The Ghost of Engineer Past

Sitting here under the carport, ‘ghetto-fabbing’ a tool base for making a measuring tool on this differential.  By Ghetto-fabbing, I am talking me, sitting on me arse, with a peice of 1/2 plate cut rough to size and using a grinder to rough it into shape,, (need to clarify,, I am not digging into BUff just yet, only using the open case of the other diff as a pilot)

And something kept niggling at me,,, like someone standing over my shoulder, glaring at me, trying to tell me something,,,,

Grind, place near case to eyeball ‘how much more’,,, this is a drawn out process, and can quickly going from ‘a little more’ to “SHIT!!!, too much”: Many years of MacGuyverism, I can usually get just about right, then fine tune with a mill file,,,

BUMP, NUDGE  ghostly voice whispers

look at it again,,,

“Hey, maybe I should cool this thing off and see how close I am,,,,”

WHACK!!!!

look at it again,,,,,

“Wait, Wha?”  eyeballs case this time,,,,

Well, F! me!,,, so damned obvious only a ghost on the otherside, Probably in cahoots with the engineer that originally designed this case at Dana, would see it,,,,

The bearing race caps,,, bottom two bolts are directly in line with the center of the pinion,,,  The face they bolt to is dead center of the axle shaft,,, Has to be because you would never get the races in  otherwise.   Place a straight edge across those faces on the bolt holes, get a measuerment by dropping the probe from your micrometer to the face of the pinion, subtract the thickness of the straight edge,,, depth to pinion,,,,

Thanks Grandpa!!!   Never said I was the brightest bulb in the fam,  just as stubborn and ornery as you though  LOL  Love ya Grampa.  

I know that there are going to be other designs where this isn’t likely to be, but on this particular case, it will work.  NO NEED to be dropping 6 bills on a tool that I may never need again (and don’t need now, ROFLMAO!)   Still going to make my hockey puck jig for figuring the shim(s) needed,   that can be done out of anything really.  Was planning on machining some aluminum I have, but could be out of hardwood and still work.   Just needs to ride the case where the race goes, and let the pinion slip in and out but not wobble around.  (and thickness of bearing AND race: 1.275″)

Tensions of the day are now released,,,

Keep on livin’