Drivetrain Whine After Deep Water

[AMS417]

I will do this and give an update. Is there a spec for the torque on the pinion nut? Or does that change the backlash if over or under tightened?

Dana 35 or 44?

Edit: You said Dana 35 earlier. No torque spec since its crush sleeve style.

 

[vito2772]

Dana 35 or 44?

Dana 35

 

[AMS417]

Dana 35

Edited above. It is crush sleeve so no final torque spec. It can change the preload if you overtighten it but that would probably take 200ft lbs to do according to what I am reading. Might not be your issue, but would eliminate a suspect.

 

[Mrhp]

When tightening a loose pinion that has been run like such, I remove the nut and add red loctite. I then install the nut, tightening it until there is no up and down movement of the pinion. That’s all! Do not add any preload. Adding preload to a set of bearings that have been run loose is a recipe for disaster. Pinion should turn freely. Hopefully this will work. If not, a rebuild of your differential will be in your future.

 

[Blackjack]

When tightening a loose pinion that has been run like such, I remove the nut and add red loctite. I then install the nut, tightening it until there is no up and down movement of the pinion. That’s all! Do not add any preload. Adding preload to a set of bearings that have been run loose is a recipe for disaster. Pinion should turn freely. Hopefully this will work. If not, a rebuild of your differential will be in your future.

I use this technique when replacing the seal and I find that the nut should be tight at about 90-100 lb/ft. Over about 150 and you need to tear the diff down.

 

[Goatman]

If the whine is only when under load then you can pull 1 driveshaft and take a test drive. If the whine is gone then that axle is the problem. Then pull the other shaft and take a test drive. If the whine is gone then that is the problem. If after that and the whine has remained constant (only under load for both test drives) then it is most likely in the transfer or the trans.
Removing a driveshaft will eliminate any load being placed on that axle, while keeping the load to the other axle. It could be in the driveshaft or axle of that side. That's the easiest way to keep load while eliminating part of the drivetrain. If it only happens under load then shifting transfer to neutral should show nothing. IF the sound is still there with transfer in neutral then having it under load isn't the main indicator.

 

[vito2772]

Thought I would give a final update. Went back to the gear shop that did my regear and explained the situation. Upon their diagnoses, they believed it was also the pinion bearing. They warrantied the new revolution gears and master install kit, and only charged me for the labor. Upon disassembly, they saw my rear shoes also were contaminated and I needed to change those as well.

Currently breaking in the new gears with all the problems solved. I appreciate everyone's help on this thread.

Almost had a hairy situation on my way to the shop to get it fixed. I go to college upstate from my house (1 hour drive) and from the shop, so I was going to stop home to drop my stuff off, and then go right to the shop. When I was driving home, I noticed the rear felt a little more squirrely than just a whine. Jittery. I stopped home for 2 mins and went to the shop and dropped it off. When I got back home, the driveway was COVERED in difff fluid!! I only stopped home for a couple minutes and my whole driveway was a rainbow(I didn't notice when I was there), and oh yea it smelt like delicious diff fluid!!! It must have been dumping it out of the pinon yoke, since there was so much driveshaft play....Must have got to the shop just in time. Not sure how much fluid I could have had left....