D-18 Rebuild Question

Do you put any sealant on the shim stack?
If you don't have a dial guadge is not checking backlash going to distroy my t-case?
Also my Speedometer gear has 16 teeth but I can only find 14 and 15 tooth gears. What tooth count should it be? it is a 70 V-6. All stock as far as I can tell. Mt gear is missing some teeth.

 

Re the sealant, some do, but there was none originally. I'd suggest you do not put sealent between the shims, and either use a fillet of silicon selaer on the edges of the shims (after assembly), or else a thick coat of paint, like the factory.

 

Sealant, with a twist. I figgered out what my shim pack was going to be thickness-wise, and found a piece of aluminum the same thickness, and proceeded to make a one-piece shim. Like this.....



I made grooves all the way around the internal holes so that I could use some brush-on copper gasket goop. The idea being that the gasket goop would get into the rings, and form a good seal. Over 1100 miles, and no sign of leakage from there.

OH, and get a dial indicator with magnetic base. They aren't terribly expensive at Harbor Freight and such. Well worth the price. I wouldn't NOT check the backlash if you're going through all the trouble in the first place....

 

Any ideas on the speedo tooth count? I triple checked it today and it does have 16 teeth.

 

i posted a similiar question months ago. here's the thread. it looks a 16 tooth gear is a 3.73 ratio which would make sense with a V6 as it was either a 4.88 or 3.73 ratio in stock form. in the thread, part numbers are given, which are stamped or scribbed on the gear.

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12125&highlight=speedometer

 

Any one know where to get a 16 tooth?

 

Have you tried Herm? He had every single part I could think of and some I couldn't when I rebuilt my t-case earlier this year.

If your '70 is like mine it had the 3.73 gears. I didn't count the teeth on my speedo gear.

IMO it's worth checking the back lash - not hard to do and dire trouble if it's too far off.

 

I used spray on copper sealant on both sides of each shim when I rebuilt my D18. It still leaked so I smeared on some silicone after putting it all back together and I have no leaks now....except for where the speedo cable enters the case

 

ebay or place a wanted to buy ad here
not being made anymore, used gear best bet from donor D18
16 tooth for 3.73 ratio
22 tooth for 4.88 ratio

 

22 tooth for both 4.88 and 5.38
highest tooth count available from factory