[Fastbasser]

Approx how many hours labor is there in replacing the rear end in my 2000 Vette with an auto trans? Want to get rid of the 2:73s. Will be needing a 3:42 rear also.

Thanks to all in advance.

 

[T.M.]

not sure on that,but i did recently hear about having to have the rear sub-frame aligned to the car,not just a tire alignment,my dealer said they send it out somewere(wouldn't say where),it's a little tricky,so it's not just a bolt on swap.
curious to hear from someone who watched the entire swap,and seen this done.most people probably just pick-up there car and don't realize this was done,or supposed to be done.if not done,pinion angles,driving and tracking may be affected.
so i thought i will do the gears my-self,wrong,the tools that are required to rebuild a get-rag rear end,cost more than an after market rear-end.
i decided i want the same top speed 175+,so i'm thinking Yank 3000 torque convertor.(with 3:15 gear).thats a very proven combo.and .4 tenths of the 1/4 mile.:excited:
i will be watching to see what you do...:buhbye: :smokin:
i'm sending an e-mail to master vette tech about this,so i will post what he say's.:smokin:

 

[stilcrazee]

Try PM'ing or Emailing VetteTech81, go to members (on header above) I think he is on page 52? has link to email and pm. ask him his name is Rick.

 

[Patrick]

Try PM'ing or Emailing VetteTech81, go to members (on header above) I think he is on page 52? has link to email and pm. ask him his name is Rick.

Or.... click "members" then just click "advanced search".... and search for his name.:thumbsup:

 

[T.M.]

Try PM'ing or Emailing VetteTech81, go to members (on header above) I think he is on page 52? has link to email and pm. ask him his name is Rick.

no disrespect to any techs on this forum,but the guy i talk to is one of the best C5 mechanics in the country,i trust every single word he says,and there's nothing he hasn't done.:thumbsup:
i will read more stuff by VetteTech81,so i can be more familiar with his work.i have seen him post....:smokin:

 

[Patrick]

Yea? I e-mailed my vette tech, because he'll fix my vette at my house AND he'll bring me beer, hookers and a Ouija board. So, I go along with anything he says.:thumbsup:

:rolling: I'm kidding!

 

[T.M.]

and a Ouija board.

:laughing:
Ouija,that must be the secret.i must go find mine.
VetteTech81 knows who i'm talking about,iv'e seen him in on a discussion or two with the tech i'm talking about.as a matter of fact,they had a vette mechanic contest last year,i can't remember exactlly who won(i think it was vettemaster)and both techs are in touch with each other.
damn, you said beer,i haven't had a beer since the super bowl,sounds pretty good right now,it's 8:30p.m.,and still 80* and 84% humidity with no wind at all-another words,it's very sticky outside.:down: a/c is on high.......:smokin:

 

[The Torch]

Must be nice Todd. When I got up this morning it was 36. This is the south. It's supposed to be 66 or 76 not 36. Cold weather sucks.

 

[T.M.]

Must be nice Todd. When I got up this morning it was 36. This is the south. It's supposed to be 66 or 76 not 36. Cold weather sucks.

Hey Torch,
funny,they say the grass is greener on the other side.i would love to go play in the snow.i haven't went snow skiing in over 10 yrs.
then again,i'm sure after a few days in the cold i would probably be heading back to the airport :laughing:

 

[The Torch]

Todd, Just for you buddy (Thought I'd beat Pat to google.)

 

[T.M.]

:thumbsup: i think i might forget how cold it can get over in the mainland.when it's 55*(rare)over here,i got sweat pants and socks on,and bust out the thick bed-spread...:laughing:

 

[T.M.]

Aloha,
i just got a reply on the rear end,a lift is a must,the rear sub-frame along with the diff will come out,the pain is setting every thing back right,but maybe you could do it at home (if you can get the car high enough)reassemble,and tow it (flat-bed)to the dealer and have them align the subframe.....of coarse call them before you start the project...:laughing:
damn,sorry,i forgot to ask how many hours they would charge.
the computer needs programing afterwards.good luck....give an update later please.....:smokin:

 

[VetteTech81]

Aloha,
i just got a reply on the rear end,a lift is a must,the rear sub-frame along with the diff will come out,the pain is setting every thing back right,but maybe you could do it at home (if you can get the car high enough)reassemble,and tow it (flat-bed)to the dealer and have them align the subframe.....of coarse call them before you start the project...:laughing:
damn,sorry,i forgot to ask how many hours they would charge.
the computer needs programing afterwards.good luck....give an update later please.....:smokin:

I'm not shure how many hours they charge to swap a diff..

I can say however it's not crucial to align the subframe.. as long as you do not mess with the alignment adjustments on the lower controll arms you should be ok. You can do this job on the ground but it's a pain in the ass.. much easier with a lift... and as stated you will need the PCM reporgrammed for the gear change..
-Rick

 

[RT66Z06]

Approx how many hours labor is there in replacing the rear end in my 2000 Vette with an auto trans? Want to get rid of the 2:73s. Will be needing a 3:42 rear also.

Thanks to all in advance.

Are you planning on swapping the entire differential or just replacing your existing ring and pinion set with the 3.42:1 set in the current housing?

The reason I ask is that there is more labor involved when replacing the ring and pinion. You have to make sure the two gears are properly aligned or else you'll get a horrible whining noise caused by a too-tight fit or a slapping noise caused by a too-loose alignment. Since the 3.42:1 pinion gear is smaller in diameter than the 2.73:1 pinion the ring gear needs to be shimmed to move it closer to the pinion. This is a time-consuming, iteritive process when done correctly. A very experienced differential mechanic can get it done in one shot because they can judge distance and correlate that to the correct shim thickness and quantity. The parts bill will be cheaper however (count on paying for new bearings; I believe the pinion bearing is pressed on and is not reusable).

If you replace the entire housing with an aftermarket reconditioned unit the labor is less but the parts cost much more. If you do the latter, inspect the ring and pinion alignment when you get the unit. Remove the rear cover plate and spread some white grease on the pinion gear and rotate it one full revolution. The grease should be spread evenly in the very center of the ring gear teeth. If the alignment is off you will see grease either on the toe of the gear teeth (outer edge), or on the heel (inner edge). Either way the ring and pinion need to be realigned (shims added or removed or different thickness shims used). If there is improper alignment return the unit. If you pay to have it aligned you lose the savings of replacing the entire housing.

You will be able to tell if the work was performed correctly if you hear no strange noise eminating from the rear. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, take it back immediately. Continued operation will damage the gear set.

Call the dealer and ask them what they charge. It should be a flat-rate listing in the GM labor book, but you may get a better job if you pay the hourly rate for actual hours required. It's more incentive for the mechanic to take time to do it correctly the first time (but it's no guarantee, sadly). Figure on 4 hours to replace the entire housing and 5-6 hours to replace the ring and pinion (the extra time being a worst-case scenario if there is an alignment issue).

You have to return your old housing or pay a pretty steep core charge.

Ray

 

[T.M.]

i think 4 to 5 hours is a little "lean",maybe if 2 guys are working on it.remember,you can't just drop out the housing,the whole rear end and sub-frame must come out.
and like mentioned above,if your doing just the bearings ring and pinion,the tools required for this job cost more than a re-built high performance rear-end:surprised.tools like youv'e never seen before.iv'e set a few rear-ends up (gm.10 bolts with 3:73s)i would not even attempt a get-rag.if you go this route,(just ring and pinion)i would let the dealer do it.they may be able to program with the "tech-2" at the same time.if i can find a exploded view of the get-rag i will post it,these ain't your typical rear-ends by any means.
and the drivers side seal has to be done with the upgraded kit(and installed properlly)or you'll have the famous c5 rear-end drip.if you have never done a get-rag,don't try your self...thats all i can say....the internals anyway.

 

[RT66Z06]

i think 4 to 5 hours is a little "lean",maybe if 2 guys are working on it.

Typically that's exactly the way it works and bear in mind that they (dealer mechanics) make maximum use of air tools and that they have all the special tools required for the job. They also do not necessarily follow all the admonitions in the shop manual when performing this type of work which saves them time. I agree, and don't believe I was suggesting otherwise, that this is not a do-it-yourself job.

It's worth pointing out also that if the dealer performs this work on a car still covered under warranty, the warranty becomes null and void. The replacement will be entered into the nationwide service database and will be visible to any dealer afterwards.

Ray

 

[T.M.]

i wonder if Fastbasser is still considering this,he hasn't posted since the thread started?good point on the warranty,even if someone else does the work,the minute the tech 2 goes on the car for future scanning,they will notice the program was changed for the new gear.,,
the reason i mentioned the dealer doing this,is i called every tranny/rear-end specialist in honolulu,none of them have the tools to change internals on a c5 rear,(c4 yes),and they are not going to invest in them any time soon,one even admitted he would not even attempt it.:laughing:
now here's a question i'm going to ask my dealer next week,
if i'm putting in a G.M. 3:42 rear(out of a 6-speed car)and have them do the work.why would it void my warranty,it's not an aftermarket rear?and the program is the G.M. 6-speed program,which the dealer will do.i will tell the i'm going to call the regional manager if i have too.just incase i decide myself to do this mod.most of my warranty is toast ,suspension anyway.have a good weekend all.....:smokin:

 

[Fastbasser]

still on!!

Gntlemen,

Yes, the swap is on. I located a complete 3.42 and am in the middle of arranging an install.

Since I have accepted the fact that I am sorta crazy, I expect to have a Corsa Indy exhaust and some type of a high flow airbox installed as well.

I hope to have it all done in 2 weeks.

That will be it before it goes to sleep for the winter in the beginning of November.

Note, I did not buy this new. It now has about 38K on it. I do have an aftermarket extended warranty. I doubt it should be affected by the gear change.

Thanks to all..

 

[RT66Z06]

i wonder if Fastbasser is still considering this,he hasn't posted since the thread started?good point on the warranty,even if someone else does the work,the minute the tech 2 goes on the car for future scanning,they will notice the program was changed for the new gear.,,
the reason i mentioned the dealer doing this,is i called every tranny/rear-end specialist in honolulu,none of them have the tools to change internals on a c5 rear,(c4 yes),and they are not going to invest in them any time soon,one even admitted he would not even attempt it.:laughing:
now here's a question i'm going to ask my dealer next week,
if i'm putting in a G.M. 3:42 rear(out of a 6-speed car)and have them do the work.why would it void my warranty,it's not an aftermarket rear?and the program is the G.M. 6-speed program,which the dealer will do.i will tell the i'm going to call the regional manager if i have too.just incase i decide myself to do this mod.most of my warranty is toast ,suspension anyway.have a good weekend all.....:smokin:

Todd,

I paid a visit to Connell Chevrolet, in Costa Mesa, CA. I spoke with my service adviser and their differential specialist. They quoted me 4 hours of labor for a cost of $336 to swap the final drive unit complete, with an approximate additional $50 for gaskets, fluid, and the "environmental disposal charge" here in California.

If I wanted them to open up the rear and verify proper alignment that would be another .5 hours, and if the gears were misaligned there would be an additional charge for correcting that with the total not to exceed six hours (plus the minor cost of any shims needed).

The warranty issue is spelled out in painful legalese in the warranty document in with the owner's manual. In English I interpret this to mean that Chevy warrants the vehicle with the equipment as designed and delivered by Chevrolet. The inference is that if the car was delivered with an auto trans, they will only warrant the car if it has the ratio specified in the RPO for the auto trans. There are also emissions certification issues involved. They will warrant a swap of a 2.73:1 unit with the 3.07:1 unit since that is RPO G92.

I scheduled an appointment to have the 2004 Z06 rear dampers and the 2004 Z06 rear anti-roll bar bushings fitted to my 2001 Z06 (along with the aluminum end-links). It took a call to the Chevy zone manager to verify that this would not void the warranty. The dampers are considered "replacement units" and are not an issue and and so are the bushings and end-links.

Ray

 

[T.M.]

Wow,good info,
i will believe what your dealer says,as they probably do lots of work in there shop,there's only one c5(specialist) and he is far from a specialist at my dealer,there's just not a lot of c5s for him to work on here.he said it would probably void the whole power train warranty.i just talked to him a few minutes ago.
iv'e heard that some dealers will warranty a stock c5 with a pro-charger bolted on.and i think that it's also listed on the S.E.M.A. mods list(which i can't find anywhere)it's a list of c.a.r.b. certified parts that will not void warranties.headers,cams,exhaust,etc...people have brought this to court with them even.i will try to find it,another member wanted it also.the web site was in a recent corvette fever edition.i will keep looking or do a search later....:smokin: