This afternoon I set about removing the old pins from a housing so I could install new ones. When I got them out I found that they're not the 2531-B pins I expected to find.
On the left is a new pin and on the right is what I pulled out of the housing. You can see that it doesn't have the wide shoulder of the new pin.
Here's a new pin beside the hole it obviously won't fit. Lang's catalogue shows 2531-B for 1912-1927, but the Ford parts book lists it for 1917-1927. Is there something else I should be using for 1915, or do I just drill out the holes to fit the new pins?
Why not put the pins in a drill press and file them
down to fit.
Early housings used a straight pin - easiest to just drill out to use the later stepped pin like you have. Use # drill bits to get as close as you can to get an interference fit.
I believe Steve T. has the answer.
2531 thrust plate pin is straight, and 7/32" long. Used up to about 1917
The 2531B is the stepped design, used from around early 1917 to end of production.
rev 'B' of the 2531
Parts and Price List books from several years are nice to have on hand to i.d. parts
I'm surprised no one has suggested a better fix than just replacing the pins by pressing them in.
40 plus years ago it was hard to find any sort of part to redo anything on a T. When the old white metal thrust plates collapsed in my diff I drilled out the old ones with a 3/16" drill tapped them with a 1/4" tap screwed in a 1/4" bolt with thread the depth of the hole , cut off the bolt just a bit above the thickness of the thrust plate put on the plate and peened the end of the stud of the bolt and filed it flat. This pins the plates onto the housings and you can then easily assemble the diff without worrying about if the plates have moved from where they should be, still working after 70,000 plus miles.
Peter, I like the fix..... what usually shears the pins in the first place is the thrust plates "moving" back and forth. You peining the pins, makes them sit still.