Dam Sam....typical Genuine gear! Just joking. All .243" worth of pinion shim is behind that smooth head. I plan to do something a little different. I will put some behind the pinion head and some behind the big cup.

This is the part number for the BIG V6 pinion bearing....

part number for the V6 carrier bearings

Comparison of the V6 pinion bearing on the left with the "4 cylinder" on right.

Genuine gear...all the markings to be found on the gears to help ID them.

Cleaned area well and placed .120" worth of shims BEHIND the big bearing cup. This means I need to only put about .123" of shims at the pinion head as .243" is approximately the total pinion shim required when installing "4 cylinder" gears in a V6 3rd member.(author's note on 10-1-2006.....Don't do what I am doing here by adding about half the shims behind the bearing cup. It is un-necessary and complicates things. I used to be paranoid about a thick .243 shim behind the pinion head thinking it would somehow make it weaker....and this is not true)

Shim used here was about .121"....the bearing was in good shape and was re-used.

I should have bought a lottery ticket as the pattern was as good as can be expected. Total shim is about .241" for this install.

Sam! Only 70 ft/lbs. please!
Some comments....Since the main pinion bearing was shimmed away from the other outer pinion bearing by about .120" means that when the new V6 crush sleeved is ready for install that about the same .120" must be added to the crush in the form of some shims. We cranked the carrier bearings TIGHT to minimize ring gear deflection and maximize life....about 8 on the backlash....and about 6 in/lb on pinion pre-load. The pinion nut was loctited and staked. The V6 crush sleeve seemed to take almost twice the effort to crush as the longer 4 cylinder one which is good.

Let's see if Sam can break this one. ;)