Hey,

I have a 90 Trans Am that developed a whine in the rear. Yesterday while checking the bearings, apparently I had turned one axle with the other out, and the differential gears had moved as a result. Now the holes in the diff case and the gears don't line up so I can't get the pinion lock shaft (the shaft that sits between the axles) back in. I've tried rotating the diff, the axles with both in, one out, etc in both directions and nothing seems to get them lined up again. I can't move the gears, nor the two plates with springs by hand.

Any suggestions to get it back together?

Thanks.

 

How far did the gears move? If they moved car enough that the thrust washers came off of their seats then it's going to be harder to line them up. If they just moved a little then you can turn them back in place with the axle. Just put the transmission in park so that the pinion can't turn and then use the axle to turn the gears back in line. Putting a wheel on will help.

 

Thanks, big gear head. They moved enough that if I look in the shaft hole, it is blocked about half way. I'll try it in park tomorrow, I tried it in Neutral when I did - I don't know why I didn't think in park. [Now I remember - I had stuck the shaft in the hole so it hit the housing and prevented the case from turning as well, I thought that would be the same. ]

[Edit: Did it today in park, and got them lined up enough where a little coercion with a few light hammer taps got them lined up completely. ]