There are a few specialized tools you will need if you are planning major surgery on a differential.
If you don't already have the following, you may want to add to your tool collection:
Transmission Jack:
Really, I would not attempt this without a tranny jack or something like it.
Even with a buddy helping, putting a diff in place without a solid platform to hold it in place would be difficult.
What are your fingers worth? Mine are worth more than the price of a transmission jack.
This is the one I used:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3185
I was able to remove and replace the diff by myself using this jack.
1/2" torque wrench that can go to 200+ lbs:
You will need to torque the PPF back to ~120 lbs.
For the diff you may need to go to 200+ lbs to the the pinion bearing preload correct.
Inch lb. torque wrench:
The pinion bearing preload is measured in inch lbs.
The spec for the FD is 12-15 inch lbs (look it up, I could be wrong)
You could use an expensive dial torque wrench, but this one worked fine:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SQ3B/ref=oss_product
Sockets:
For the diff you will need a large socket set.
IIRC the pinion nut is 26mm. As the plugs on the diff cover are 23mm and 24mm, it's a good idea to just buy a set of 20mm+ sockets.
Seal puller:
Pulls seals so much easier than with a screwdriver.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=35556
Bearing/Seal drivers
Indispensible for driving bearing races.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95853
Old bearing races:
Sometimes nothing fits the new bearing quite like an old bearing race.
The carrier (side) bearings on the diff must be pressed all the way down, which is difficult to do unless you have a driver of the correct diameter. The bearing drivers won't do it. Tearing apart one of the removed bearings and using the old race worked perfectly.
Once of the attached pics shows a bearing race used to press the diff bushing.
Press:
You can do this job without owning a press.
A press will be necessary however. If you don't have a press, plan on spending a lot of time going back and forth to the machine shop.
Here's the press I used:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1667
This worked for everything except pulling the larger bearing off of the pinion.
That thing had been on there for 18 years and wasn't coming off easily.
It took a trip to a Machine shop with a 40 ton press to remove it.
I would not have bothered if I hadn't needed that spacer that was under the bearing.
This spacer just happened to be the right size for the new pinion.
Workbench:
You need a solid surface to mount the diff to while working.
I've seen a number of arrangements while googling for ways to do this.
One was a very nice bracket made from angle iron, and it bolted to the workbench and allowed the diff to be mounted vertically.
Another was scraps of wood that suspended the diff on the rim of a 5 gallon bucket.
I went a different route however. Either of those arrangements would make it quite difficult to torque down the pinion nut when crushing the crush coller.
The bench can be seen in one of the attached pics.
My bench consisted of 2 wooden saw horses with shelves screwed down on them to create a bench.
Two holes were drilled in the bench top and the diff was bolted down.
An extra leg (a 2x4) was attached under the bench at the point of greatest stress when torquing down the pinion nut.
My diff required 16o+ lbs of torqe - I didn't want to break those shelves.
Brace:
You will need some kind of tool that will hold the companion flange in place while you torque down the pinion nut.
Google for it and you can see all kinds of home made tools.
I opted for a heavy piece of plate aluminum I had on hand. It worked pretty well for the job.
However you do it, set it up so that the brace will rest against something solid, like the top of the workbench.
The bench and the brace can both be seen in on of the attached pics.
Pipe:
A trip to home depot with some specs and a caliper yielded some pieces of galvanized pipe that worked well for pressing a couple of bearings. I am not providing exact specs, as you need to measure the stuff yourself. Galvanized pipe is not made to very high tolerances and pieces will vary. You will see them used in following pics.
GM Gear Marking Compound:
Googling revealed a variety of substances used for checking gear patterns. Toothpaste, lipstick, Prussian Blue (from NAPA), diaper pintment (really). I went with GM Gear Marking Compond. It is yellow, highly visible and doesn't dry out. Plus there is no need to remove it from the gears. You can buy it online or just get it from a local GM Service Dept.
Part # 1052351 - about $10.00 US.
A level:
Yup, it is useful for measuring the width of the diff assembly, as you will see. I tried a 2 foot Stanley level, but found a magnetic torpedo level attached to a steel straightedge easier to use.
Straight Edge:
Used for some measurements.
Dial indicator:
Essential. You cannot setup a differential without a dial indicator.
I used one from Harbor Freight along with a magnetic base.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=33675
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=5645
Bearing Splitter:
You may need this to remove the rear pinion bearing.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3979
Home made gauge:
The gauge shown in the pic is something I made to measure the width of the inside of the diff case. A caliper just won't fit in there. There may be a tool already to do this, but I didn't have anything that would work. This is just a couple pieces of aluminum stock with a hole to slide a stainless steel rod through, and drilled and tapped for a set screw.
Next: The Parts