As I mentioned in a previous post, I need to R&R a leaking differential housing gasket on my '89 Toyota 4WD Truck (~160K miles). I figured that this might also be a good time to replace the differential pinion oil seal, even though it's not currently leaking. My only concern comes from reading warnings such as this:
"The proper adjustment of the relationship of the ring and pinion gears is critical. It should be attempted only by those with extensive equipment and/or experience. Doing it incorrectly is noisy and expensive."
I have experience and I have a good set of tools. I do not have the special Toyota service "counterholding tool" for locking the pinion while removing or installing & torquing the flange nut, although I probably can fabricate one.
So, my question is: is this job really that difficult to do correctly? It doesn't seem like it from reading the repair guides. On the other hand, I really don't want to screw up my differential by getting the pinion pre-load wrong. Would I be better off taking the removed differential down to the Toyota dealership (or a Toyota specialty mechanic) and have them replace the seal and ensure it's within factory specs?
Thanks for your input!
- Michael