Some noise already?!

[bberretta]

Sorry to hear it. It shouldn't make noise at all. Most shops have flat rate paid mechanics that won't or can't take the time to set up gears properly. Get it in and get it out type of thing.

I rarely see anyone use a pinion depth gauge anymore, and most throw the new gears in with the old pinion shims and think it'll be okay. Doesn't work that way.

I hope that's not what you ran into, and hopefully they are a stand up shop that'll make it right.

Amen to that- find a good shop you can trust and stick with them or do all the work yourself!

If the pumpkin is leaking then there are only three options- fill hole (unlikely unless they stripped it), rear cover (if they didn't install correctly and overtightened or worked loose), or pinion seal (if they installed incorrectly). Either way- they should fix it for you under warranty. Good luck!

[JHayesLS1]

I dropped it off this morning and told them to call me when they get it opened up. They called me a few minutes ago and said they're going to get to it soon and they will let me know what the cost will be to which I replied what cost? Something wasn't done right the first time and I got this "you brought it in for the 500 mile check up at 560 miles." EVEN though I brought it in last week at 510 miles for the "check up."

FML I can't get a break with this thing and I'm supposed to move in 4 weeks to a place thats 4 hours away. I wish I could of just bought a moser and called it quits.

[Firebirdjones]

I dropped it off this morning and told them to call me when they get it opened up. They called me a few minutes ago and said they're going to get to it soon and they will let me know what the cost will be to which I replied what cost? Something wasn't done right the first time and I got this "you brought it in for the 500 mile check up at 560 miles." EVEN though I brought it in last week at 510 miles for the "check up."

FML I can't get a break with this thing and I'm supposed to move in 4 weeks to a place thats 4 hours away. I wish I could of just bought a moser and called it quits.

Something tells me they probably won't do it right this time either. If this is warranty work I assume you are at a dealer, and they are using GM 3.42's??? It used to be that Yukon was the same thing but I don't know what GM is using nowadays.
Every gear set comes with dimensions as to where the manufacture wants them installed at, pinion depth and backlash. You can't even check the pinion depth unless you have the gauges to do it along with the dohnuts to mount into the carrier caps. Most shops won't take the time to do this, because, well, it is time consuming and the fact that a good pinion depth gauge can run $500 or more, not something every mechanic has in their box since it's only used for this purpose anyway.
Most will (as I mentioned) throw the new pinion in the housing with the old shims they pulled off your other gear set and call it good without checking. Then set the backlash (requires a magnetic base dial indicator) and then they might simply check the gear pattern with marking compound, if it's close they'll button it up. Most of the time this results in gear noise.
Not the way I like to do it.

Keep in mind most manufactures recommend a break in period where they want the car suspended in air (no strain on the rear at all) and run the car in gear for 20 minutes or so at a steady speed. Then they want the rearend to cool completely so the gears seat in. Only then do they recommend you drive the car, again not aggressively for a few hundred miles. Then at that point I like to change the fluid again and recheck backlash. As the new carrier bearings seat the backlash tends to open up a tad. If it's still within spec I'll leave it, otherwise I'll tighten it up a pinch.
Some gear sets claim to have a "run in" pattern already established and no break in is necessary. Again, depends on what they are using.

I highly doubt shops will do this heat up cool down cycle period either. Car has to sit for hours, and time is money. Hope this doesn't make you more apprehensive

[JHayesLS1]

I got the warranty through my credit union and the shop is known for being the place to go if your car needs work. If I knew how to do this on my own I would do it, but I just can't. I don't have the time, tools, or know how. I drove it for 500 miles without it ever going over 2500 rpms. I brought it back for the check up and here I am again. Thankfully its not as loud as it was before but still its annoying because I can't romp on it good and the urge is there. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. BTW the shop rebuilt it using all OEM parts because that is what the warranty requires.

[JHayesLS1]

The place tried saying that I burned the gears up. I said no way, it was leaking and I followed their instructions just as they said, 500 mile break in and brought it back and they told me I owed them $800 and I called my attorney, I get it back today completely fixed, free of charge.

[Firebirdjones]

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, it's up to the gear installer to perform the initial break in period, which consists of raising the car in the air and running the engine while in gear for about 15-20 minutes, getting everything good and warm and establishing a wear pattern before any strain is put on the assembly. Then it needs to sit and cool for several hours. (I usually leave them set overnight) Only then should you drive the car, and usually easy for a few hundered miles.
I don't know of any flat rate shops that will do this, time is money and they just want to get it out the door.

That's not to say however there are gear sets out there you can buy that claim they already have a wear pattern established. In which case that initial break in and cool down period is said to not be so necessary. I still do the heat cycle in the air anyway. I recently did a gear set in a 9 inch where the instructions said the gears were "run in" already. I still ran the car on the lift and then let it cool before we drove it. I'm anal that way.
I hope this new setup works out for you.

[JHayesLS1]

Yeah I doubt they did anything like they were supposed to. If it's not right I'll be renting a car and driving it 4 hours to FSU and back and my attorney can have them pay the bill. I was always very gentle with it once I had it back, that car never knew what it was like to be WOT since I had the rear rebuilt.

[30YRMUSL]

as mentioned by everyone above..... if the guy setting the unit up cares about his work enough to set back lash, pinion depth and pre load properly then you normally get NO noise from a rear end. the only ones i have ever set up that had any amount of gear whine were just from 4.10 or larger. thats usually due to trying to get all of those teeth on that small of a ring....dang GM....i do agree with firebirdjones in the fact that you have to go through a stringent wear in phase......but i have personally believed for years if its right its right... wear it in and hammer down...(BTW i used to be one of those flat rate guys lol )

[JHayesLS1]

I think I'm gonna give it a 1k break in and if its no good I'm getting a loan for a 9"

[2001camaroSS]

I think I'm gonna give it a 1k break in and if its no good I'm getting a loan for a 9"

this has to be so frustrating

[JHayesLS1]

It really is. I'm supposed to move away for school too in a month and a half that is 4 hours away and I can't be dealing with this every step of the way.