Local NC Landcruiser install goes bad fast...."ZUK, can you dissect the install and give it a proper set up?"
(87 BIG pics loading)
AUGUST 20 2018

Nick, out of North Carolina, had "a friend of a friend of a friend" do his front FJ80 install. Only 20 miles of easy break-in and the 3rd starts making a loud noise. A few emails and 5 days later, I receive the box.
A nice job of cushioning the 3rd in all planes.
Initial inspection shows too much thread exposed. This basic style of nut requires a thick hardened washer and that was missing.
Some damage to the bottom of the nut and the once new triple drilled flange.
There were no paint marks from the original install so not sure how anybody can even call that a gear install but I did paint the teeth here and this drive side shows wayyyyyyyyyy deep. The pinion shim is much too thick and not casually so.
Coast side....terribly deep also.
Backlash was actually in spec though. Nothing too special to say about the bearing preloads....they were not wobbly and seemed normal.
Pinion tooth has the contact on the extreme tip/edges.
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Guess I won't be re-using that nut again.
The flange's sealing surface looks almost perfect.
No hardened washer and this is the result. In this case, it's mostly cosmetic damage.
This was a new 27 spline Yukon seal.
This bearing and the race look older than the 60 miles put on them and that could be the result of excessive metal debri in the new oil.
A crush sleeve was used.
The shim value used was .079" which is a very typical shim.
A closer look at the small outer pinion bearing/race.
The large inner race has damage consistent with metal particles in the oil (contamination damage).
Damage comparisons of the inner and outer pinion bearings.
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The carrier bearings are turning about 5 times slower but have similar damage to the race and bearing rollers.
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Out with the old and in with the new.....time for new Koyo bearings from the Nitro kit.
There was damage to the pinion threads but I had the fix.
The new nut would now spin on effortlessly.
New inner koyo race tapped in with 360 degree support.
Same with the smaller outer race.
Going to try a much thinner .061" pinion shim now.
The pinion assembly station......
Just tight enough to develope about 20 inch/pounds of pinion start torque.
The design of the journals and surrounding area is such that a puller cannot reach in there and get the bearing off.
A dremel with a grinding wheel can do it in 5 minutes.
Bingo!
Easy peasy.
To the garbage can.
The fine metal mush that the electro-magnet attracted to it in the previous weeks is visible on the inside edge of the grey ring. I will have to dis-assemble the magnetic body and clean it.
The cage is removed...
The inner race is also removed.
A screwdriver and that "just right" roll pin punch allows the pressed on ring to slowly be worked up.
A slightly larger roll pin punch allows the sleeve to work up farther....
....until it is free and clear.
That's not my mess....that's what the electro-magnet attracted to it while the ring/pinion were meshing terribly together.
2 small screwdrivers and the coiled clip can be worked loose. Kind of like taking a tire bead off a wheel.
It's free.
Yucko....this is why I had to take it apart and clean it.
Everything is totally undamaged and the particles will be blasted off thoroughly with my favorite sauce.....pressurized starting fluid.
This needle bearing might be considered the wear item with all that debri in there....but it will be squeaky clean when I get done.
This "ramp ring" gets cleaned also.
cleaned and oiled up.
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Coiled spring is easy to reseat it.....start here and work 2 screwdrivers around.
Lastly, the sleeve retainer.
I found that just right bearing "widget" and lightly tapped the sleeve down til it was seated 100%.
100% down.
Now the new Koyo TR100802-2 bearing is tapped on. A nice, tight fit at that.
This section is now complete. Now to load this Harrop into the 3rd and paint a few teeth.
Drive side 061..........Even with a much thinner .061" pinion shim the contact is still too deep.
Coast 061....way deep still.
Now to really, really go thin.....25 and 11 makes 36 so let's try .036" shim.
Drive side 036.....We just overshot it by a little....now shallow.
Coast 036....shallow.
Now trying .049"
Drive side 049....deep now.
Coast 049....too deep.
Zero'ing in on it....Driveside with .042" and this is perfect.
Coast with 042 and it's very nice. A keeper.
Drive side reverse painted.
Coast reverse painted.
Drive side of pinion tooth....comet tail is feathering towards the center(from the root) so it's perfect.
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Solid collar time.
Most of the time the oil retainer hits the edges of the solid collar.
Leaving out the oil retainer is one way to avoid contact but one could also flare the retainer up a little with this tool. Looking closely, you can see that the retainer has been flared up by using this tool on the bottomside.
That, in combination with some relief on these abrupt edges, allows for plenty of clearance.
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I got lucky, it only took 2 tries to get the collar shimmed correctly.
The collar is also clearancing the oil retainer just fine as shown.
Fan-blade slinger and Marlin Crawler seal time.
The Marlin seal is the seal of choice for the 27 spline rear Landcruiser 3rds. Oil is applied to the rubber and flange goes on.
Even with all the lubricating anti-seized used, it still took about 190 ft/lb on the nut to get the desired 10 inch/pounds of pinion bearing start torque.
Bearing caps are torqued to 70 ft/lb, wheel adjuster are set for carrier bearing preload, and backlash is then recorded on every other tooth.
Some specs are inscribed.
Lastly, the tabs are torqued to 10 ft/lb
The wiring was a little short so I offered to extend them about 6 inches. I have 2 solder certs from Hughes Aircraft Company Tucson AZ so I put that skill to use ;) mil-std-2000