I cannot seem to get the pinion (yoke) out of the housing. It appears there is a 1 1/8in nut over a short threaded shaft that comes out toward the drive shaft. I have the total diff disassembled and cannot get this nut to turn at all! I was wondering if anyone knows what I am referring to and what I can do to get the pinion gear out and the yoke off. This is a 12 bolt diff on a
78 chevy pickup. Thanks for any postings."Yo" wrote
That nut can be very tight. If you don't have access to an impact wrench, then you need to fabricate a long bar with two holes at one end that will line up with two of the four holes in the pinion yoke. Then use the bolts that secure the straps to the yoke, and bolt this bar to the yoke. Then you will need a good long strongarm bar to be able to remove that pinion nut. Once you get the nut off, you need to get the yoke off the shaft. I use a harmonic balancer puller which works quite well. If you plan on take the pinion out, do not beat directly on the end of the shaft, unless you plan on replacing the ring and pinion set. Use a brass drift between the pinion shaft and your hammer.
Of course, a good impact wrench will buzz that nut off quite easily, and you can even hold the yoke with your hand while doing it.
Ian
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