Screwed by local shop
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Screwed by local shop 1994 Formula with 02 front end & WS6 High rise hatch.
I have read about changing the pinion seal with the mention of marking the nut and counting the threads to unscrew the nut and using the same number of threads to put it back on. I found this information after I had the local garage change it so I was not able to tell him when he did it.
Well I called the garage that did this and they wanted to look at everything.
At the garage I was standing there watching the mechanic as he looked around underneath the car put it in drive on the lift and we could hear the whining from the rear end. He then raised the car further and used a thesascope and tried to find the noise. He said the rear end (pumpkin) sounded fine which goes against his later evaluation of maybe there is a bad Pinion bearing.(see below) After he dropped the drive shaft, didn't actually pull it out, left it hanging from the tranny. Then grabbed the impact gun and whipped the pinion bolt off. He didn't mark the nut or count the threads. I walked over to him and said that is supposed to be done a certain way. I mentioned pinion load and the nut should be marked and the number of threads counted. The look on his face was that of how do you know that or **** I didn't know that.
Then him, the owner & office guy disappear for a meeting. He comes back and tells me one of the pinion bearings must be screwed up and he puts the pinion and drive shaft yoke back on the pinion shaft grabs the impact gun and puts the pinion nut back on. He then lowered the car, started it and put it in gear and the whining was less. Probably because he didn't tighten the nut the same as before. But the
crush sleeve has been collapsed from where it was originally after the first time he over tightened the pinion nut.
The office guy tells me it would be 485.00 for them to fix it. I had them dead to rights that they screwed it up. They know it & know I know it.. I wouldn't let them rebuild the axle if my life depended on it not yet pay them to do it. They spent almost 1 1/2 hours on the car checking it out and said no charge on that in the end.
I called the local Chevrolet dealer and asked them if there was a specific procedure to change the pinion seal according to their factory manuals and he said it had to be torqued to a specific torque(27ft.lb.). I asked what if someone did it with a impact gun. He said they would just be guessing as to the torque needed. He also said I could look at the manual and get copies of what I needed. I went there and they printed everything out on how to change the pinion seal. In our conversation they said if the rear end was whining it had been tightened to much. They also were concerned it might have screwed up the gears in the differential.
The dealer said they would pull the differential cover and do a diagnostic on it so I would know if the gears were screwed up or anything visible there and it would be documented as to any problems. Of course that is a 92.00 fee.
Now I won't drive it.
I have read about changing the pinion seal with the mention of marking the nut and counting the threads to unscrew the nut and using the same number of threads to put it back on. I found this information after I had the local garage change it so I was not able to tell him when he did it.
Well I called the garage that did this and they wanted to look at everything.
At the garage I was standing there watching the mechanic as he looked around underneath the car put it in drive on the lift and we could hear the whining from the rear end. He then raised the car further and used a thesascope and tried to find the noise. He said the rear end (pumpkin) sounded fine which goes against his later evaluation of maybe there is a bad Pinion bearing.(see below) After he dropped the drive shaft, didn't actually pull it out, left it hanging from the tranny. Then grabbed the impact gun and whipped the pinion bolt off. He didn't mark the nut or count the threads. I walked over to him and said that is supposed to be done a certain way. I mentioned pinion load and the nut should be marked and the number of threads counted. The look on his face was that of how do you know that or **** I didn't know that.
Then him, the owner & office guy disappear for a meeting. He comes back and tells me one of the pinion bearings must be screwed up and he puts the pinion and drive shaft yoke back on the pinion shaft grabs the impact gun and puts the pinion nut back on. He then lowered the car, started it and put it in gear and the whining was less. Probably because he didn't tighten the nut the same as before. But the
crush sleeve has been collapsed from where it was originally after the first time he over tightened the pinion nut.
The office guy tells me it would be 485.00 for them to fix it. I had them dead to rights that they screwed it up. They know it & know I know it.. I wouldn't let them rebuild the axle if my life depended on it not yet pay them to do it. They spent almost 1 1/2 hours on the car checking it out and said no charge on that in the end.
I called the local Chevrolet dealer and asked them if there was a specific procedure to change the pinion seal according to their factory manuals and he said it had to be torqued to a specific torque(27ft.lb.). I asked what if someone did it with a impact gun. He said they would just be guessing as to the torque needed. He also said I could look at the manual and get copies of what I needed. I went there and they printed everything out on how to change the pinion seal. In our conversation they said if the rear end was whining it had been tightened to much. They also were concerned it might have screwed up the gears in the differential.
The dealer said they would pull the differential cover and do a diagnostic on it so I would know if the gears were screwed up or anything visible there and it would be documented as to any problems. Of course that is a 92.00 fee.
Now I won't drive it.
Last edited by DataCom; Jul 29, 2010 at 09:24 PM.
TECH Addict
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,012
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, OK
Book time is 1.3 hrs. To do this, you have to pull the axles so you can measure the pre-load on that bearing. The average shop isn't gonna do that, cuz they can't beat the book time. The clock starts ticking the instant the mechanic gets in the car to pull it into the shop.
You'd be amazed at the shortcuts used. Most will also put your engine main bearing caps back on with an impact also during an engine overhaul. Heads, too.
You'd be amazed at the shortcuts used. Most will also put your engine main bearing caps back on with an impact also during an engine overhaul. Heads, too.
Just saying, if your rear end was whining and you brought it to a shop that said it was the pinion bearing, it doesn't matter whether he took it off with an impact gun or not, it's still a worn pinion bearing even if he tightened it back up too hard/too soft with the impact gun again.
They are a pain. A whole rebuild complete from a shop should cost you around $1000 if you want it done professionally. Goodluck and I hope you figure it out.
They are a pain. A whole rebuild complete from a shop should cost you around $1000 if you want it done professionally. Goodluck and I hope you figure it out.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Just saying, if your rear end was whining and you brought it to a shop that said it was the pinion bearing, it doesn't matter whether he took it off with an impact gun or not, it's still a worn pinion bearing even if he tightened it back up too hard/too soft with the impact gun again.
They are a pain. A whole rebuild complete from a shop should cost you around $1000 if you want it done professionally. Goodluck and I hope you figure it out.
They are a pain. A whole rebuild complete from a shop should cost you around $1000 if you want it done professionally. Goodluck and I hope you figure it out.
