Differentials

Years ago, I made a new spider gear axle and honed the spider gears to fit a slightly over stock new, hardened spider gear axle. Then the diff ran out of lube and the differential was destroyed. A used rear end was sourced, re-sealed and put in about 20 years ago. I now notice that I get a clunk after I release the clutch (after turning). I think I have the same problem, again. I'll have to remove the cover to investigate, but am quite sure it is not the pinion lash nor the carrier bearings. Not much else it can be. So, I have 2 choices. Do the same thing again (but now I no longer have a precision machine shop with a center grinder at my disposal...) or buy another used one. If I do that, though, I want something lower than 3.36:1. Anyone here know how to identify if a car might have a 3:08? I believe it is a B or a C stamp on the rear axle, but nobody is going to tell you what it is stamped if it is still in a car b/c the stamp is on top on the right tube. Did autos have 3.36 as well? It sure seems so from the manual. Any guidance?

I'd also post this to the yahoo group, but I can no longer log in, there. Hoping there is a similar amount of old time knowledge here as well.

My olds has a C stamp for 3:36 and it's an auto. Don't have it right now but the factory service manual gives you the codes for axles and there are lower ratios although I have seen 4 cars and all are 3:36

62cutlassconvert wrote:My olds has a  C  stamp for 3:36 and it's an auto. Don't have it right now but the factory service manual gives you the codes for axles and there are lower ratios although I have seen 4 cars and all are 3:36

Me too. I think an A stamp is 3.08. I saw one on ebay a few years ago that the guy claimed it was a 3.08. He did not have the picture of the stamp, so it may have also been a 3.36 as well and he just assumed that because the car was an auto that it was a 3.08 like a lot of them (thd350/400) later in the 60s and 70s.

I dug through this a while back and there is mention of A,B,C stamps and IIRC, the one was 3.08 and the other was 4.10 or something like that. All the ones that Dave (on the Yahoo group) has are C. I may have to go with that unless I get lucky. I am pretty sure mine could pull a 3.08 and it would sure make it more relaxed on the road. As it is, I usually skip shift it. 1-3-4.

edit: foind the link: Cutlass Diff Codes

Keith