Roll pin in trans pan? (pic)

**digitaloutsider** · 03-20-2017

So I went to install a shift kit today and found these lovely parts on my magnet. It appears to be a roll pin broken in two. I did some searching and it appears that this is part of the differential and holds in the spider gear. Is there any other place it could have come from? It looks to be mostly black in color. The car was driving fine otherwise, no issues or weird noises.

Should I R&R the diff for a different unit or just bite the bullet and get a rebuild?

**Scottydoggs** · 03-20-2017

the pin in the diff is likely 100 times larger, thats a small ass roll pin. cant wait to hear where its from.

**digitaloutsider** · 03-20-2017

Wonderful. Is TrannyMan still active around these parts? I was hoping he'd chime in because he posted in another thread about it, but all of the pictures were on ****ty ass photobucket and long gone.

**QUICKSILVER462** · 03-20-2017

Just to be on the safe side, it would be a good idea to check the differential.

**Scottydoggs** · 03-20-2017

heres the pin, not the same thing. hell its not even a roll pin, its a big fat pin/shaft really.

**QUICKSILVER462** · 03-20-2017

The diff. crosss pin is held in place by the small roll pin!

**digitaloutsider** · 03-20-2017

Well I've never looked inside of a transmission filter, but I bet it's not supposed to be full of aluminum shavings. Looks like I'm headed for a rebuild.

There's only 10k miles on this fluid/filter change, too..

**Scottydoggs** · 03-20-2017

thats death right there.

i had large chunks in my pan, fluid was all grit. it locked up on me too. wish i opened the filter to see how much was in there.

see top right of the pan and gasket. that was the side i drained it from, all the silver is chunks.

**digitaloutsider** · 03-20-2017

Well piss. I guess I need to figure out what I'm gonna do from here. I'd like a TEP rebuild, because I know Dave knows his stuff, but having to deal with shipping transmissions back and forth and installing it and everything else isn't very appealing to me at the moment.

**Scottydoggs** · 03-20-2017

i had one shipped to me, if you got a little trailer or a pick up, or even a mini van, you can cart it around easy enough. hell ive seen em in the trunk of gp's you could un crate it.

**digitaloutsider** · 03-20-2017

Well I reached out to Dave at TEP. I figure they make the best stuff in our community, so I'll deal with the headache of installing it. If it works for them, I can just drive out there and pick up the new trans when it's ready and drop my core off.

It's only about a 5 hour drive out there.

**QUICKSILVER462** · 03-21-2017

Looks like the filter did it's job. If the trans. is still functioning fine, replace the small roll pin with a new one and drive. Hopefully the differential cross pin has not slid all the way out yet.

**GTPpower** · 03-21-2017

I agree. I would pull the diff out and check to see if you can find where the shavings came from. The large pin may have moved a bit, gouging the diff cover. If that's the case, a new differential, cover, and fluid change will get you back on the road.

**digitaloutsider** · 03-21-2017

I guess that's the cheap option, just pull it out and look and see where that gets me. The trans was functioning fine beforehand. I'll try to pull it today. Thanks for the advice, guys.

**Scottydoggs** · 03-21-2017

something is getting eaten, my guess is the diff its self is chipping and shearing off chunks.

**GTPpower** · 03-21-2017

Originally Posted by digitaloutsider

I guess that's the cheap option, just pull it out and look and see where that gets me. The trans was functioning fine beforehand. I'll try to pull it today. Thanks for the advice, guys.

It's at least easy to check. Might save you a bunch of time and money.

**digitaloutsider** · 03-21-2017

It was indeed the roll pin that holds the cross shaft in. Got a sweet internally high polished diff cover now. Pretty good wear on the cross shaft itself from it, too.

I'll be replacing the diff and cover and hoping for the best.

**Scottydoggs** · 03-21-2017

that could have ended up much worse. good luck.

**QUICKSILVER462** · 03-21-2017

Good job on stopping a disaster! Make sure everything goes back exactly how it came out, paying close attention to the roller thrust bearings.

**digitaloutsider** · 03-21-2017

Thanks! I got really lucky. Good thing I didn't install the shift kit back in July of last year before I moved up here otherwise I wouldn't have cracked the trans open.

The only thing that should have come off with the cover is the little bushing/bearing you see pictured in the first image with the diff cover, right? The cross shaft fell right down into my drain pan, and I got that out, but I didn't feel anything else in there.