Hi.

This is my first post to the forum...I gotta say, this place looks great.

now, my problem.

I have an 89 Formula WS6. Nice car. Why it came with 2.73 rear gears boggles my mind. So, I have a trusted mechanic friend who is helping me out with this (I'd do it myself, but getting the new gears dialed in is something I don't have the tools to do).

Anyway, the original posi and 2.73 gears are coming out, and a torsen carrier with some 3.23's are going in. The problem is getting the old stuff out. The damn screw that holds the C-clips in broke. Anybody out there know a good way to get this thing apart? FWIW, the old carrier is trash to me...I have no problems destroying it in the process. The only thing I want to save is the axle housing itself, the axles, and the gears if possible.

Thanks in advance, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the board!

There is two ways to remove the screw.
1. Is a large narrow punch and a (BFH) everyone should have a BFH

2. Is to tourch it out. If your carfull the quickest and easyest way to to tourch it off.

Good Luck.
SSC

 

thx for the welcome...I'm sure this will be fun.

with the punch and BFH, do I just smash the **** out of the screw? it's broken off halfway down in the hole?

with the torch, do I cut out the screw, the carrier, or the cross-pin?

I told my friend I thought it could be gotten with a torch, but he was a little nervous about cutting on it, without taking it out of the car to get it away from the fuel tank. I didn't think it was that big of a deal as long as the cap is on the tank, but it's his shop, so I have to respect his wishes

 

I would try to pop it out first but that doesent always work. With the tourch, set it high with a cutting tip and try to pop the bolt through with quick bursts. Its 50/50 if it will work without ruining some thing so. Can you get it with a drill? I have a 70deg drill that will get into tight spots maybee someone near you has one also.
Good luck!
SSC

 

The posts above look fun. But when I rebuilt the rearend on my wife's 88 Camaro (2.73 gears), the setscrew broke just as yours.

I managed to use an O-ring puller to catch the end of the threads on what was left of the screw and unthread it. If you want to salvage the carrier, I would suggest trying this.

It does work, but not as fun as cutting stuff up.

 

Drive the pin through the carrier. Turn the carrier around so you're driving the locking pin out the short way. It's a bear but I've done several that way. You won't destroy the carrier, beyond repair.

 

WOOHOO!!

I finally got my car back together!!

after fighting with that set screw, and drilling it out, it turned out not to matter, as the cross pin had seized to one of the spider gears. We build a press out of some scrap steel, and put some 4,000 + lbs of force on it, and it still wouldn't budge.

Finally, we had to give up, and busted out the SMOKE WRENCH. Cut right through that sucker in a flash (literally). Had to trash my axles for it (high heat next to heat treated steel), but it turned out not to matter, as they were 26 spline, and I needed 28 spline for the torsen.

Anyway, now I have a torsen diff with 3.23's, versus my old 2.73's with a standard posi, and it really kicks ****