posi rear questions
 

ok, 1971 C10 3.07 posi 12 bolt, 5 lug....

1) there is a bunch of crud on the gears in the carrier, not much, nothing excessive, just needs cleaning. can i use brake cleaner to clean it out good? will this hurt the posi clutches or bearings or anything?

2) just got this rear, havent put it in yet, is there a way that i can see if the clutches are worn or bad without diss-assembling the carrier?

3) on the bearing surface of one axle there is rust pitting, not surface rust but pitting, it covers about 50% of where the bearing rides on (sorry no pics) is this axle toast? i assume it will tear up the bearings which lead to problems.

4) how much scoring or wear is acceptable on a set of axles (where the bearing rides). any is bad? 5 thousands? 10 thousands? any help here would be helpful.

5) a few ring gear teeth and planetary gear teeth have similar pitting on them, on th ering gear teeth only like a third or a quarter of each tooth has the pitting, the planetary gears maybe 50% to a third of each affected tooth has rust. how long will these gears last?

thanks in advance

Re: posi rear questions
 

brake cleaner wont affect anything as far as the rust pitting issues its one of those things it not good but it might last but chances are premature wear will cause it to fail// me i'd use it up not expecting too much from it and in the meantime accumulate the parts to rebuild as new

Re: posi rear questions
 

Industrial break cleaner is what professional driveline shops use. It will work well and will not damage the gears. Dry with a pneumatic air nozzle. Make sure you re-lubricate with a quality gear oil.

I cant answer your question about the clutch wear...

The pitted axle will need to be replaced without a doubt. Find a reputable driveline shop and pick up a used axle with your spline and lug pattern. They should have some perfect or near perfect ones for pretty cheap.

If the scoring can be felt by a finger, I wouldnt put it back in. Bearing surfaces need to be 100% smooth in order for them to have a long life.

Is the pitting on the gears themselves at a contact point or the opposite side? Take a wire wheel to them (before you clean, of course) to see how extensive the damage is. If the rust is on the contact side, the gears will work, but their strength has been drastically reduced. With an open diff, they would live longer... but its a ticking time bomb either way. If you cant afford to replace them, drive with a soft foot.

Hope I helped
chevy72blu