New Member-65 c20

[driftbuster]

Good day. Picked up a truck 2 months ago. 1965 c20 Chev.
Seems to run nice. it's from Montana, brought to Canada 23 years ago
and stored until I bought it. My friend a body man says
the condition is mint. All original including paint. P.O.
must have scabbed a few items like helper springs, radio,
all mirrors. Engine is 230 with nice compression. 157, 157,
160, 160, 160 and 157. Just finished a complete R and R of
the entire brake system. Then I pulled the diff cover. I have
never opened a diff before but know the 230's very well. I
found some bad stuff in the sludge, metal bits, look like retainer
material of sorts. Never drove the truck except up the lane
and back. Didn't hear any noise but there were a couple dozen
small pieces and 2 big pieces in the bottom of diff. The
input shaft seems to have a little up and down play. Can a
rookie pull this thing apart without messing up anything
to at least have a look? My friend has a posi he says will
fit right in but I'd like to spare the expense if I can. PO
said the rear end was bad when he bought it. He replaced
the "pod" inside he said with one from a wreckers then
drove it home and parked it. he had 5-6 of these. What
are a few things I should look for. I am almost convinced
that the bits may have been left overs from the bad diff.
I see no signs of any gears having chewed up these pieces
but I am ignorant to the going's on in a diff, more or less.
Any suggestions. I will try to upload a picture.

Thanks Don

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...375813d_20.jpg

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Welcome to the forum. Good lookin' truck there. IMO, if you're not familiar with rear ends, leave it alone. There are lots of decent mechanics that won't mess with rear ends.

[DPowers]

Welcome to the forum-
Looks like you have a few options as far as the rearend goes.
- Clean it up good, put new oil in it and drive it.
- Tear into it.
- Replace the rear end.
- Pay to have someone to mess with it.

I guess I personally would probably tear into it and seek advice as how the best way to do that would be.

[Tx Firefighter]

[Tx Firefighter]

[LILRED66]

Welcome to the forums from Kansas City, KS. It seems more and more of our neighbors to the north are joining the site...that is great!

Pull the diff. cover, clean it up good with a garden sprayer & diesel fuel or Simple Green or your cleaner of choice, give it a good visual inspection, rotate the wheels by hand while the rear wheels are off the ground, install new diff. cover gasket, fill with appropriate amount & type of rearend fluid and give it a go.

Tx Firefighter, thanks for posting the photos!

[Captainfab]

Welcome to the forums

I have to agree with Tony^^^^

[driftbuster]

Thanks for the advise. One thing I learned a long time ago is to ask first
wrench second. Nice warm welcome on a Cold Kanuk Winter morning.
We're sitting at a Balmy 8.5 f this am. My plan was to clean her up with
my fave cleaner, diesel in a spray bottle. I love that stuff for unsticking
things, degreasing etc... I have found there is some real bad play in the
Pinion shaft and I can see a small amount in the passenger side large bearing.
My plan is to pull the pinion shaft and see how bad things are. I have no
quams with using a friend Brian to re-build as diff's are a whole other
Galaxy to me too, and he already warned me not to "_U__ with it". I just don't want to pay him to jack up the rear, drain the
oil etc. I'd like to just take out the "Pod" and take it to him. Can this be done by simply removing those big caps and those little retainer thingy's?
I hate bugging him and I am sure he don't mind but I like to ask dumb
questions, I'll have lots more. Luckily I am 48 and have had a 62 Invader
3 speed 194 (sweet car that got wrote off by a dumb a$$), a 63 Nova Wagon (wifes bondo buggy) a 72 Nova (shoulda kept) and 67 Pontiac Parisenne (shoulda kept). All these cars had me longing for a 60's car again. I have replaced many, many small blocks, done 1/2 dozen clutches in S.B's, swapped many trannies...all valuable experience but I am a "PrePress Tech" by trade/legendary Mechanic in my mind.
Diff repair is way out of my league and I heed your warnings thanks.
I feel that there is some wear to the Pinion bearings as I can move
it up and down slightly more than I am assuming it should. When I push
hard on the big Crown gear (up and down) I can see the right bearing is
loose but left seems fine. At the same time the inboard end of pinion shaft, I can see the bearing is messed up bad, but still in one piece, way too much play.
Thanks for the compliment on my truck. I got ripped off buying it, 7K, but
I just had to have it. It's like one of the first cars I ever owned that
doesn't have any Bondo in it . It is mint underneath and no cancer except the
usual lower front fender, just breaking thru but has been slowed by oiling
by P.O. I just rebuilt all the wheel cylinders, MC and new shoes. I reused
the original brake lines and all the holders for them. This is why I didn't mind paying out the 7K, no rust or Bondo. I checked out your toys, wow I am impressed. I have a soft spot for 70's Jap bikes, "H" Series only. I have a mint 72 H1 and a mint 76, both engines/tranny's built by me. My kid has an S3 400 triple which he built under my guidance and a mint 78 YZ 125 MX'r built by my son Tommy too. He's getting pretty good at two strokes, up next for him "tuning the Chevy inline"
Thanks for listening. Heres a picture of my 72, it made the Kawasaki Triples Canada Calendar and is a huge hit with bikers, kids and cops too LOL. It is very fast and has been super reliable too.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...esignProof.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...08_Sept033.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff240/driftbuster/BikerDon_H1B_2008_Sept033.jpg

[ratskin]

Get those gas pumps and signs!

[Muleman100]

Looks like it could be mint. Maybe it was not driven much in the winter to avoid the salt on the roads. Good luck.

[factorystock]

Welcome! Your truck is a clean representation of the way Chevy built them. Nice to see your 3/4 ton looks similar to the way in looked in '65. The up and down play in rear yoke means the pinion bearings are shot and it probably worn down the shaft as well. It must have the notorious "NO-SPIN" 4.57 ratio HO 52 that chatters on sharp left turns at slow speeds which causes the excessive wear. Chances are the rear end has a whinning sound also. Your best bet is to replace the whole pumkin as a unit with a good 4.10 rear axle ratio pumpkin out of 69 thru 72 Chevy 3/4 ton. This is an easy swap.

[Alan's Classic]

and welcome. Cool pics of a cool truck.

[sanford66]

Welcome from Atchison Ks.! Looks like a sweet truck. Joseph

[driftbuster]

Sorry for the long winded replies, I type as fast
as I can talk, which ain't all that fast

great advise. I have tore into it. diff is out
and off to the 4x4 guy in Brantford. Says he can
fix it up and should be good. I like the idea
of a complete swap if mine becomes a P.I.T.A. It's got
a diff that has a back cover and the "Pumpkin"
pulls out the front, like a 9 inch Ford type?
Pinion bearing is worn bad, race is cracked but
still there. I figured to a low
oil condition but it sounds like there were
some issues to this diff from day 1, eh !
New rear wheel seals are installed, brakes done.
So I carried on and yanked the trans/clutch
too. To my surprise the PP and flywheel
are mint, clutch is ok but I will install new
disc plus a pilot bushing, throw bearing too.
Thank god for the "good ole day's". These
things are actually fun to wrench on, more so
when I don't really have a "first ride" day picked
out yet anyway. Going to pull oil pan and clean
the bottom out good, tune up, wires etc. That shifter
was funny eh, called a buddy, he got a good laugh
when I asked him about removing it from the floor
the old tractor didn't see any salt as from what I found.
every piece of steel is in near perfect condition.
I don't know how to say this, or break it
to my wife but I am in love all over again. And this old
girl had it's heart torn right out before I got it. I feel
the thing had a 283 in it stock judging by the oil mess,
mount dirt and the what I think is a bigger rad than the
6 would have had. All in all it's perfect for me with a
6/4 speed as that was what I really wanted anyway. I break
55 mph maybe twice a year in my "Tracker". Or our
"AWD Astro" I do 60 on the 400 roads (same as interstate)
3 times a year. I live in a hick town in the middle
of no-where, "old Louis" is gonna feel right at home
in Paris Ontario.ca.
I am going to get some photos soon, we got a camera,
Hi-TEK Redneck all the way.

I'll be back in a few days......and thanks again

[LILRED66]

You definitely win the "long-winded" award...good stuff. I am glad to see you are rescuing it. Keep us posted with your progress.

[driftbuster]

Originally Posted by LILRED66

You definitely win the "long-winded" award...good stuff. I am glad to see you are rescuing it. Keep us posted with your progress.

I will

[816allen]

Sweet truck mine had the same dent on the bed

[62 Longbed]

Welcome to the Board !!! Nice Start .. Keep us posted !!

[driftbuster]

Originally Posted by 62 Longbed

Welcome to the Board !!! Nice Start .. Keep us posted !!

I will, i have a slight delay. My oldest girls Plymouth Breeze blew
a head gasket. 80K and always been a good car. It looks like a
real SOB to pull the head. This is gonna take a while. Good news
my new clutch, throw, hanger and 3 u-joints are in stock and I
can pick up tonight. Diff otta be done soon too. Will be off the truck
for a few days....stupid front wheel drive anyways

[dan76]

nice truck.