Remove 8" & 9" Ford Centersections Easily:

[drive em]

Here is a tip that will make removing 8" and 9" centersections easily the next time you need to remove one from your car. I perform this small modification on any centersection that I build, sell or work on. This will also work on 8 3/4 Mopars, and '55-'64 Chevy, Pontiac and Olds.



You first need to mark a spot between the two middle verticle holes on the case on each side of the centersection:

You now need to center punch the mark in preparation for drilling:

You can now drill a 5/16" hole on each side. De-burr the hole on each side of the case:

Tap the hole with a 3/8-16 tap:

The next time you need to pull the centersection, after removing the retaining nuts, thread a 1 1/4" long x 3/8-16 bolt into each of the holes you tappped. The bolt threading into the centersection case will evenly pull it away from the rear end housing. No more screwdrivers, pry bars or foul language. The holes will not weaken the case in any way, and they will not leak oil:

 

[AlchemyMetalworks]

Great example of a screw-jack!

 

[tonydanzah]

do these 3rd members not come out easily like the toyota 3rds?

 

[Brad54]

do these 3rd members not come out easily like the toyota 3rds?

Don't know how the Toyota comes out, but the Ford 8- and 9-inch, and Mopar 8.75 ("Eight and three-quarter") have a complete removable "chunk" or "pig."
Pull the axles out of the sides, remove the nuts around the perimeter of the case, and the whole ring-gear, differential and housing comes out as a unit.
You can have several different gear ratios set up on different chunks, ready to be swapped in as a unit.

-Brad

 

[Brad54]

A GREAT tip, by the way, and one I'll be employing on my gasser and my Duster, which both have a Mopar 8 3/4. And I might put one in my '56 Chevy, too. (currently have a Ford 9-inch for it)

-Brad

 

[Tom Hintz]

My crew guys could change the Ford 9" center assembly in under 9 minutes, in the dark, often laying in the dirt. I on the other hand would take way longer to do the same thing which is why I kept them in beer after wards!

 

[PAToyota]

do these 3rd members not come out easily like the toyota 3rds?

Same principle - third member comes out. I don't know about you, but I've had to beat on my Toyota third to get it out.

 

[adam728]

do these 3rd members not come out easily like the toyota 3rds?

Depends on what goop was used to seal it up last time it was assembled.

 

[drive em]

Same principle - third member comes out. I don't know about you, but I've had to beat on my Toyota third to get it out.

We run the required Toyota rear end in our Legends cars, and they did not come out easily until I employed this modification on the centersections.

 

[tonydanzah]

Strange i have done gears on 3 different toyota rear ends had them in and out multiple times and i never really had a problem getting them loose. Once the axles were slid out and the bolts removed i just hit the carrier with a dead blow and the weight just freed itself. Each time I think I have blue rtv.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I like your jackscrew hogshead removal. I have had a few in the past that were tough to break loose.

 

[wornoutoldman]

Great tip! Good pics! Thanks!

 

[diggerrick]

Hah!!!

I just asked this question this morning on Yellow Bullet.

Any guesses what the answer was???

http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=340446

 

[Case IH]

I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO TORQUE THE CENTERSECTION OF A FORD 9IN ON TO.......
we are putting our stock car togeather

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO TORQUE THE CENTERSECTION OF A FORD 9IN ON TO.......
we are putting our stock car togeather

I have a 1981 Ford Light Truck factory shop manual and the torque specs in it for a Ford 9 inch carrier to housing nuts is 25 to 40 lb/ft (34-54 Nm).

Hope this helps.

Charles

 

[Case IH]

I have a 1981 Ford Light Truck factory shop manual and the torque specs in it for a Ford 9 inch carrier to housing nuts is 25 to 40 lb/ft (34-54 Nm).

Hope this helps.

Charles

thanks i willl try that before we used the GNT torque setting (Good N' Tight)