I understand what Dirty is saying, but for me ...I don't know. I'll look into it in the manual. In the one pic I posted earlier, on the driver's side it looks like the entire clip is gone. I don't see it under the clutch pack (will call them lobes for now) Where the heck would it have gone. I'm going to keep trying to get this one out that is missing it's "W" ends...it's gotta come out somehow.

Question...in this pic...what is this passage in the rear of the housing? Are there drain holes into the housing somewhere or am I having brake cleaner pool up inside this area?

 

Hmmmm don't know?
Can you stick your finger in and see if it goes anywhere?

 

Al, you must have been posting the update question while I was posting mine. Basically, my update is in my last post, had some "office" work to do, about to head out and see what I can do. I'll see but don't think my hand will fit in there. Just curious as I don't want brake cleaner pooling in there and then mixing with the oil ya know?

My main priority right now is to get the broken clip out....somehow. Will update later this afternoon.

 

No probs Tim.
Just take a rag and wipe all that stuff out of that pocket.
Good luck on the clips.
Al.

 

Real close up photo, but tell me if I'm smoking crack here but If you turn and rotate everything while you spray and clean would that work as there shouldn't be any thing stationary right (ie turn driveshaft too/not just axles) and if the missing piece or fragments are hidden/wedged in there you'll get the full view up down sideways.

To assist to get clips out try visegrips (needle, small or 7wr) as you can clamp and lever with those. Just a thought.

 

That is an opening to allow the ring gear to slig oil up front to reach the pinion bearings. If you were to remove the carrier, you would see the area below where it drains to...which is the bottom of the housing. It's not a totally seperate chamber or anything like that, just keeps fluids at the front better since the pinion bearing gets the most wear.

 

Thanks Dirty, was wondering what that passage was for. Yeah, Mopa, that's what I was doing, thanks for the input.

Got the broken driver's side clip out, I had to get a little creative but it's out. As stated before it had both its "W's", but one was ready to snap off. The other driver's side is completely gone including the main body of the clip itself...nowhere to be found, I have looked with mirrors, etc...unless it got thrown up in that upper passage.

The passenger side clips I am going to leave in, they seem to be intact although they do move around slightly...so it's a matter of time before the "W's" weaken and break.

Will cross my fingers and hope they stay intact until I can get me a nice new DTT and fly Al over here to install it. Thanks all for your assistance once again, you've been more than helpful. Now...maybe I can get started on my spring/pushrod swap tomorrow.

 

Good news you got that sucker outta' there bud.
That will be the one that was starting to cut up into your carrier.
Just keep an eye on those other clips. They will move around slightly in their pockets when installed.
You've done the hard work by making sure they were intact.
As for the missing clip.......any chance a previous owner has done a fluid change and just either buttoned things back up after a fluid change and got rid of the truck?
Your way forward is to now save for a DTT instalation and pssibly gears?
Glad to help mate.
Take care.
Al.

 

Thanks Al. Yeah hopefully will be able to get a DTT as soon as possible, we will see. Economy still horrible over here in USA.

As for the original owner, I doubt it. You saw how it looked inside the valve covers, I doubt he changed the diff oil. I'm wondering if it went down that little passage in the rear.

Is the carrier on the left there...where I was pulling the clip out? If so, there are no grooves, etc. showing and that clip I got out was still intact but was in process of breakage.

 

Yeah.....the economy is crap over here as well.
It's just a big scam, so the bankers and rich politicians get even richer bud.

Anyway, the clip.
I don't think it will have gone down the pocket you mentioned. It would have fallen out the back as the diff oil circulated. and settled in the bottom.
The clip in the pic, even though it was "intact", must have had one of the end bits off for it to come out of it's pocket. As for no grooves, the end of the clip seen in the pic, even though it has the little "w" on it, is still sharp and will still cut grooves into the carrier as it's rotating round and round. You just won't see the grooves, until the whole carrier and bearing caps are pulled.
Just get that sucker out of there asap Tim and you'll be golden.
Al.