Motors How I wanted to be like GOO, and then became more awesome

Nice easy mod, surprising how many professionals skip welding safety through lazyness though!

 

Well, they ARE American
Ever watch OCC?

My personal experience with American craftmanship and crafters*:
they're very ingenious and fast and flexible.
But build quality, build finish and serviceability sucks.

*I'm not talking cars here, but very specialised equipment.

 

To answer your question from the earlier post on removing the back plate for the brakes, You will have to take the Differential cover off and remove the clamps inside the Differential that hold the shafts in. You're going to need to change the fluid in the diff anyway and I would suggest replacing the seals in the outside of the differential also. You may want to check the bearings on the outside of the axel anyway just to ensure they haven't been starved for oil over the years.

 

I thought the same. But the back plate is held on by a small square plate and 4 bolts. So, being inquisitive, I removed one side and the whole 1/2 shaft came out. There either are no C clips in the dif, or mine are gone. I am hoping that because the Catalina was a lower spec B-body, that there are no C clips. or that they were left off at some point. The other scenario is that they broke and have been whirling around in there. Not my favorite idea right now.

Either way, I'll get the back opened and the fluid changed and the seals replaced.

 

I don't get why anyone would want to C-clip the half shafts into the diff in the first place! They'll be held very nicely at the hub end, if you have to retain them at both ends then surely an external retainer is a better idea?

 

It's very common for the 1/2 shafts to be held in by C clips for this era. actually, using a plate at the end of the axle is a common upgrade for a pro touring resto mod.

 

Ok, I got the coils primed and the passenger side brake bits painted.





Starting to look more like what I want to drive, little by little.

The brake line going into the driver's side wheel cylinder is frozen. It looked like it was going to shear off when I first worked on it, so I soaked it in penetrating oil. No dice, it's still frozen. I can get a complete set of prebent lines for $180, but it seems stupid considering I only need the 2 that run along the axle. I found out today that I can buy unbent lines that are 36" long with fittings on both ends, which then I can bend to match. That will work for me.

So I went ahead a removed the lines and the wheel cylinder.



While I was at the parts store I ordered the proper gasket for the diff cover and a new pinion seal. I also ordered new wheel seals for the axle ends. When I got home, I cracked open the diff cover and drained the fluid. Man, that stuff stinks. But the good news is that there was no metal shavings, no unusual wear in the gears and the gasket lacked any sealant. That tells me that it's likely never been opened and that the original 38,000 miles is very very possible. Yesssssss.



The diff cover has a lot of rust pitting, though none of it is very deep. It got degreased and cleaned up.



I then primed it and gave it a coat of Pontiac blue engine paint. Everything else will be black and I thought a splash of color would give her something to flash at all the GTOs and Grand Prixs that will be sniffing around.



And lastly I removed the passenger side 1/2 shaft completely. I broke the brake backing plate free and gently pulled it over the bearings and seal. That will get cleaned up tomorrow. But I got to see the splines at the end and there is no scratching or unusual wearing. Pristine.



So tomorrow, I should get the backing plate cleaned up and at noon all my parts should be in. Then I can get the passenger side end of the axle all cleaned up. Once all the bits are ready to re assemble, I'll get it all together to the point where I just have to slide the 1/2 shaft in; brakes, seals, gaskets and all. Then do the drivers side. At that point, I will tape off all the openings, clean and paint the physical axle and diff housing. After that I'll replace the pinion seal and main diff gasket. Barring any major setbacks, I think the rear end will be done next week.

 

It's funny, really. I was checking Flickr and I saw that you had posted some new photos of car parts. The next thing I did, before looking at any of the other new photos from other people, is come here to check out your build log.

Please don't make me want to get into cars. I can't afford any new hobbies!

Question: Is the side of the diff cover dented on purpose? I presume it's like that to allow space for a tube or shaft of some kind.

 

Always nice to crack open something old and have it look like new on the oily inside .

Does that angle grinder have anything to do with "cleaning" the parts you're cleaning?

 

Wire brush (or similar) for cleaning rust up I would think.

JJ, you work so quickly! Love it.

The diff looks in great condition after all these years, amazing that it hasn't leaked over all those years too.

RE: Brake pipes, it's a doddle to make your own - the tool for flaring the pipe ends will probably be about $40, everything else is cheap and easy.

 

Come help me work on it, the first hit is free, lol. As for the 1/2 moon cut outs, they don't really seem to do anything. It's a bog standard GM 10 bolt diff with a 2.73 final drive ratio (what ever that means).

I usually have two, one to cut and one to grind. I found these rust and paint removal disks, the seem to be the balance between the wire wheel and an 80 grit flap disk. Fast and aggressive removal. The diff cover was pitted more then anything I have taken off the car so far, so I thought I would give them a try. They work great, although they put a lot of heat into the metal. You have to be careful not to use them on anything that can't be subject to a little metal movement. Given the cover's complex shape, it can absorb more metal moving then a body panel could. The RPM difference is the main reason I tend to stick with the wire wheel. It leaves more patina rust that I cover with the rust encapsulator, but it leaves almost no heat in the metal.

The benefits of being 'between jobs' I suppose. I was surprised as well at how good the over all condition was. I'll be putting a magnet on the inside of the diff housing to pick up any fine metal, but it really seems to have been driven lightly. I had a deep fear that it might have been hooned a bit. Now I'm comfortable doing the hooning, lol.

I would seriously consider making the exhaust, but this actually seems like an area where the market can provide a better, cheaper product ready to go. But that will come as the engine is re installed. At which point I need to decide about a catalytic converters (if only for the exhaust smell) and proper mufflers.

 

I think an exhaust is something to let a pro do if you're wanting a custom one. Putting together a kit-form one or similar would be OK, but fitting a fully customised system is a skill in itself (and you need a really decent tube bender).

 

I'd prefer a pro did it, in your shoes, because a pro might encounter the same problem you would and have the experience to do it right and quickly, where (Not saying you're not practical at all) you find yourself buggering about for a week and it not being "right" per-say.

Exhaust is the only thing I'm getting a pro to change on my RS, because I want to know that it's right.

 

Not the half-moon cutouts; I'm talking about what appears to be the dent in the red circle here:



Is that a dent, or is the light playing tricks on me?

 

that looks like a dent that's on the near-side as well.. the picture abovethe one you psoted should elaborate.

 

Jumeira_Johnny

They make a product that may help you to clean all your parts a bit faster. I used these when I was a mechanic and highly recommend them There called ROLOCK Bristle disc made by 3M, they come made for steel and alu.

@ Supermonkey The rear differential cover is shaped like that so it will fit over the ring and pinion gear in the rear and use the least amount of materiel possible, most vehicles that I have worked on are like that.

 

LOL, that's not a dent, that is the crease where the bulge of the cover matches the curve of the pinion gear. The light makes it look much sharper then it is. There is a matching one closer to the camera.

I have seen those. The run a bit more then the grinder discs that I tried. $9 vs $13. Over all I think the wire brush is still the best deal, it lasts a very long time and is less likely to warp delicate parts with heat.

 

I was just about to recommend a twisted knot wire brush, I've been using one for cleaning up prior to welding duty. Available for a couple of quid over here and last ages!

 

Ah, I see it now. Not knowing anything about cars, I figured the indentation was intentional to make space for some other part. I see now that I was over-thinking it.

 

You'd be amazed at how often that happens with cars. Sometimes I have to remind myself of the guys that took auto shop in high school, then change my outlook. I call it the Mental Mullet Glasses aka Honey, Hold My Beer Glasses.

Seriously though, cars of this vintage, everything is simpler then you would think.

In other news, I picked up a magnet that will go inside the diff cover where the pinion gear splashes the fluid as it spins. Since these are metal on metal contact points, it will pick up any fine particles.