Bought a junk yard e locked rear end, is this concerning?

Picked up a e locked rear ended to swap into my 2001. It came off of a taco of the same year and gear ratio that was a front end collision. Just drained the rear diff and found these shavings, is this enough to be concerning? There were no chunks on the magnet, just shavings and the fine pulp from normal wear.

 

Probably just swarf from manufacturing and/or normal wear and tear. Not everyone does judicious changes of their differential oil.

If you see bronze chunks that's worrisome - but those look OK to me.

This advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

 

Hard to tell with one data point. You have no other info.

On the truck, flush and fill drive 10,000 miles and recheck. If it's still off the truck open the cover inspect it and finding nothing obvious put it back on the truck and drive it 10,000 miles and check again.

Likely non issue.

 

Ahhhh. Thats an issue. There's no bronze in the diff. That looks like a spider gear shim. Hard to tell without seeing it in person. I've never found pieces like that from manufacturing.

 

It is not in the truck it would be foolish to not pull it apart and check things at least The way I think

 

I agree. Those are big. This ain’t a model A where you can just wrap a piece of bacon around your crank shaft mains. Looks like too much and too large to be manufacturing gunk.

 

This is starting to get way above my experience level

 

How involved is removing the third member, checking it out, and replacing it? Doesn’t seem like it’d be as simple as unbolt and bolt back on

 

the axles have to come out first. It's the 4 bolts behind each brake.
Yes, this will be easier before it's under the truck.
Is there a shop near by? Unless it was something obvious, it would be above my experience also BUT there are several guys here who could point you through a fix if you're willing to take it on.
I wouldn't think a spider washer to be too bad but resetting a pinion?????????????

Ask and you shall receive tho.

 

Would it be worth picking up a borescope and looking through the drain/fill holes? Or should I just pull it?

 

Exactly. Take it apart and see for yourself what's inside.

A good practice with any junkyard find.

 

ripper apart, honestly not that hard. its better to actually see what's going on inside rather than just risk it then have to rip it apart down the road anyways..

 

yea, looking isn't going to be too bad, axles and then it comes out rather easily.
fixing if needed? Burn that bridge when you get to it.

 

Annnnnddd...down the rabbit hole I go...



Now just unbolt the 3rd member?

 

This will also be a great time to make sure the locker works like it should

 

Silver linings. I like it.

 

Did you know this Truck ??

Was the owner a friend of yours ??

Maybe you were in the truck when it got hit??

 

None of the above

 

Pull the locker actuator and slid the fork in toward center to get it to come out. Sometimes you have to get the teeth of the ring gear lined up just right for it to come out.

 

Oh and it's a heavy little bastard to.