915 rebuild problem

[INWTARGA]

I'm new to posting on the site, but I have been checking out this board for sometime now. Great resource!

Well I working on rebuilding my 915 trans on my 83 SC. Got all my new parts (wallet is feeling lighter now), put my gear stacks together and was doing a final cleaning of the main case when I noticed the tappered bearing race is able to spin. Is this normal when the dif is out of the case. If not am I screwed? Any fix?

thanks much.

[YTNUKLR]

aluminum case 915?

[INWTARGA]

yes. from a 83' SC

[dentist90]

Do you mean this race?

The one in the case I was able to easily tap out. The one In the cover was pressed in really tight. Neither would spin freely however. Check the bore for signs of scoring (from spinning), out of roundness or small cracks that might explain the looseness. If there isn't damage to the bores you might consider some bearing race cement to lock them in when you reassemble. As you may already know, replacing the bearings on your differential can become a very involved job if it throws your preload or offsets out of whack. If your diff was working well and there is no damage I would try to keep your bits and pieces as they were.
There are threads on how to reset your diff if you have to replace your diff, diff housing or bearings. Hope you don't need them!

[INWTARGA]

It is the race in the case.

I just put the new seal in the other day. I guess that will be history if I try to tap out the race. I think I may give the race cement a try. I already used some on the pinion shaft roller bearing race. I wonder what effect resetting the race will have on the current setup?

[dentist90]

The race should go back exactly where it was before. If you want to be more certain, coat the bore with the cement, slip the race back in (take note of how flush it is with the bore surface before removing it), wipe off any excess and then reassemble your diff and torque the cover down. Turn the diff a few times and let it set overnight. This way you should be able to get the race seated just right.
If you're real careful you might even be able to find a way to get the axle seal out without damaging it. Don't want to bend the metal core or nick the rubber lips

[INWTARGA]

thanks dentist for the advice. I will hope that with a little loctite bearing and race cement it will stay solid for many years to come.