spedaleden

My buddy changed the rear end gear from a 2.72 to 3.55. It must not be shimmed right because there is a wine when you accelerate, and coast the faster the rear end turns the louder it gets. I just don't have the time to pull the rear end out again and the Chevy dealer has a great vette guy there. I took the car to them so they could listen to the rear end. The mechanic said the gears need to be reshimmed. I have about 400 miles on these gears. He told me he may be able to eliminate the noise but if the gears have wear marks he can't guarantee it. (Noise)

My question is could I damage the gears in that amount of time or should I just get a new 3.55 ring & pinion so when the chevy dealer does the work it's done. The work will take one day.

The one nice thing is everyone from service came by to look at the car. They all said it was the nicest 81 they have seen. The service manager told me he can't the car till next monday so take it home. I don't want the car here. The drive line specialist said I scared to touch it.

TimAT

From my own experience, if you've got 400 miles on the gears, it's not too likely you'll be able to re shim the gears and get the noise gone. You might get lucky, but I wouldn't count on it. Vette rears are tough, because you set right on top of it and can hear all the noise. The toughest rear I ever built was a Chevette. That thing is so small there's no room for error.

GTR1999

Some gear noise may be ok, for instance my own 72 with 336's and Toms' gears has a slight whine between 60-65 mph. I hear it only because I'm tuned to listen to them. There is no adjustment in this set. If the whine is from start through the ranges then you're not going to reshim them now. They may be set wrong or may just be the gear cut.
Do you have any pictures of the pattern or spec's like backlash and pinion drag?
Those 80-82 are such a PITA I won't work on them, worse then the 63-64's. Send it to Mike Tracdogg.

spedaleden

I guess I should order a new ring & pinion. The one in ther now is a Richmond gear sportsman. I guess I'll order from Toms Gear

79vetter

Talk to Tracdogg2 - Mike. He'll give you an honest opinion on this.

BKbroiler

I have heard from several places that Richmond gears for Corvettes are frequently noisy. I have Strange gears in mine, no noise.

spedaleden

GTR1999 & 79vetter Thanks for tracdogg2. He is bery helpful. He wants to see the pattern but he beleives I am way off. With 400 miles he beleives I should be able to keep the gears and they should be quiet.


Thanks again

69427

I'm not at all familiar with the 80-82 rear ends, as all my experience is with the rear gears in my '69. Just out of curiosity, what makes the later rear ends so unpleasant to repair?

GTR1999

They don't handle power very long in most cases. The bearing caps break, the cross shaft setup is different as are the case bearings.
Some last nder a lot of abuse others failed with the stock engine ratings.
The iron units are much better and can be modified to strenghten them where as the 80-82 aluminum units can not.