

The trick turned out to be de-burring the bore and using some motor oil to lubricate the race and the sides of the bore. Still took some decent pounding but an liberal use of the brass punch, but after a few minutes of some effort, was able to get the race seated!

Thank you Mobil 1, you never cease to impress!

white95 · Aug 2, 2019

Told ya! She always likes a little lube before a good pounding!

OLD H2S · Aug 4, 2019

Now how far out of shape is the race now? You will not know till the bearing is seated. Seat it and turn by hand, check, check then do it again. Any noise or roughness and you must get a new one. A new race is cheap, RockAuto has National, Timken, and SKF listed as the best brands, I would pick the SKF.