agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"not a big fan of the torch method"

Me either. Plan is to use the oven I use for powdercoating, heat soak the gear to 450-ish which should be plenty and then tap into place with a section of iron pipe.

I really appreciate everyone's input...and especially the "don't do this" parts.

What's wrong with the torch method? It's worked flawless for me every time. The gear is really soft, and I was always worried about dinging up the teeth if the pipe moved on me.

Heat / torches are used to install press fit hubs onto shafts in industry every day for good reason. More than one way to skin a cat though....

To the OP: If you are heating to 450 deg in an oven, you probably will not need the hammer - just pliers. It's not that tight of a press fit.

Torch is how its done. Same as starter ring gear. But some like to do it the hard way.

AND another method I have used is to set the gear on a 100 watt light bulb for about 15 minutes ... pick it up with a pliers and drop it on the shaft ... TAZ

If you use 1 1/4" pipe its the correct size and will not damage the drive gear...

The steel drive gears are a very close interference fit, doesn't take much effort...

By the time you get the torch out and lit, I'd already have the gear on the main shaft...

It just seems like a big production for a simple task...

Hope this helps... Crash

Update: Success...steel drive gear installed.

I preheated the oven to 500 degrees, then heat soaked the drive gear for 30 minutes. With swift action normally reserved for a trained Olympian, I positioned the gear on the output shaft and in one fluid motion, placed the iron pipe "driver" over the shaft and tapped...almost nothing. Tapped again...absolute nothing. Tapped it off and I got maybe 20-30 thou engagement. Okay, on to plan B. Fired up the torch, took it to a nice dull red and it literally slipped on without any coaxing. Actually had time to check the position without being rushed.

Lots of ways to skin a cat, but heating the gear in an oven to 500F just wasn't quite enough. If the output shaft were out of the trans, I would have preferred to press the gear on, but the torch method definitely worked for me.

Bottom line -- ya' got it installed ... TAZ