I have a 1990 2.73 posi with drums and took the ring and pinion from a '91 v6 with 3.23 gears. The ring was, no problem. The pinion felt like if it's not meshing well with pinion. D'oh! Do I need to shim the pinion? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I love working on my car but I don't want to invest $100 or so on a dept gauge that I'll probably only use once. Also, where can one buy that marking compound I keep reading in other threads? I’m willing to try it.

One more thing, the magnet on the inspection cover was removed to clean the part. Can I use JB weld to glue it back on?

Thanks

 

2-Series carrier (2:73) and you installed 3-series (3:23) gear & pinion, so that is is your major problem. Your parts do not match, so you did No research on this project.

 

Yes, you were tring to install 3 series (3.23 up) gears on a 2 series (3.08 down) carrier. You can buy a kit to install it which is basically just a high precision shim, or you can buy gear sets that are deigned to fit different series carrier (ex. 3.23 to fit 2 series/2.73 to fit 3 series)

 

Got it, 3.08 down 2 series. 3.23 up, 3 series. So I guess I'm stuck with 2.73's but I just might look for some that will work with 2 series carriers.

 

Your not going to be pulling them out of anything in the junkyard, you might get lucky in the classifieds section though.

 

Looked up Richmond gears. #4900031 will work but $220, ouch!

84z28350, where can I get that shim kit? Summit or Jegs?

 

Just buy the spacer. You can get them from speedway.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp...qx/Product.htm

91048305 RING GEAR SPACER 7.5"GM W/BOLTS
RING GEAR SPACER/7.5"GM
EA $44.95

 

my3rdgen, thanks for the link. But it looks like I'll be buying some 3.23's for my 2 series. My neighbor who's a damn good mechanic was pounding off the pinion, it came flying off and got chipped pretty good. At least v6 rear ends are everywhere out here. Once a month they have a half off sale.

Jeg's has some that will work on my 2 series, will I still need a shim kit?

 

You won't need the spacer.

Not if you buy a new 2 series gear that is the 3.23 ratio you want. I suggested the spacer so if you had a good cheap used 3.23 you could still use it. But since that is out of the question now, and you are buying a new gear, just get the 2 series 3.23.

 

Thanks again, my3rdgen! I noticed you have 3.73's, did you also do a change over and what brand of gears did you go with? Just wondering because 3rd gen's didn't come geared that low.

 

The rear end on my TA, since it was an 87, had a 26 spline carrier and axles. I got a 3 series 28 spline posi off ebay, then bought a Richmond Gear 3 series 3.73 ring and pinion. I could have gone to the bone yard and got a set of used 28 spline axles from an 89-92 3rd gen car, but for $275.00 I got a new set of alloy axles from Moser.

I should have used a set of 3.73s from an S-10 in the bone yard and a used set of axles. I don't know about where you live, but these parts are in bone yards everywhere here in the midwest (you just got to get muddy and go hunting).

I could have saved around $300 to $400 buying used vs new. You could probably buy all the used parts (posi, 3.73, and axles) from a U-Pull-It type wrecking yard for around $100.00 or less. Then get an overhaul kit for the rear for $125.

 

Actually, some of the earlier thirdgens did get 3.73's. I pulled a set from an 85 L69 HO Z/28 T5 car. I was stunned when I saw the ratio stamping on the ring gear with a gm part#. So they did exist on the earlier ones, they're just not very common.

 

Yup, I tried to tell that to the lady at the GM parts counter once when I was looking to buy a set of speedo gears, and she wouldn't even look them up for me. She said that GM never put a 3.73 in a 3rd gen period.

I didn't even bother to argue with her since she seemed to think she was all-knowing on the suject. I just chuckled a "whatever" at her and left.