Smoothie247

Hey guys. I'm new to the forum and am needing some help with an issue I'm having - maybe someone has run into this before. (I've searched for this issue on the forums and haven't found anything, FYI.)
01 Mustang GT, 4.6, 7.5 Rear LSD

So I replaced the axle, axle seal, and bearing, and was just about finished. After I slid the axle back in, attached the C-clip to it, then tightened the axle back out by pulling it, I went to put in [what the Ford Shop Manual calls] the Differential Pinion Shaft (pic below - looks like a 1x2x4" metal wedge), and it's not going in. It looks like there's not enough clearance inside the Diff from the [spider?] gears on the passenger's side.
I've tried holding the driver's side wheel and turning the passenger's side to activate the LSD, adjusting the brass shim/clips that go between the "shaft" and the gears (pic below), and many other things. I've contacted Ford specialists, had many sets of eyes look at it with me, and consulted the All-Data software to no avail.
Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations? I've replaced axles before without this problem. The shaft/wedge is supposed to just slide back in. It appears that the brass clip/shim on the left side (with the big gear next to it) is flush with the wall of the gear housing, but the right side isn't...


Thanks in advance,
Luke.

Smoothie247

It seems the pix didn't load correctly. Let me retry...

http://s1111.photobucket.com/albums/...eproblem-3.jpg


http://s1111.photobucket.com/albums/...eproblem-7.jpg


http://s1111.photobucket.com/albums/...eproblem-5.jpg


http://s1111.photobucket.com/albums/...eproblem-4.jpg

bell206doc

First question is:
1 Why do you have a 7.5 in a GT and not a 8.8
2 The axle does not seem to be locked in completely, try readjusting it to make it flush.

cliffyk

+1 on why a GT has a 7.5" axle--also those photos are too small for my old eyes to make out anything except that it does appear to be a 7.5" axle.

Can you post a photo of the "wedge shaped" thing? I ask because the pinion shaft is a round shaft--it has some milled flats but it is round...

Smoothie247

My mistake. It's an 8.8 rear w/LSD. Bad multi-tasker.
The wedge-shaped "shaft" is pic #7. (Sorry, I don't know how to post the pix directly in the message w/out doing a link.)

bell206: I agree the axle doesn't look flush, but I've pulled it out after putting the c-clip in, and it tightens it up like normal. Also, I pulled it out, then tried putting that metal (pic 7) shaft in w/out the axle and it still doesn't go in. I hadn't dont anything differently this time to the past times.
So I'm not sure what is causing the shaft/wedge to not go in...
Thanks again.
Luke.

cliffyk

There is nothing in a Ford 8.8 LSD differential that looks like this:



Nor is what's shown in your pictures a Ford 8.8 LSD unit, it would look like this (mine) if it were:



That has got to be some other differential, perhaps some brand of "locker"...

Smoothie247

Ok so after looking through the receipts from the guy I bought it from, I found out it's an Eaton 31 spline carrier w/Moser 31 spline axles. The diff could be a detroit locker, not an LSD like I had said. Pardon my ignorance.
With this info, any recommendations?

cliffyk

Never seen one like that; of course despite my advanced years, I have also not yet seen everything.

I would remove the axle on the side that does not seem to be seating properly and make sure that all shims/spacers for the side gear are placed as they should be--it may be that one has dropped or is cocked and preventing that side-gear from seating as it should...

Smoothie247

Thanks.
Do you know if it's possible to get to those side gears w/out taking the gears and carrier apart?

uberstang1

I don't know about what you have but in a factory open diff the spider gears can be pulled out or even fall out when the pinion shaft is removed. That is not the spring load eaton LSD carrior, that looks like a detroit locker as previously state, or the detroit tru trac posi