Differential Whine?

[John McCoy]

Is there a pinion nut that can be tightened on a 96 Lumina 4d 3.0?

[Wenis]

The 96 Lumina has no 3.0 liter, I think you mean 3.1.

There's nothing you're going to do with that pinion nut, there's isn't one.
What kind of noise are you getting? Maybe I can help you figure it out.

Is the noise there more when your sitting with the motor running, taking off from a stop, reving the motor while your sitting still or what do you have going on?

The more details the better.

[John McCoy]

It sounds exactly like the whine you hear in a bad rear end. It starts around 30 miles an hour and is very noticable till about 50. You hear it a steady speed. When you let off on the accelerator, it stops for just the second or two it take for the negative load to kick in. If you feather the accelerator it comes and goes as you feather.

[Wenis]

John, does it make that noise when you're sitting still and rev the motor, I'm leaning toward a front pump in the trans making the noise more then a diff whine.
At first I thought maybe a wheel bearing by your description but when you said "let off the gas" I steered away from that, try (lightly) steering left to right when the noise is present and see what that does.
I've been doing this for 32 years and since the front wheel drive came out I don't remember any diff noises like that.
Well, if you would see if it makes noises sitting still when revving the motor in neutral and in gear,let me know that too.

We'll get this if I can figure out which is the right questions to ask, I'm just not sure which way to go here on it yet.

[hsmith1618]

you may have noise comming from a dry cv joint or damaged.

[Joe Fitz]

Sounds like you're describing "Walking gears"
Yet I have no idea how that would happen on a lumina with fwd.