Hi, I just purchased this complete ex-wingless sprintcar rear. It is marked halibrand 301W on the cover and housing. It doesn't have the town/ city of manufacture. The 12 bolt side bells are maked Halibrand, Torance, California etc. This rear is wider in the centre than a broken winters champ I have also...does the 301 W have anything to do with this (wide???) 1. How old is this/ era of manufacture? 2. Will winters internals (differential, locker etc) fit? 3. Does any one have 12 bolt to 10 bolt side bell adaptors? Thanks for any help with this.
1. The side plates were manufactured between 1963 and 1970. You can narrow down the date of the center section if you take the side plate off and see if the pinion bearings are ball or tapered roller. I don't remember the dates but I think the rollers were used starting about 1973. (I'll check but it really isn't important) 2. Winters and other brands of differentials can be modified to work. Be careful here, you want a diff with a solid left side (not windowed). To use the adaptor plates you want will require you to have the bearing journal turned back to the backside of the ring gear mounting flange. 3. I have one of the side plates you want, but I'm hesitant to part with it. I would rather find a mate to mine. The 301 designation is the part number for the rear cover. The W1 doesn't have anything to do with the width. All Halibrand Champ centers are 4 3/8" wide. The center cases are usually marked on the lower rib on the left side. (maybe upside down as installed in a car). Just an observation, you have a shifter rear end. The lower shaft is two piece with a locking collar similar to a shift hub in a manual transmission. Can you tell if the case material is magnesium or aluminum?
The side plates are really hard to find and expensive. The Hot Rod Works in Idaho have the plans to make new ones but I don't think they have enough demand to do the tooling. The Winters side plates won't work with the Halibrand. Ebay is the best source for locating a pair. Good Luck.
I think it is aluminium. The broken winters is mag and it is realy green in colour. This has been outside etc and isn't crusty like magnesium. If I install a differential (Winters, DPI etc) will the in out lever (shifter?) lower shaft affect street use? Is this centre and rear cover post Torrance, CA? Am I better to use an 11 bolt, 3/4ton Halibrand Champ as a basis to build a street diff? Once again thanks for your help with this.
I'll email hot rod works - I have purchased spider gearsand a R&P for my V8 quicky from them - great service.
I would be interested in one Halibrand adaptor - I have a good engineer who may be able to copy it as a one off or maybe CNC?
I don't know if the shifter would interfere. My guess is no. Most Champ rear covers do not have the city on them, most centers do. The center may very well be post Torrance. I've seen at least one labled Santee. I know of another that was shipped brand new from Santee and still had the Torrance designation on it. I have a NOS 12 bolt that has no city on it. As Lynn (Pews Place) said, the Winters side plates won't work with this center. I believe they can be made to work with an 11 bolt Halibrand case. I can swap you an 11 bolt case for your 12. I have no idea what the shipping would be.
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