Today’s featured service is Ring and Pinion Replacement on a 1992 Ford E350 Van, brought to us by a client from Gastown, Vancouver.
The Ring and Pinion are a major component of the rear differential on this 1992 Ford E350 Van. This vehicle came to us with some strange loud noises emanating from the drivetrain. Inspecting the vehicle’s underside we found the driveshaft and u-joints to be in good condition. Upon opening the differential cover the cause became very evident: the pinion gear was missing several teeth: it was a miracle that this van moved at all.
Differentials are generally very durable and broken gear teeth are rare. Most concerns are caused by noisy and worn out bearings. What caused this gear to break is unknown for the vehicle owner had recently bought this vehicle. Fortunately it was purchased for a very low price.
In order to replace the ring and pinion the differential must be completely disassembled and thoroughly inspected. When gears break, the broken teeth can cause damage to other gears. Fortunately that did not occur here. We were able to replace the ring and pinion with a good used set. We replaced all bearings, and set and adjusted the gears for proper contact and backlash. Of course we thoroughly cleaned the inside of the differential case to ensure that no particles or broken gear teeth would damage our repair.
Differential life can be maximized by changing the fluid on a regular basis: usually every 50,000 kilometers. Good driving habits will prolong gear life: never put the transmission in drive or reverse when the engine is revving high, and always be fully stopped.
For more about the Ford E350 Van click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Van
For a fascinating video on how differentials work click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIGvhvOhLHU
