[wheeler]

Hey guys. Today I went to service my 300 to be ready for this riding season. I was changing the rear diff fluid out, & took a jack to lift it up and get the most of it. I noticed the bearings had major play in the diff on the axle. So when I go to replace the bearings & seals, should I rebuild the diff while I'm at it??

Any tips or tricks I may need to know? I've never had a rear diff apart.....

 

[wheeler]

Well I got it all apart. The rear end I mean. Diff & axel is out. The pinion is nice & tight, so I'm not sure If I should really mess with anything other than the bearings. I'll watch some YouTube videos........

 

[Carolynskii]

Im not sure about a 300 but in ranchers the pinion requires a special tool to get that little bearing out. I personally don't have that tool so when it's in bad shape I take it to a shop. If it looks ok and bearing isn't grinding I go with it. But that's just me and my personal bike.
As far as replacing any guts if they clean up well and don't have any breaks or pitting them those are definitely reusable.
Those are actually very expensive to replace lol almost as much as buying a new diff. Sounds like you're on the right track and doing great.

 

[shadetree]

chances are, if you're mud ridding ?, you will be rebuilding the rear differential bearings again in no time !..lol. anywayyyyyyyyyyy...replace ALL the rear differential bearings and seals. your biggest problem is going to be the small pinion needle bearing..that puppy sucks getting out of the case..lol. just for chits and giggles..what brand of bearings were in the rear differential ?, oem ?, all balls ?, if you don't use oem going back in ?, at least use boss bearings over '' all balls '' crap !!!..lol.

 

[LedFTed]

is this needle bearing, like a pilot bearing,on a car with a clutch, in the pressure plate?

 

[wheeler]

I watched the Dyno Ray video on YouTube. IF I had to guess, I’d say the rear end has been apart once befor a long time ago. I’m not a big mudder now a days. Hunting, trail riding, & occasional mud. I figured the same... while it’s off get all bearings replaced. I’ll bring it with me to Honda tomorrow and get a quote of them replacing everything! I did see what u said about the needle bearing, looks like a NOT TOO FUN bearing to replace.

 

[shadetree]

I watched the Dyno Ray video on YouTube. IF I had to guess, I’d say the rear end has been apart once befor a long time ago. I’m not a big mudder now a days. Hunting, trail riding, & occasional mud. I figured the same... while it’s off get all bearings replaced. I’ll bring it with me to Honda tomorrow and get a quote of them replacing everything! I did see what u said about the needle bearing, looks like a NOT TOO FUN bearing to replace.

that pinion needle bearing is like having 20 ex wives at once !..lmfao. I've had some that came out within an hour ?, and some that would take hours and hours, while others just would not budge !. the main thing is ?..IS GETTING THE RETAINING RING OUT FROM AROUND THE BEARING WHILE THE BEARING IT STILL IN THE CASE !. don't bother taking it to a Honda dealership !, they will just tell you, you need to buy a whole new rear differential !!!!!. ( i know this for a fact ! ). bottom line : YES..IT WILL COME OUT, OR PLACES ON EBAY WOULD NOT SELL AFTER MARKET REAR DIFFERENTIAL KITS !.

 

[shadetree]

is this needle bearing, like a pilot bearing,on a car with a clutch, in the pressure plate?

nope !!. this needle bearing rides in the very back of the differential case, there is no way to get to the backside of the bearing to do the bread trick..lol. the only way i know and do, to get them out ?, is first get the retainer ring out from around the bearing through that tiny hole ? ( yes..it can be done ! ), then i drill a 1/4 hole from the carrier bearing side of the case behind the needle bearing, then i use a small drift punch to knock the bearing out. what you run into by doing it this way, IS YOU MAY, OR MAY NOT GET THE BEARING COCKED ?, if this happens ?, your in for a tough time getting it out, without damaging the case.

 

[fishfiles]

the best way to get the pinion's lower bearing is a blind bearing puller , the same tool used to pull a pilot bearing out of a standard transmission flywheel , beforeI had the tool, I would weld a 3/8 bolt with the hex head grinded round to the bottom of the bearing race , then slide hammer it out

Like Shade mentioned , the dealerships around here never did rebuild them when they still worked on them , and now they won't do any work on a atv over 10 years old ------ as far as I know there are no more OEM diffs available, there are after market diffs and ring and pinions available

I would never use a 300 rear end again, a 250 or 350 is a much better choice

 

[shadetree]

the best way to get the pinion's lower bearing is a blind bearing puller , the same tool used to pull a pilot bearing out of a standard transmission flywheel , beforeI had the tool, I would weld a 3/8 bolt with the hex head grinded round to the bottom of the bearing race , then slide hammer it out

Like Shade mentioned , the dealerships around here never did rebuild them when they still worked on them , and now they won't do any work on a atv over 10 years old ------ as far as I know there are no more OEM diffs available, there are after market diffs and ring and pinions available

I would never use a 300 rear end again, a 250 or 350 is a much better choice

fish, first pic shows the blind bearing puller with the needle bearing on it, but i don't see the wire around it ?, or a place where the wire woulda been ?, that bearing does not look like an oem pinion bearing, oem pinion needle bearings have a groove and wire that goes around them. if you don't get that wire out from around the bearing while its in the case ?, that blind bearing tool ( which does work by the way ! ) will destroy the case trying to yank it out.

 

[wheeler]

I've read & see that people say the 300 rear diff isn't strong, however I've never had one grenade on me.. For what I'll realistically use this quad for (hunting, camping, & trail riding) I'm sure a good solid factor diff will do. I see on eBay they sell the rebuild kits. I'll still ask at Honda while I'm there today if they sell the rebuild kits or can do it for me to save me the aggravation.... I know a press will make the job that much easier, so I may buy one at princess auto as well. I'll be sure to put each shim back exactly where it came from too. I guess that seems to be really important.

 

[shadetree]

I've read & see that people say the 300 rear diff isn't strong, however I've never had one grenade on me.. For what I'll realistically use this quad for (hunting, camping, & trail riding) I'm sure a good solid factor diff will do. I see on eBay they sell the rebuild kits. I'll still ask at Honda while I'm there today if they sell the rebuild kits or can do it for me to save me the aggravation.... I know a press will make the job that much easier, so I may buy one at princess auto as well. I'll be sure to put each shim back exactly where it came from too. I guess that seems to be really important.

is this princess auto like our harbor freight stores ?, i bought a 20 ton shop press from harbor freight, money well spent !. i think i got it for around 180 out the door that day.

 

[wheeler]

I've read & see that people say the 300 rear diff isn't strong, however I've never had one grenade on me.. For what I'll realistically use this quad for (hunting, camping, & trail riding) I'm sure a good solid factor diff will do. I see on eBay they sell the rebuild kits. I'll still ask at Honda while I'm there today if they sell the rebuild kits or can do it for me to save me the aggravation.... I know a press will make the job that much easier, so I may buy one at princess auto as well. I'll be sure to put each shim back exactly where it came from too. I guess that seems to be really important.

is this princess auto like our harbor freight stores ?, i bought a 20 ton shop press from harbor freight, money well spent !. i think i got it for around 180 out the door that day.

I'll have to google harbour freight... Princess Auto is an awesome store. Anything from shop tools, hydraulic equipment, towing, atv stuff, all the way to bolts & phone chargers lol

 

[shadetree]

I've read & see that people say the 300 rear diff isn't strong, however I've never had one grenade on me.. For what I'll realistically use this quad for (hunting, camping, & trail riding) I'm sure a good solid factor diff will do. I see on eBay they sell the rebuild kits. I'll still ask at Honda while I'm there today if they sell the rebuild kits or can do it for me to save me the aggravation.... I know a press will make the job that much easier, so I may buy one at princess auto as well. I'll be sure to put each shim back exactly where it came from too. I guess that seems to be really important.

is this princess auto like our harbor freight stores ?, i bought a 20 ton shop press from harbor freight, money well spent !. i think i got it for around 180 out the door that day.

I'll have to google harbour freight... Princess Auto is an awesome store. Anything from shop tools, hydraulic equipment, towing, atv stuff, all the way to bolts & phone chargers lol

from what your saying ^^^, yeah, sounds just like our harbor freight stores down here.

 

[Jeepwm69]

Princess. is Canada's Harbor Freight.

If your gears are in good shape just get new bearings and replace them. That needle bearing is a bear but everything else is easy.

Once you do it once it's not a big deal.

I have an extra pinion nut socket I'll sell cheap. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Camchate]

I believe they are basically the same, PA started 1942 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Lots of product, inexpensive, and quality is buyer beware- some good, some "why did I waste my money on this, only needed it to work twice and it couldn't do that" lol. I am finding out that items made in china are of varying different quality and hard to know which are ok and which are a waste of money, I hope the ingersol rand die grinder I just bought is the better Chinese quality-was surprise it was Chinese. I do seem to spend a fair amount of money there.

 

[wheeler]

Princess. is Canada's Harbor Freight.

If your gears are in good shape just get new bearings and replace them. That needle bearing is a bear but everything else is easy.

Once you do it once it's not a big deal.

I have an extra pinion nut socket I'll sell cheap. PM me if you're interested.

Perfect, I'll let you know.

So when the axle was all installed, the diff side had big play. However the bearing doesn't move by hand now that it's out. The pinion bearing is nice and tight by had too. Very little backlash which is good as well. Either way I'm going to replace everything now that I've tore it apart. Seeing how I have disc brakes, I'm going to do a brake drum delete while I'm at it.

I just watched that DynoRay videos on rebuilding the diff. I see that's how Shadetree removes the needle bearing as well. Drilling a hole in where the other bearing sits and beats it out.

 

[machinecrook]

I was very lucky and the Honda shop took that needle bearing out for me. I brought them over my swing arm to remove the bearings from there too. They complained a little that they usually do not service those casings but after a couple minutes of convincing the guy took it.

I had replaced all bearings/seals from the diff, brake panel to the swing arm all because of "while I'm at it...".

 

[wheeler]

LMAO!!! Honda will replace the bearings. $550 plus tax! They sell the all the bearings except the needle bearing for $230! I see complete kits on eBay but don’t think I trust the quality... I’ll have to see if I can find part cross #s & pick up NTN or the ones shade mentioned... anyone happen to recommend a site where I can pick up a complete rebuild set??

 

[fishfiles]

Shade , good eye for details , I would say that is true , that pinion needle bearing isn't an OEM bearing , it must have been done before by one of the previous owners , that rear end is either a 86 or 87 ATC250ES ---------------- as far as rebuilding them , the 250 uses the same tools as the 300 so Wheeler got the idea of how to make it easy ------- that 250 rear end came from a guy named Mike that collected Honda 3 wheelers , when I first meet him he had 40+ and was only selling whole bikes , right at the end of him selling them all , he started selling parts , I got 4 250ES rear ends from him for $300 , out the 4 I had 3 good ones and one torn up , made the money back with one and got 2 good ones and a part one for free , that was a sweet deal -------------- since I was doing a fresh rear end build for my Red 300 instead of just changing out the axle and hubs because the axle splines were worn thin , the hubs fit loose and were wallowed out , I went all out and done another rear end and changed every bearing and seal using all OEM stuff