Stop in for a cup of coffee
About 3 hours to get it all back together. Backlash should be good,as bearings were the issue in this situation. Have shims if necessary but new bearings should put it back in spec. i suspect also the last guy backed off the nut.when i spun pinion and washed the oil out there was something loose,like the slinger was floating around. Explains the outer bearing being all beat up.