Technical Pontiac/Olds Rearend TECH...post it here...

felpro

 

thanks for this thread it is very helpful.

 

I picked up the book at Mo-Kan, very well done and full of great info. Nice to have it all in one reference!

Thanks Fabcraft guys for all your efforts.



jerry

 

I have a pumpkin from a '57 Olds. rear end if anybody needs it. Not sure gear ratio but it looks good.

 

I'm thinking now that it may be earlier than a '57 because I tried a Felpro 6431 and it was too big in diameter to fit my third member. Does this indicate that it is from an earlier year?

 

Yes, 56 and earlier. I don't have the number for that one. I made my own recently.

 

Ok... reading this it sounds like 47-56 olds rears interchange? What about Pontiac the same years? Buick? I am looking for a complete center section with a 3.07 (0 stamping) from this era. The car is a '55 Olds. Don't care if it needs bearings or seal as I plan on rebuilding it before installing. Currently have a 3.42 in case someone is looking to trade?

 

The only main differance from what I've seen posted is Olds is 16 spline and Pontiac 10 spline I believe Buick is all by themselves. The side gears are interchangable between the 10 and 16 splines. This early rear goes back to 37, although a change in about 49 where the pinion bearings went from ball to tapered.

 

I love these rear ends and just got my first one. '57 Oldsmobile housing. Will the '57 Pontiac wheel cylinders work on the '57 Oldsmobile backing plates?

 

The 54 - 56 Pontiac (not Olds) rear is 10 splines not 16, I ran one for a while in a 32 Bantam.. I learned a lot about those Pre-57 rears. During that time I also owned a 1939 & 40 Pontiac as well as having bought a few more rears in the 48 - 55 vintage to fill the things appetite for axles.... Lots of interchange in those years, lots of revisions too... 40's types do not have Timken bearings so they have a thrust button on the ring gear....

 

Up again for interchanging '57 Pontiac and '57 Oldsmobile wheel cylinders. Sounds stupid, but I'm making my Christmas list and would like to put the wheel cylinders on. ('57 Pontiac are plentiful and...CHEAP).

 

I believe Rock Auto is where I got my wheel cylinders a couple years back. They were for '57 Olds. Not sure if they cross-referenced with Pontiac or not. Check on their web site and compare the part #'s between the two

 

Dont forget you can buy spools and that housing is in my opinion the best looking hot rod housing ever built but technoligy has made it obsoliete except for its use in hot rods. A 9 inch is the cats meow. Jmo
bob

 

I touched on this earlier in this thread a couple years ago. I had a pair of 61-62 axle shafts [the shortest 31 spline axles available] splined further up the axle shafts [I think he had to cut the diameter down a bit as they were tapered shafts] and then cut the ends off to fit the '57 housing. It worked ok for me.

 

Had the exact same problem. My 57 Olds rear end, with a 31 spline positraction, but I also had an old set of aftermarket Strange axles for the later year rear ends (later are one inch longer). I cut one inch off each axle, but one was left with short splines that bottomed out. I looked everywhere for someone to recut the splines longer on the one axle, without any luck. Then I found a guy in Poulsbo, Wa. that primarily does 4 X 4 and off roading stuff; he also does axle splines, but does'nt need the centering divit on the axle end (remember I cut that off to shorten the axles). His price was very reasonable, and he saved my bacon. Butch/56sedandelivery.

Jantz Engineering is the name. Jantz4X4.com/20555 Pugh Rd. Poulsbo, Wa.

 

still looking,know of any? pm me thank you.

 

My 62 housing is 57 7/8 flange to flange. I am sure they had allowable tolerances so 57 3/4 would be ball park.

 

Just passing along some info here. To anyone looking for a NEW 31 spline posi they are available now. Here's the link to the thread and a few pics.

http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=718667


This is also a Hamber, monzaz

 

Cool that someone's putting out a new posi. Doubt they'll sell a million of 'em though, it's expensive. But then again, so is obtaining and restoring an old one.

Thanks for the input on the whole 10/16 spline pre'57 rears. I never knew that there may have been a difference between Pontiac and Olds on those.

 

Have you tried?.........www.fabcraftmetalworks.com They are the go to guys for these
rearends.
KK

 

I don't think .001 will make a difference.
I'm sure you are going to press them in on a hydraulic press.
Should be no problem
KK

 

Hey So I have a 50 olds 88 i put a sbc with a turbo 400 tranny and I have been running the stock rear end. Recently i blew through 2 u joints and now the rear end has flared where the u joint mounts up, and I am wondering if there is a place to buy the part new? i think my original dummy neutral drop slightly flared it and now its giving me trouble. Another option is a chevy rear end. thoughts or ideas welcome! thanks guys.

Teufelhund

 

call Brad at fabcraft he has all the stuff you need for olds rears, he sells new yokes also. heres mine all new parts and yoke from Brad:

 

Yeah, Pretty much a bullet proof combo!
KK

 

49-50 Olds rear end speed secrets. 56Pontiac yoke big U joint, 57-58 Pontiac axles and side gears. Put a brace across the back to keep the housing from bending. Its 8-3/4 like a Mopar.

 

Looking for some information. Bought a car with rear that is from a dragster. Casting number is 518261 and also has a code of F or E 32 on it.
I think that is the correct casting number it sets so low hard to tell. It does have only two ribs on divers side.
Any help would be great
Thanks
Dale

 

Fabcraft has a awesome book about these rearends, I just bought it. If you are into theses rearends, the book is a must.

 

So I have a bearing question. I bought a wheel bearing from Rock Auto. It is Timken part # 514003. I got the part and it looks slightly different. It's now a completely sealed bearing and has no groove on the outer race. The groove is for the o-ring that seals that outer race to the axle housing itself. Now I was about to return it but got to thinking.... If I put this back in with the new paper gaskets, the o-rings are just a redundant seal. I've looked around at other online sources and this is the part number that comes up again and again. The guy at Rock Auto said this was the new, updated part and is correct.

What do you guys think? Put it in with new paper gaskets or ship it back?

 

yes is good info.......have olds rear summers bros spool/axles 5.38 gears been working great for many/many years..................

 

Has been a while since I put one of these together, but I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be a seal inboard of the bearing that would make an O ring on the bearing pointless. I also never bothered with the paper gaskets either.