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 We then took the critical...  We then took the critical backlash measurement at a few different places on the ring gear. A dial indicator was set on a tooth of the ring gear each time, and the amount of play in the gears was measured. The instructions said to look for a backlash of 0.006-0.010. Ours measured 0.014 so additional shims were needed.  Since our backlash was loose,...  Since our backlash was loose, we needed to move the ring gear closer to the pinion gear. Bryan removed the shims, then measured and added 0.010 to the driver-side shim pack while removing an equal amount from the passenger side. He hoped to subtract roughly 0.007 from the backlash. When checked, it was exactly 0.007. He expected the gear set to loosen up after break in, so being on the tight end of the specification didn't alarm him.  We generously applied gear-marking...  We generously applied gear-marking compound (supplied with the Ratech kit), mixed with a few drops of oil to thin it, onto the ring-gear teeth evenly so that contact patterns could be easily read.  Then Bryan turned the gear...  Then Bryan turned the gear set in the direction of the drive rotation until a clear pattern was established in the marking compound. He paid particular attention to the face (toward the top of the tooth, above the pitch line) to flank (toward the bottom of the tooth, below the pitch line) pattern. A centered contact pattern from face to flank indicates correct pinion depth. A pinion that is too close to the ring will show a pattern toward the flank of the tooth; too far away will favor the face. If either of the latter had occurred, a tear down and adjustment would have been made to the pinion shim thickness. We compared the markings to acceptable patterns specified in the instructions, and this pattern on the drive side and coast side were deemed acceptable.  The old gear assembly has...  The old gear assembly has the numbers of the driven gears it will accept cast into the case. This assembly is held in place with one bolt and a Y-shaped retainer.  The original driven gear (left)...  The original driven gear (left) is a natural color, while the replacement gear (right, GM PN 1359273) is brown. The color can be hard to determine unless seen side by side.
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