What did I do wrong?

[Jeepiac]

Finished up my Sawback today and ran it around the house to see how it works. Now I know the tranny is a little noisy, but mine isn't that bad imo, but it gets way louder in reverse. I've gone over it and checked it for binding and pinion gap. All seems perfect. I'm running Junfac cv drive shafts and axles in the front end, so everything turns really smooth. Without the motor in it, it rolls like silk. Do I have a problem or is the noise in reverse normal? Starting to wonder if it could be in one of the rear ends, but they seemed to mesh pretty good when I put them together. IMO if it were the tranny it would be the same in either direction.

[M and M]

found the same with mine a short time ago, same set up as yours. I'm stripping it tonight to check it out, but I've ordered a sealed bearing kit just in case. Its done about 2/3 hours so far but I don't think it was as noisy at first. Any way its apart at the moment fitting a 4s steering kit... well impressed with it but need to modify a little. I'm using G made steel wheels and the back spacing interferes with my CMS arm.

[Jeepiac]

I've tracked the noise to the tranny. Going to use the red neck method to find it. Run it till it quits.

[Tinrabbit]

I changed the original pinion out & that helped quiet it down. I flipped the tranny around so motor faces front now, it got really bad I mean your could hear it a few hundred feet away bad! New gears, new grease & not much of an improvement.
Out of curiosity, I flipped back to motor facing rear & it gets dam quiet running. Parked on the shelf currently until I get more time to look into it farther, might just be that the pitch of the gears or the cut are better one way than the other? Dunno yet but hope to cure the chatter box called the transmission

[Jeepiac]

I gave up on mine. nothing can be found visually and it's working good. Figured it'll wear in or shuck a gear.

[meatmonkey]

I'd double check the pinion gear to see if it is worn, or machined, unevenly.

Also double check the fitment of the transmission gears onto the shafts/bearings. Any play there can cause weird noises.

[Jeepiac]

What gets me is that it's actually quieter than the average Sawback while going forward, but when back up it sounds like chit. Just got done messing with it and it's starting to sound better. Guess it's clearaning itself LOL. I'll probably take it apart again next weekend and check it over one more time. Thanks for the advice Meatmonkey!