The screw that locks the differential pinion shaft into the carrier is broken, leaving the locking pin portion and two or less threads in the carrier. Apperently this is a fairly common problem, but I have not been able to find a solution to the problem. As it is a posi carrier I want to save the unit. I have a Dremel with a flexable drive shaft and I tried to drill into the screw with a 1/8" drill bit without success. I think the Dremel's lowest speed is too fast for the hardened screw. Then I had planned to use a screw extractor. Can someone please provide me with a workable solution to this problem?

 

depending on how much screw you have left you can weld a nut on it, drill it out and retap, drill and easy out, but i wouldn't, never had good luck with easy outs

 

I had a couple like that ended up trashing the first posi like that and the second one I got real lucky on. it broke leaving a large wedge on the bolt way inside. after rocking the large pin back and forth I got to where ther was no pressure on the now very short bolt and took a screw driver (real small one) was able to turn it all the way out.

 

What I did when this happened to me was to spray lots of WD40 or some other solvent in around the remaining piece of bolt to dilute the thick gear oil. Then, I grabbed one of those screwdrivers that has interchangeable bits and an extendable magnetic tip. Extended the magnetic tip out and placed it into the hole against the broken end of the bolt and kept turning it and working it slightly back and forth to extract the bolt.
As you can see, there was only about ½ thread holding it in.


Good luck!

Pete

spelling ownz me

 

been here and done this a dozen times or so. i pull and resell alot of 7.5" + 8.5" gears,posi and rear ends ,best luck is with a mechanics awl: along and straight pick ,usually with 1/2 thread left you can catch the lip of thread with tha awl and effectivly screw it out if not sometimes you can stand the rear up on the rt axle and let gravity assist. but worst case 2 weeks ago had one that neither worked for me . a buddy of mine had a kit for this extraction! there is a bolt that threads in where broken one came out of and it tightens againt broken remnants to hold it tight and the bolt has a small 1/8" hole in end a long drill bit goes in and drills broken pin. you remove drill+ bolt and tap in e-z out and then screw it out! i think mac tools sells this but not positive
im trying to get this kit for my tool box too! it has bolt with hole in it drill bit and e-z out ,pretty kool kit!

 

I currently have the same problem...broken lock pin. I haven't tried the gravity assist method. I'm saving pulling the entire rear as the very last resort. I have tried magnets, scribes etc, with no success. It's frustrating as h*ll!!

Anyone know fer sure who sells this extraction kit? Sounds like the ticket to me!

 

I've had this happen 3 times on me at work. All 3 times I've just hosed it with WD-40, worked the crosspin back and forth, and turned the bolt out with a scribe. It's frustrating but it works.

 

All of those a re good answers, but if you're really screwed and it's crunch time. Try finding a left hand drill bit. The problem with this is that the pin is harder than Kelsey's nuts (you remember him, right) and the case is softer so it will try to walk on you. But anyway, the drill bit will eventually work it's way into the pin and unscrew it, or drill it out, either of which is a winner. This method is used prior to committing suicide.

 

HOLD ON! There is a tool for this. I just posted this tool in another thread like 2 days ago. Here is the link for the tool kit...http://www.skywaytools.com/autopg2.html and here is what it looks like. I own one and it is a lifesaver.

Differential locking pin extraction kit.

 

The first picture back a few messages is a good pic of what a broken screw looks like. There's only 1 or 1/2 thread holding it in. There sholdn't be any torque holding the screw in but it's just hard to remove. I have yet to find one that I can't remove with a simple dental pick. Sometimes it takes longer than I want but they all come out simply by twisting it out with the dental pick.

Since there's very few threads holding it in you can always go the brute force way and put a drift punch into the hole and drive the lock screw right through but I've never tried doing that.

 

See! there's another group of people who should get a Nobel prize, but who do we give it to? some jackass dictator or writer of poetry. I say the inventor of the cup holder, JB Weld, this guy for example!! That's freakin' brilliant.

 

Yeah, I posted about how my lock pin was broken about a year ago on this board.....Magnet - done that, Pick- that too....for a long time. No go - no dice.

So frustrated, I had someone else try. Nope. And you can't drive the pin through with a punch that I can see. It's a blind hole. No hole on the other side for the pin to come out....

 

Back in the day of 12 bolts, you could hammer the pin and the bolt (being brittle) would just break and you could dig it out later. I tried that recently, and it just punched through the carrier asembly

 

Guys, there is no need to be dicking around with punches and chisels and hammers. These are all butchers tools. We are not butchers here on the thirdgen boards, we are professionals. So why not use the proper tools for the job like professionals. I just showed you how and where to buy the proper tool for the job, so buy the tool, extract that darn bolt and get on with your life already.

 

I'm probably in it then! I ordered it two days ago...I expect it should be at my door tomorrow.

 

Don't kid yourself, there are butchers on this board.

 

I used to work as a mechanic, and when I ran into that particular situation on a customer's car, I thought I was doomed! It looked just like the one in the picture. Had maybe 1 or 2 threads left on it. I ended up getting it out using the same method as the dental pick, except I used a magnetic flatblade precision screwdriver. I gotta hand to the guys on these boards though. I just added another tool to my "need to buy" list. That pin extraction kit is slick as h*ll! Definitely gonna pick up that kit!

 

I agree, that's a must have piece.