Rear End Whine '01 Z28

**David Ray** · 05-08-2009, 04:34 PM

I just bought an '01 Z28 a little over a month ago. Took it to the shop to have some royal purple and a new filter put in and the mech. showed me aleak at the pinion seal. Had him replace it the same day. less than a week later a rear end noise I thought at first was the extra air I put in my tires got louder and louder (kind of like a whine or pitched rubbing sound). Took it back to the shop to see if the seal was still leaking and everything looked o.k. The mech. lifted the rear end on the rack and idled it to try and locate the noise. he thinks it's could be the rear axle bearings. Anyone have an idea? I'm new to the Camaro's having finally given up on the two Jag's I've had and got a real car. '01 Camaro Z28.

**Durango** · 05-08-2009, 04:41 PM

It probably is I've been driving mine with a noise for ohhhh 3000 miles brought it to GM dealer and he checked everything and everything was tight so they said to drive it like that we have a very severe inspection we have to pass on our cars here and it passes so I would drive it as long as the wheel bearings are good you should be ok but I'm no expert I go by what the dealership told me

Good luck

**dklowrider** · 05-08-2009, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Durango

It probably is I've been driving mine with a noise for ohhhh 3000 miles brought it to GM dealer and he checked everything and everything was tight so they said to drive it like that we have a very severe inspection we have to pass on our cars here and it passes so I would drive it as long as the wheel bearings are good you should be ok but I'm no expert I go by what the dealership told me

Good luck

could be if gear oil was drained and the limited slip additive was not put in it would take a little while for the clutches to get "washed off" by the fresh oil. then you would have noise. i understand synthetic gear oil may not need an additive though. none of this is anything you would find by visual checking. [ and of course you could have a different noise anyway] one indication is if it is worse when turning.

**David Ray** · 05-08-2009, 07:27 PM

It's not worse when I turn, but it gradually got louder each day for about three days until I took it back and let them look at it. He says axle bearings, but from what I've read while searching earlier forums, it sounds like the pinion bearing to me. I also heard that an additive wasn't necessary for a '99 and up. Is that true? 'Cause he didn't put anything but synthetic back in...no additive.

**dklowrider** · 05-08-2009, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by David Ray

It's not worse when I turn, but it gradually got louder each day for about three days until I took it back and let them look at it. He says axle bearings, but from what I've read while searching earlier forums, it sounds like the pinion bearing to me. I also heard that an additive wasn't necessary for a '99 and up. Is that true? 'Cause he didn't put anything but synthetic back in...no additive.

only reason additive wouldnt be called for is if 99 and up called for synthetic. im just assuming you dont need additive with syn cuz thats what i was told. my rear[car] was noisy when i got it so i changed oil and put in the additive, perfectly quiet now. come to think of it i never checked if mine calls for synthetic. but if you got a good diagnosis on a bad bearing only replacement will fix that. i dont know if i would call the clutch noise a whine either.

**David Ray** · 05-08-2009, 07:42 PM

Synthetic was put back in. Thepinion seal was leaking and that's what started everuthing. The seal was changed and less than a week later the noise starts up. I wonder how much a pinion gear change would cost?

**dklowrider** · 05-08-2009, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by David Ray

Synthetic was put back in. Thepinion seal was leaking and that's what started everuthing. The seal was changed and less than a week later the noise starts up. I wonder how much a pinion gear change would cost?

you know, the yoke has to be removed to replace the seal,and after the yoke was installed back on the pinion gear shaft you developed a whine. your problem could be caused by improper tightening of the nut holding the yoke onto the pinion shaft. also i assume someone checked the oil level?

**David Ray** · 05-08-2009, 08:20 PM

He checked the nut. The mech. said that sometimes they back off. I watched him replace the seal and put the oil back in, but I'm less than a layman with these cars. It is weird that the noise started after the seal replacement. The old seal was actually a new one that wasn't installed properly. It had a gap on the top and wasn't flushed in.

**dklowrider** · 05-08-2009, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by David Ray

He checked the nut. The mech. said that sometimes they back off. I watched him replace the seal and put the oil back in, but I'm less than a layman with these cars. It is weird that the noise started after the seal replacement. The old seal was actually a new one that wasn't installed properly. It had a gap on the top and wasn't flushed in.

the nut could be over tightened putting too much pressure on the bearing i believe. just looking for all possibilities.

**David Ray** · 05-08-2009, 08:44 PM

Yeah, he seemed more concerned about it backing off. He may have tightened it too much.

**Cutlass** · 05-09-2009, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by dklowrider

the nut could be over tightened putting too much pressure on the bearing i believe. just looking for all possibilities.

BINGO...thats common. A second opinion from another shop is a good idea. Tell them you had a pinion seal replaced by this other guy, now you have a rear end noise and you think he overtightened the pinion nut and ruined the pinion bearings.
The proper way to do a pinion seal is to mark (with a chisel or scribe) a line on the nut and the pinion. then when you put it back together you line up the marks or go slightly tighter and you know its back to the correct tightness.

**hutch1999** · 05-09-2009, 06:50 AM

I drove mine with a noise for a long time, then way nice day i took off from a stop sign driving normal and heard a loud pop, turns out loud whine equaled worn out bearings.

**astyles** · 05-09-2009, 10:19 AM

mine whines more than ole lady..............

**David Ray** · 05-09-2009, 05:01 PM

If the pinion nut was too tight and I only drove for about five days after the seal change, what's the chance no permanent damage was done? Can the nut be backed off and the pressure be released?

**Cutlass** · 05-09-2009, 05:08 PM

there likely is damage to the pinion bearings only

**David Ray** · 05-09-2009, 05:19 PM

Is there a way to tell if that's the problem without too much $ invested? I'm feeling wary of the shops in this area. He stated that he thinks it could be the axle bearings, but When I bought it, I was told by the salesman (a former street racer) that they had just replaced the rear end. It looks like a used rear end, but the new seal that was improperly placed the first time kind of makes me think that's true.

**Cutlass** · 05-09-2009, 05:37 PM

Sometimes if the pinion bearings are bad enough, you can grab the pinion flange and move it up down. If they is any play felt between the flange and the diff housing, then the pinion bearings are shot

**David Ray** · 05-09-2009, 05:54 PM

That sucks. I'm gonna get stuck with this for sure.

**Cutlass** · 05-09-2009, 06:00 PM

Did you have some play in there?

**David Ray** · 05-09-2009, 07:08 PM

I'm gonna have to check in the morning. I remember the mech. checked it on the rack and it didn't appear to have alot, but I don't know how much is allowable. He pulled on the tires, spun them around and said he couldn't tell where the noise was coming from.