Ford Lincoln 8.8" Rear Differential Overhaul 

Good job there Car Doc .my 2004 Towncar has 749.000 miles and I'm just doing first rear end job. My pinion gear finnally said fix me. It's been a hell of a good car.

Wow! Can't believe I watched the whole video...It was a real treat watching you work..Thankyou ☝

My Lincoln town car has rear seal oil leak , I replaced the seal and bearing today after I watch this clip. Your video is brief and spectacular !! Thanks for your video was very helpful !!

I have only rebuilt 2 differentials in my career and this video was a great refresher. I don't understand why so many techs are afraid of differentials. They are great straight forward repair work - and you make it look very easy. Thanks for the video and the laughs.

Fantastic video! Your customers are lucky to have you as their mechanic. Job very well done, sir!

Thank you for such a Masterfully, filmed, explained, executed and detailed video❣️🤩😌

27:00 if you're removing the bearing, just let the bearing push against the seal and pull them both out together with the slide hammer.

Car Doctor, thank you very much on all the knowledge and how to get it done, you helped me tremendously. that was a great key point on removing the abs sensor so I can get to the C-clip. you are the man , God Bless you. I changed my right side axle shaft 04 lincont town car 296000 miles!

Mine developed noisy bearings around 180k. The transmission shop quoted $1000 to go through it and change everything. Instead, I found a good, low mileage rear axle from the salvage yard and installed it in an afternoon. $350. These 8.8's seem to be everywhere right now, and changing out the whole assembly saves a lot of work.

I have done axle seals and bearings, and pinion seals, but never the whole diff. You made it look easier than it probably is.

Awsome job. I can say i will be using this video for my crown vic repairs ty so much for taking time to explain everything and show everything step you are the bomb bro

I just picked up a 8.8 LS yesterday at the junk yard for 100.00 brought it home and pulled the drums and it had brand new brakes wheel cyl and hardware , had it out of the truck in 10 minutes thanks to my dewalt grinder, now I'm going to change 3.73 gear to 5.13

Ive never been in ANY crown vic that didnt have rear end noise lol! But this was a great informative and easy to watch video. Thanks for putting this up

Hey Doc, I know this video is old but I watched the whole thing and I really enjoyed it, thank you and God bless !!

Man I sure wish my 99 had that much space to work on the rear. The gas tank is barely 5inches away from the rear axle and I barely had enough room to get my wrench on there. But love the video. You do make it look easy.

Nice video. But I have to confess I cringed watching you hammer in the pinion races by driving them in with a punch. 😅 Then I was a bit confused when you pulled out a race driver set to do the axle races. 🤔

Excellent video of Axle rebuilding!

Thank you so much. There are so many videos showing the removal of axles, but not one so far has shown that you have to loosen or remove that wheel speed sensor. I was about to put it back together and take it to a shop.... I couldn't get the axle to go in far enough :)

Don't forget the oil Slinger and the spacer by all means again thank you for the wonderful video

Good video. I'm not a mechanic but I've learned a lot watching you.

I did this job once about 15 years ago so this is a great refresher. I remember having to get a big cheater pipe and a steel bar bolted to the flange to tighten that pinon nut to get the depth just right. I didnt see the depth set of the pinon on here? You have all proper tools so i was curious how it was done. That was the hardest part i remember.

Thank you very much for mentioning the normal in out movement I changed brakes and rotors on my 08 grand marquis and felt that,thinking the bearing might be going bad. It was ever so slight movement.

This chick I was runnin around with once had mustang & she loved that car. I noticed a axle seal leaking on one side of the rear end. She had been here all night & was ready to get going home but did say she wanted to come back that evening. She asked if I would look at her rear end then. I said she could come over & I'd be happy to look at her rear end. I would even be willing to look at her car as well if she liked! 😛

For future 8.8 jobs where you find yourself needing to remove both axle shafts, buy a length of metal pipe that spans the width of the axle housing and use it to knock the axle shaft bearings and seals together. It's a lot simpler AND QUICKER this way so you're not fiddling around with setting up a slide hammer. Anytime I have both axles out I knock my bearings and seals out together this way

Very good video I appreciate it watching a experience skilled mechanic such as yourself do something give someone like me who has moderate mechanical ability the positive encouragement that I also can do that I know I can just watching someone such as yourself gives me the confidence please look into attaching a safety retaining cable for those return Springs on your press you can use the little saddle clamps and just a 8in garage door type Cable in case those Springs with break that will keep them in place so they're not flying across the shop just another little helpful hint again thank you for your expertise professionalism and the wonderful video I have to do a 93 F-150 pickup soon and this gives me the confidence to take it on thank you

Wow thank you for the Video! Good job and very awesome Video..

You should always use brass punches when installing new bearing races.

Thank you very much i am about to work on 2005 Lincoln town car that was very helpful thanks again for your time

Awesome, I have a ‘whooping’ sound coming from my 2011 CVPI, especially noticeable around 35-40 mph and coming off the gas. Guess you diagnosed my problem , many thanks.

an easier way to remove the axle bearings and seals when you have the carrier out is to use a long pipe about 1 inch diameter and put it through the end of the housing from one side until it contacts the bearing on the opposite side, wack it with a pony sledge and both pop right out, repeat for the other side..no fighting with the seals and no puller needed.

Nice clean professional differential job Tim! Once you have metal in the diff that's the only way to do it and now he can drive it all over & not have to worry about another bearing failure for quite a while!

You sure know how to keep a long boring job interesting.I like your funny sayings and jokes.

Pure pro. Thank you for posting this.

hi Tim; have a few questions: my 2005 lincoln towncar has a kind of a steady clunk when the rear tires are off the ground when put in drive. i feel it when i put my hands on the pumpkin. but i doesn't have that same clunk when riding down the road. has more of a howling sound. changed the bearings and seals both sides in rear and still howling. also those 2 small gears fell out when i pulled that big pin out. does it matter if i got those 2 mixed up. those are the one you said would be hard to put them back in. Another thing is when you were putting that white grease to test the gap how do i really know if it's good enough. can you please help me out

best video on this overhaul on YT....

Was interested till 34:59 when I see you pressing bearings on using the race is a hack move. If your doing quality work you use the right tools to press the bearing on engaging the inner race and I don't care if you always do that way. Oh and driving the races in with a drift pin vs a race driving tool is another hack move.

i would mark the pinion flange with the driveshaft before disassembly

Love The Rear End Jokes

Wow A nice job. You really had A job there. You are A great mechanic. I sure wish I lived near you. I feel bad for the owner of the car. I hope he has a safe trip. But twenty thumbs up for you Tim. A really great job.

Awesome Video Thanks so much!

Nicely done

Wish I could afford a guy like yourself to do my Ford explosion rear differential...great job..I trust your work ..mine wines loud and shiny metallic flakes on magnet and all through the oil upon checking it last week....so so so disappointed.......188.000 miles

Thank you! Real world work! Good job 👏

Ugh, sometimes those pins break. I never reuse them. Anyway that is what I was told!

It’s important to take your time on a job like this. Not knocking the car doc but I feel like this job was rushed. Rushing on a job like this can get you into trouble, especially if you’re inexperienced.

Awesome job there Tim. I don't see how anyone could botch that job after viewing this video.

Well done! Thanks.

I miss the measuring of the backlash between pinion and ring gear...The backlash should be .008 to .012 inch. .. Looks like there is no backlash at all.. could be the cause of the bearing damage.. wrong shims already at factory assembly installed??? ! Not good !!

Change my axel today using your video. Went very smooth. Thank you!

26:58 “oh boy” Yes, those are like the ruggedest seals to pull every time.

Very nice work Tim!! It's worth spending a few dollars more for the rebuild kit,being that he's going to Arizona that is. Great video and thanks again!!

I think it is called a oil slinger not a shim that goes between the rear pinion bearing and seal

Thank you very informative ... I am thinking about having mine done very soon and making it posi.. trac

i just want to let you know i continue to really appreciate your videos i know it takes a lot of work to make them thanks

Car Doc could you inform us DIYers how to clean all the glitter from worn rear end shafts and bearing i think many of us would be interested in how a pro does this

Great video as always thank you

You don't check backlash with dial indicator?

Everyone be aware that non-factory gear sets tend to be noisy. If you want quiet operation, use Ford Racing parts. If you look closely at pics, you can see that the Ford gears have much better finish on the teeth than aftermarket alternatives I've found.

Very informative video , I’m getting ready to do my 2003 Lincoln , first time , I think I have to watch your video hundred times to get it right ,👍🏽 -- I need to know where is shop is and how much did it cost to that rear end job ?

Question... why didnt you use the bearing and race driver to install the race. You used a punch which made me cringe!

You can get a Fel-Pro gasket for the differential cover - do you add RTV sealant in addition to the gasket, or gasket alone is sufficient? How much gear oil do these differentials take?

Great Work Tim. Thanks for showing us.

Good job car doc I'm hearing a pot and pan noise on a Malibu during accelerating it get loud any advice where to check first

when would that step come into play, crushing the crush sleeve? thanks man your an awesome tech!

carrier- that's the word I lost below. Anyway, really great video. Thanks again for doing this. Oh, and what's the torque on the 8(?) bolts from when taking the carrier apart? shop manual i assume.

Good educational video. thank you pal!

WOW This Man is Amazing, I'am NOW A Fan, I Just SUBSCRIBED !!

Damn helpful video Sir! Thanks!

How much did this cost all together parts and labor or how much would this cost now?

Do you have part number for master rebuild kit? Is this something I can do at home?

Great video really enjoyed watching it

chrome hub caps upside down, scratched all to h#%^ ! but hay, awsome video

Man if lived you closer I would get you to do my rear! Thank you for this Tim. I really enjoyed it and learned.

Great video, did I miss the part about the crush sleeve? Maybe on this diff, it is not required? Please make comment. Thank you.

the bearing wore out because of rocket lauching by the previous younger owner. if the rear isnt a Posi then the side with the less traction takes the abuse until it does have traction. Owner abuse from leadfoot rocket lauches from standing still.

Also what size bearing splitter would I need? Or what do you use?

I did not see an “S” clip removed or installed. Isn’t that needed so the spider gears remain in place?

My 04 cvpi is making a clicking noise under low/med acceleration in 1st-2nd similar to the noise it made when you wiggled the whole gear around near the start. That mean I have bad bearings? It now has 171k on it and im not sure what has ever been done to it. Gonna try and change the oil and hope for the best.

fantastic video. going to be doing the bearings on my 92 f150 with a 8.8 soon. is there a was to torque the pinion without a in/lb torque wrench or am i going to have to go buy one?

This guy was a Charlie Daniels with a torque wrench. Confirmed.

Where are you ? Nice video and knowledge hope you get many customers bro

Great Video.. Thanks for the help..

great video, just changed diff oil today on my 2000 Lincoln towncar because the cover was leaking ,(silicone was leaking) and noticed my oil was a bit black with filing in it..is this bad??.

Nice video. I learned a lot of information! Thanks Tim!!

Good job Tim !

What's the torque spec on the carrier bolts?

i missed the torque spec when putting the gears back in (4 big bolts). Also, you were checking depth/ wear by putting lithium grease on? how does that work? Last, do you need to put bearing grease on ALL bearings? think there are 6 to the job- 2 at the axles (1 each), either side of bearing and either side of gears- can't remember the name for that main piece. thanks!!!

great job car dr

Awesome work........thanks

Nice Job.

good video learned a lot, thanks.

Proctologist, you crack me up

Could you tell me the size of the bearing splitter you used on the carrier?

What r u cleaning it with

CERTIFIED MECHANIC SKILLZ!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

Great video

I believe you did the pinion preload incorrectly

What's the torque on the 2 caps

Hey I change the wholes differential but know my car is soft what can be ???like

Nice vid