I like your rear end

What year Elco, what year on the other cars. What spring type (coil or leaf). Input. I'll help you out here.

 

Which engine did you decide on Beaux? Also, which tranny? I suggets you look for a 80-87 Regal, Monte or cutlass, a 10 bolt will work fine. You may be able to get it as far down as 78, but I'm not sure. I'm not too positive that the shock location is the same with the Fbody and the elco. Besides, the rear end for an Fbody will pull more money than a rear end of a regal, it's just the Stigma of the Fbody. Are you looking for a daily driver as well as a quick car, or are you just building an animal? We'll start discussing Ratios... :devil: :devil: :devil:

 

I fix cars for a living. Computer, electrical,emissions and drivability are my specialties but I have done everything (I just can't seem to get trannys right though and I hate AC work). I also worked at a performance shop for a few years where we specialized in... You guessed it... Grand Nationals. We did everything including burning our own performance chips to reprograming racing DFI setups through an Accel laptop program on the fly. If you look down the list at the 7th fastest V6 in the world you will see one of my old customers, Ron. I worked at Lou's Auto Service, in So Cal If you look on this page you will see many referances to Lou Czarnotta as well . He is one of the worlds most respected GN tuners (but a real asshole). We did all GM models (including ZR1 Corvettes :blink: ), and a bunch of other stuff as well. Anyways, enough about my background...

I suggest taking the block down and having it checked. Sometimes ping can cause an oblong hole not really visible to the naked eye. If you have an internal mic, you can check for cylinder true yourself, and save machine shop cost. I personally like to send all blocks out for a good look over, and give the machine shop some leway, to do what is nessicary to make the block worthy of 12 second times (if you're looking for a 13 second car, prepare it for 12 seconds, I always like to give at least a second worth of room ). If they feel a bore is nessicary, go with it. As long as it is not more than .010 over current, the stock pistons will be fine, but be sure to get appropriate rings. The old stock I beam rods are also quite up to the task for a mild build, may be time for new pins though. I always put new pins in if I am going through an engine. If you really want to keep from sending the block out, buy a good "dingleberry" hone and ream the hell out of the cylinder walls. This will provide a nice crosshatched surface to facilitate ring break-in.

I might like to see a .342 ratio in the car, .373 tops. The GNs came stock with a .342 and I stepped up to a .390. This was not really comfortable for a daily driver so I took it back to a .373 Keep in mind also, that I need the lower gears to get it rolling, I have a 6 cylinder and I suffer from turbo lag thanks to the huge space that turbo has to fill. My 442 had .411s in it and it was uncontrollable. I had a 3 speed auto with the big block 455 in it. While a peg leg is ok for a daily driver, if you choose to do some stomping you will want to put a posi in it. I suggest you look in Summit for some nice center sections and ring and pinion sets. I prefer Strange gears personally, but even the "Summit" sets will work well. By getting alll this yourself, you can save some money. Go to a local tranny shop and ask an installer if they would set your gears up for you, to eliminate high or low side howl. For under $100 most will do it for you, and they do it all the time.

If you are dead set on a complete repacement, I suggest you tear the cover off and look the rear end over real good. I can't tell you how many units a customer brought in from the yard and I opened it up to see 4 pounds of dirt in it. Grab the center section ans push from side to side and in and out. Very little movement should be felt. Bring an 8mm (or 5/16) 6 point wrench and try to remove the retainer pin from the center pin. I have seen these broken on several occasions, and the pin hogged out the center section. Be sure to roll the rear end and look for broken gear teeth, or funny looking patterns in the gears. Check Axle splines for twisting. if they are ok, the splines are straight, if not they will look like a corkscrew.

hope this helps!!!



Last edited by sandt38 at Sep 1 2002, 10:46 PM

 

I programed this guys DFI unit.

The pic was huge so I added the link if you want to see a high end GN show car. His mane is Fred Avery. He moved to Seattle I belive, but he used to live in San Diego.



Last edited by sandt38 at Sep 2 2002, 12:21 AM

 

You will need the Carrier (center section) assembly, clutch packs, spider gears, ring gear, pinion gear, carrier and pinion bearings, and I suggest Axle bearings and seals. To remove the assembly...

Remove rear wheels and drums. Remove (10) 1/2 inch diff cover bolts, and diff cover. remove (4)7/16 driveshaft nuts and rear U-joint from pinion flange (I suggest leave the driveshaft in the tranny, just bungee cord it off the ground, this eliminates trans fluid losses). Turn carrier untill the 5/16s bolt is visible on the opposite side of the carrier than the ring gear, remove the bolt useing a 6 point wrench or socket ( I stress 6 point), and the carrier pin. Do not turn either axle or the pinion at this point!!! Push each axle into the center of the differencial and a "c" clip will fall out of the end of each axle, into the diff pumpkin. Remove the axles from the housing. Replace the carrier pin in the carrier, and loosely reinstall the carrier pin retainer bolt. Remove the (4) 11/16, or 3/4 carrier bearing bolts (to the outside edge of the carrier) and the carrier bearing caps (label the caps so they go back in the same way they come out, like rod and main caps, they back in any way, but only work properly if installed the exact same way they come out). Be careful the carrier does not fall out of the rear end.. When you remove the carrier, there are going to be spacers and maybe some shims as well beneath the bearing caps you just removed (they help to center the carrier in the pumpkin) remove these and place them on the side, in the exact order/location they came out from... Now, aside from the pinion (which is self explanitory, check your preload) the rear end is completely disassembled.

while that sounds difficult it is really quite easy. A beginner should have it completely torn down in about an hour and a half. As you go into the rear end, you will see I am describing it completely, making these instructions quite easy to follow, if you read every word.