3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
- Thread starter TalkRadio
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RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
Boy, I'll tell you what: the more I look at this pumpkin, the more I am impressed with it. I assumed that it was not prefilled. We all know what happens when you assume something, don't we?
Well, I kept it level and pulled the back plug out of it and I can see fluid in there already! It's not quite up to the bottom of the drain plug, but close. What does this mean it terms of friction additive? Has it been added at the factory? Do I still need to add the additive? Top it off with gear oil after that?
Any suggestions on what to do with the old 3.27?
Boy, I'll tell you what: the more I look at this pumpkin, the more I am impressed with it. I assumed that it was not prefilled. We all know what happens when you assume something, don't we?
Well, I kept it level and pulled the back plug out of it and I can see fluid in there already! It's not quite up to the bottom of the drain plug, but close. What does this mean it terms of friction additive? Has it been added at the factory? Do I still need to add the additive? Top it off with gear oil after that?
Any suggestions on what to do with the old 3.27?
RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
The manual says to mark the lower control arm bushings AFTER the upper has been removed and tied back. This is done to prevent wind up or preload on the bushings as you mark them in a relaxed position and you want to reassemble them in the same relative position. Otherwise, you could have some torque inadvertently applied to the bushings and control arm upon reassembly.
As far as the friction additive, I would confirm the status with whomever you purchased it from and find out what gear oil they prefilled the unit with. I believe the manual states the fluid level should be 1/4" below the plug on the rear cover.
Sell the 3.27s complete to someone looking to build a 4.10 rear from parts(as I did). They will need the locking differential of their choice, the ring and pinion and the installation kit to transform the unit to a 4.10 rear ready to install.
The manual says to mark the lower control arm bushings AFTER the upper has been removed and tied back. This is done to prevent wind up or preload on the bushings as you mark them in a relaxed position and you want to reassemble them in the same relative position. Otherwise, you could have some torque inadvertently applied to the bushings and control arm upon reassembly.
As far as the friction additive, I would confirm the status with whomever you purchased it from and find out what gear oil they prefilled the unit with. I believe the manual states the fluid level should be 1/4" below the plug on the rear cover.
Sell the 3.27s complete to someone looking to build a 4.10 rear from parts(as I did). They will need the locking differential of their choice, the ring and pinion and the installation kit to transform the unit to a 4.10 rear ready to install.
RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
I got this rearend from Max @ Five Star Ford. I emailed him with this questions and he wrote back and said that the pumpkin is filled and ready to go with both fluid and additive. He says he only sent the additive for draining and refilling after break-in. If you're saying that it's supposed to be about 1/4" below the fill plug, then that's about where it already is.
You can't get much easier than this. Kudos to Ford for how they sell this thing.
I got this rearend from Max @ Five Star Ford. I emailed him with this questions and he wrote back and said that the pumpkin is filled and ready to go with both fluid and additive. He says he only sent the additive for draining and refilling after break-in. If you're saying that it's supposed to be about 1/4" below the fill plug, then that's about where it already is.
You can't get much easier than this. Kudos to Ford for how they sell this thing.
sleeper
Former LOD President
RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
if you're re-using your pumpkin and swapping the gears in yourself, you have to remove and install the pumpkin the same way but you have to set the gears up properly while it's out. There's a specific procedure for that. Is that what you meant?
if you're re-using your pumpkin and swapping the gears in yourself, you have to remove and install the pumpkin the same way but you have to set the gears up properly while it's out. There's a specific procedure for that. Is that what you meant?
RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
Even if you are just changing gear the rear end has to come out becauseboth axels fave to be out to remove the ring gear.
Keith
93 BLACK
93 MAROON
Only use the brakes to stop and get gas.
I only remove the passanger side Axel and spindle that way I don't even touch the exaust.
Even if you are just changing gear the rear end has to come out becauseboth axels fave to be out to remove the ring gear.
Keith
93 BLACK
93 MAROON
Only use the brakes to stop and get gas.
RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
It looks like some of the previous posts to this thread may have been lost during the "maintenance" of the forums. One hanging question that I know I had was: does anyone know the size of nut on the other side of the infamous "Torx 50" on the spindle? I want to go ahead and just buy that wrench. My pumpkin swap job has been postponed for another week due to a helper not being available so I have time to get this wrench.
Also, I believe there was a little bit of talk about which side of the car is better to disassemble for pumpkin swap: R or L? And, does the dual exhaust on the LSC get in the way of lowering the pumpkin?
Thanks.
It looks like some of the previous posts to this thread may have been lost during the "maintenance" of the forums. One hanging question that I know I had was: does anyone know the size of nut on the other side of the infamous "Torx 50" on the spindle? I want to go ahead and just buy that wrench. My pumpkin swap job has been postponed for another week due to a helper not being available so I have time to get this wrench.
Also, I believe there was a little bit of talk about which side of the car is better to disassemble for pumpkin swap: R or L? And, does the dual exhaust on the LSC get in the way of lowering the pumpkin?
Thanks.
RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
...It took a little longer than planned, ...
[/div]
Doesn't it always?
Actually, I guesstimated 3-4 hours swapping mine with a helper, and we were right on schedule.
Enjoy the ride!
[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
...It took a little longer than planned, ...
[/div]
Doesn't it always?
Actually, I guesstimated 3-4 hours swapping mine with a helper, and we were right on schedule.
Enjoy the ride!
RE: 3.73 Pumpkin swap tool & procedure checklist
Oh... settle down Sleeper!!! I drove it for about 30 mile when I got it done and then parked it becuase I had to do family stuff!! It was worth the effort overall. I wish it didn't cost as much as it did to get the improvement that it yielded though. This is just wishful thinking!
One gripe I've always had about the DOHCs is that they're so lacking in low end torque. Personally, I think Ford could have done better with this. Anyway, now it seems like the "deadness" below about 3500 is less noticeable now. When taking off from a light and you dip into it a little bit, the deadness is much less noticeable. Actually, when you apply one of those "calibrated from years of drivng the car" dips into the throttle and you're next to another car that's also accelerating at a normal rate, your "rate of leaving the guy" is definitely quicker and more noticeable. e.g. your window frame passes his door as at a quicker pace. This is all with the same partial "calibrated" jab of the throttle.
Also, the factory shift point of about 6000 now seems noticeably short. This is, no doubt, because it's revving up quicker. So, manual shifts are gonna be the norm when I want to get "sprited" shall we say.
I'm also getting a little bit of gear whine under a coast from about 48mph down to about 40mph. I've had 2 other Ford products with factory 3.73s and they both had audible (albeit barely audible) gear whine. I'm hoping that this clears up with a few thousand miles! The original 3.27s were silent all the time.
For the install, I ended up taking both spindles off. It was easier to remove both sides instead of wrestling a heavy pumpkin around and trying to insert one axle at the same time. Fortunately, I have a nice die grinder that made clipping that infamous Torx-50 bolt a pretty easy task.
I had supported the car with jack stands under the rear control arms so the air springs were supporting weight. This made marking the position of the spindles unnecessary too. I just bolted everything back together and the lower bushing were not preloaded in such a way as to affect ride height and, thus, maybe messing up the rear alignment.
If I had to do the job again, I could do it in less than 3 hrs. Of course, there's always learning curves on things like this. If I had a lift, it would have been a piece of cake.
So, for those on the fence about whether or not they'd spend the jingle to do this mod, I'd say it's worth it. It puts more smiles on your face when you're leaving a light. It would really wake up a base VIII with 3.07 gears. That would be a really great mod for those guys.
That's my two cents worth for the day on this. Thanks again to all that helped.
Oh... settle down Sleeper!!! I drove it for about 30 mile when I got it done and then parked it becuase I had to do family stuff!! It was worth the effort overall. I wish it didn't cost as much as it did to get the improvement that it yielded though. This is just wishful thinking!
One gripe I've always had about the DOHCs is that they're so lacking in low end torque. Personally, I think Ford could have done better with this. Anyway, now it seems like the "deadness" below about 3500 is less noticeable now. When taking off from a light and you dip into it a little bit, the deadness is much less noticeable. Actually, when you apply one of those "calibrated from years of drivng the car" dips into the throttle and you're next to another car that's also accelerating at a normal rate, your "rate of leaving the guy" is definitely quicker and more noticeable. e.g. your window frame passes his door as at a quicker pace. This is all with the same partial "calibrated" jab of the throttle.
Also, the factory shift point of about 6000 now seems noticeably short. This is, no doubt, because it's revving up quicker. So, manual shifts are gonna be the norm when I want to get "sprited" shall we say.
I'm also getting a little bit of gear whine under a coast from about 48mph down to about 40mph. I've had 2 other Ford products with factory 3.73s and they both had audible (albeit barely audible) gear whine. I'm hoping that this clears up with a few thousand miles! The original 3.27s were silent all the time.
For the install, I ended up taking both spindles off. It was easier to remove both sides instead of wrestling a heavy pumpkin around and trying to insert one axle at the same time. Fortunately, I have a nice die grinder that made clipping that infamous Torx-50 bolt a pretty easy task.
I had supported the car with jack stands under the rear control arms so the air springs were supporting weight. This made marking the position of the spindles unnecessary too. I just bolted everything back together and the lower bushing were not preloaded in such a way as to affect ride height and, thus, maybe messing up the rear alignment.
If I had to do the job again, I could do it in less than 3 hrs. Of course, there's always learning curves on things like this. If I had a lift, it would have been a piece of cake.
So, for those on the fence about whether or not they'd spend the jingle to do this mod, I'd say it's worth it. It puts more smiles on your face when you're leaving a light. It would really wake up a base VIII with 3.07 gears. That would be a really great mod for those guys.
That's my two cents worth for the day on this. Thanks again to all that helped.