Barnbird 4 pinion is confirmed now and for my poor eyes and a light was not easy for me to see. The internet pictures were for the shape of the carrier because I noticed all the different posi chucks have unique shapes. I Still don't see the desirable N but again I can't get a good view yet. Trying to spend as little time under the car as possible since its so rotted. I already had my truck fall on my head and don't want another vehicle to hurt me .

We got about ten inches just finished clearing the driveway. I hate the snow. but plowing with my 2wd 4 wheeler is fun now that i have some traction.

Well thank you it all makes sense now.

I have had a seized front caliper smoke and get red hot.

The Craigslist dude refused my offer for $100 even though i am a repeat customer. I did ask him if he wanted to give me reasonable counter offer.

I will look at a new replacement axle but i have the tendency to go for the cheapest i can find.
Is that a mistake?
I do want to find a quality bearing like a timken, the advance auto brands concern me and i think the one i put in my truck is already starting to make noise.
As far as how i will use the car is hard to answer. There is my dream plan then a more likely reality plan.

Dream is a healthy build of my 400 and a super t10 4 spd to be mostly street driven with frequent smoke shows on drag radials so i can see what it would do at the track. I would still use my 6x heads so i am guessing hp maybe 400.

I doubt i would ever be on slicks unless i came into some unexpected money.

The reality is having to use my 350 with the automatic on street tires with frequent burn outs.

I ordered my 80w90 gear oil and GM posi additive but still need to source the axle and bearings and seals.

After reading what I have written I am realizing it is stupid to buy that rear end for parts because then i have a rear-end i can't use in the other firebird It would be great to have two rolling cars.I do have two driveshafts and two sets of leaf springs and two motors.

Rock auto has a STANDARD GEAR ZAG82BOPL for about $130 shipped. I will get this one unless someone chimes in and says its junk

I have no recent experience with aftermarket axles so hopefully someone else will chime in. as far as Bearings I would suggest you do your research. I have had horrible luck with Chinese/Mexican made bearings and it is hard to find anything else. Even company's like Moog which is a product I sold in the past and was of high quality outsources bearing manufacture to other countries but if you look at there website they say they are an American company but fail to mention most of there products are made elsewhere. I have had to redo jobs on personal vehicles because of short term failure and while they did warrantee the product it was a high labor job so not worth it in the long run. By the way once a rotor glows red like you described the bearings should be replaced even if still tight or they can fail in the future.

Good to know luckily that truck is long gone.

Here is a really dumb question
Is the bearings supposed to be round (ball bearings)? The bearing I cut off had ball bearings

I thought axle bearings were more long tapered like?

Whatever is the correct bearing is there a right or wrong orientation to install it?

Also can I use anti seize or some lube on the axle tube bearing surface when i do finally get my new axle ready to install?

Are there gaskets to be replaced between the brake backing plate and the axle tube flange? I think i saw a metal one?

And the bearing retainer bolt on plate what does that use for gaskets and seals?

All sealed automotive style Bearings use rollers. use engine oil when pressing. leave axle out in the cold and take it in when ready to install Bearing. Put bearing in oven on a low heat so as not to melt the side seals and grease. and press away. Reuse the metal shim and that is all you need.

By roller I assume you mean ball shape bearings?

That said I assume then it doesn't matter which way it is installed as in no front or back to it?

The metal shim you mentioned i assume is between the drum backing plate and the axle flange?

Doesn't the 4 bolt bearing retaining plate use some sort of gasket as well? I thought I saw something when I removed it like a paper gasket type?
Maybe someone used some RTV under the cover?

I hate to ask about oven temp and time in oven?

Yes sorry I meant round ball. and forgot to mention the gaskets on either side of the metal retainer shim. All ovens are different but usually the warm setting works just keep an eye out to make sure it is ok. This freezing and warming step is not required but makes it go together a lot easier. But have done plenty not using this method.

I found this link that was helpful to me and maybe others. Its not exactly the same but very relative


https://www.chevelles.com/threads/10-bolt-pontiac-rear-end-question-re-axle-bearings.1099356/

Amervo, my old FGF friend!

Nashville I love that car!

Hey Barnbird!

I can't prove it but I think I saw a faded trace of the N on top of the diff near the yoke. I tried to take pictures but none of them came out.

I also removed all the brake lines from the prop valve back and replaced the main vain line which I determined is 1/4 inch not 3/16. I also replaced the left front short 3/16 line.

I am trying to find out from Ames what brand axle bearing they use

Hi,
I think I know the answer but is this used axle price way to much? $130 bucks. Doesn't sound like the seller will budge on the price. I have a feeling its the same guy that is selling that overpriced 67 BOP rear.

https://nh.craigslist.org/pts/d/rochester-axle-shaft-gm-10-bolt-bop-82/7271769499.html


I just ordered my wheel cylinders, shoes, hardware kit, and over the rear diff flexible line


update: just tried to bleed the front brakes with my daughters help and heard (and saw fluid) the front wheel cylinder blow. oh well now i have to order two fronts

Seems high to me. I just sold the ones from my GTO for $90 each. I would also be a little concerned about the obvious rust on the shaft. Looks to me like it was sitting outside in the weather.

thanks hokie,
I doubt i will deal with that guy.


Has anyone used this disc brake conversion kit where you keep the drum brake spindles untouched?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333020687672?ul_noapp=true

Does anyone know if the front brake drum hub presses out of the drum?

Looking into poor men disc brakes

I know I can get a one piece rotor but was just weighing my options

Poor man's disc brakes are to leave the drums and work with what you have. but if you have the money go for it. Yes the drums separate from the hubs. My memory being fuzzy as it is I can't remember if it's with the center hub or the lugs. I think it's the lugs but just look and you will see the are swaged just in front of the drum face. If so drive them out with a brass drift. If you are considering putting the original 4 piston caliper rotors on those hubs they won't fit.

Barnbird is correct, they are swagged onto the hub with the lug studs.
Careful when you drive them out, I shattered one of the drums doing it so I could install slide off drums back in the day.
Wear safety glasses.

Thanks,
Original 4 piston front brakes are not even on the table.( hence the poor mans front discs) I will use my stock drum spindles and they don't need any modification.

I think i will end up using this kit
https://scarebird.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=67
I need to confirm but i think this kit makes the front track width a bit narrower instead of moving the offset outward like other kits.
I had stock single piston nova front discs on my 67 BBC camaro i used to have and i was impressed with the stopping power.I assume these single piston small rotor kits should be close in performance and good enough for me. Certainly better then drums.
As far as separating my worn out drums from their hubs my research shows normal style rotors are much cheaper then the one piece i need to buy for this kit.
I will probably not waste my time trying to separate my hubs but we will see.


So all this disc upgrade idea has come as a result of trying to get my crappy drum brakes to work again. The front left i ended up swapping the whole backing plate assembly from my other sub frame after the wheel cylinder blew. Why not buy a new wheel cylinder?
Simple, i do not want to put any money into the front drum brakes at all, i just wanted to be able to move this parts car around the yard safely.
And some kind of front disc upgrade was always in the plans .
Now onto the front right side. This side was even worse with another seized wheel cylinder, Drum is worn thin, and the wheel bearing was dragging badly. Since my other sub-frame is now under the snow this side will have to wait.
All the brake-work i do will eventually transfer to the other shell.
So I found my self looking at the crappy header on the passenger side.

So I am attaching pictures of what has to be the worst header to ever come off a Pontiac? It was terrible to get it out. I thought this is supposed to be the easy side? I probably should have drained the oil and pulled the filter out of the way but i struggled until it gave up. Now i definitely need to remove the filter to get my used replacement header back in there. prior owners had also ran the trans cooling lines right in the way. Found more wires that go no where as well as vacuum hoses.

Why did i bother trying to replace the header now?
One because i am at a standstill on the front brake.
Two i want to know is these better headers fit
And three, since there are no floors at all and the motor smokes all the interior fills up with stinky smoke the last time i tried to drive it. So i figured maybe I can run some temporary straight pipes away from the drivers seat.
The collector flanges were rotted off the headers that came with the car

Check out these pics!
Do I win the worst header prize?

Yes! You are the proud winner. But you probably could have run them a couple of more years. LOL!

That's Funny

Get the large economy size muffler and tail pipe tape.

Hi guys
newbie dumb question.
Is this axle flange metal shim re usable?
Do I also use rtv on one or both sides?
Does this also get that paper gasket?

Hey experts what heads do I have on this 350?
I am guessing these D-ports are nothing special but i would still like to know what they are

Well I finally bit the bullet and placed my order for my axle and bearings from Ames performance. $335 bucks total for one axle, bearing and seal kit for two sides and wheel studs. Ouchy wasn't expecting this but on the other hand I am glad I found the bad axle and bearings before I tried driving off.

I got kind of frustrated and overwhelmed trying to price shop around. Rock auto was out of stock for the axle I was going to get.
Dutchman axle on ebay left me with questions and when I asked for answers he told me to order off their website which lead to more unanswered questions and they couldn't tell me where their bearings were from which turned me off. I am not going through all that work for unknown bearings brand. Doesn't make sense to sell a quality axle with possibly crappy bearings. They install the bearings and retainers for no extra charge which would be great if they knew what kind of bearings they are using. And if you have them leave the bearings loose it still cost the same. In addition their axle flange does not have the access hole for installation and putting it in is an extra charge.

Anyways I hope to go pick up my axle tomorrow.

Well today after cleaning up and prepping some brake components for paint like the backing plate and e cable bracket I decided to get a better look at the prior owners spark plug wire job. They were obviously way to long and upon closer inspection were a mess.

4 out of 8 wires were completely dead as in my digital meter wouldn't show any reasonable resistance instead they were open.
Two of the four remaining wires had bad insulation breaks and one of the wire ends was just laying in the distributor cap hole with no boot or anything to hold it in place. I had some used wires that came off my truck not sure if they are compatible but my word they have to be better then what was on there.

How in the world did this motor run? Are Pontiac's that magical they will still run with only half their plug wires conducting?
I also found the pcv valve had no vacuum hose attached.
Further inspection showed the rubber fuel line was kinked in half right next to the fuel pump. But I promise you this did run and was kind of snappy with the throttle blips. Maybe all the smoke was partly caused by non firing cylinders?
Also found no connection to the temp sensor and a oil pressure line that goes no where and about a half dozen other small gauge wires that go no where.

Thank God I don't need this car as dependable transportation.
I guess this car makes good covid stay at home time entertainment.

correct me if i am wrong.
Do I have worthless 94 heads?

I noticed missing bolts on the two outer ends of the heads when i removed those junk headers

Well as my luck goes (almost always bad luck) Looks like now I need to buy two new bearing retainer plates. I started to prep the first axle for a new bearing and was going to clean and paint the retainer plates when I discovered one had been welded and booger ed up I tried to save it but I don't have the right de-burring bits. Then I found the second plate was cracked anyways.
The welded plate came from the side with the toasted axle etc and wonder if this hack job contributed to the failure?
Figures I already made my run to Ames

I though this post would be showing my new axle assembled.

Hey experts,
Is there a seal that goes in this plate like a GTO? or is it just the paper type gasket?
I saw this image on eBay when looking for new retaining plate

Hi all,
What would be a good price for me to get if i sell this shell/?

ok guys i am sure you all know this but don't do what i did even if it was your wife's idea which it was.

I had cleaned up some parts and painted with rust converter and after a week they still hadn't cured. First i tried leaving them on the house heating duct vents and that didn't work. Then i tried putting an electric heater on them for a half day and that helped a little but not enough. Then i was trying a hair dryer and my wife walked up and said why don't you just use the oven? I said because they are painted. She said so what as long as your not cooking food at the same time. So stupid me jumped at the chance. I put them in when the oven was cold so i could easily place them on the rack. Then i was preheating to 350 and was going to bake them for like 20 minutes after the oven hit its temperature. Well as soon as it reached 350 I got some bad fumes and immediately shut the oven off and put on the fan. To bad though because it worked like a charm and i have to do a second coat and no i will never use our oven again.

Never mind I have found the answer to my own question is no with the sealed bearing

Well today I drained the oil for the first time since i acquired this parts car, (still trying to get that header in past the oil filter adapter) It was super stinky like gas I think, and I drained about 7 quarts!
I assume between it being over filled and saturated with gas would be two more reasons why that motor smoked so bad.
Yes I know that is real bad and the rings could be washed out.I didn't do it I am the victim.

The header still won't slide in between the head and the engine cradle. I don't understand why there is so little room there?

At least you know the rings won't be stuck in the grooves. I have only installed 3 sets of headers on first gens in my time and they were all 4 tube hooker. Without a lift there is Absolutely no reason not to disconnect the motor mounts and raise the motor with either a crane, hoist or by jacking. It's simple quick and makes the job much easier. Also check for bad rubber motor mounts and missing support braces from control arm bolt to bottom of metal part of mount. I saw this once in a cobbled up car and the motor sat so low the front of the pan was rubbing on the crossmember even though the rubber mounts were new. Also I assume by your lack of asking that you know the reasons why gasoline ends up in the oil?

Gas in the oil from my holly sprinkler. I did not know standard procedure was to lift the motor off the mounts to install headers but i was considering it. Problem is i don;t think i can get my hoist in the garage its to small to get it around the car which is on stands and the rear end is still apart.

My motor is for sure sitting low looks like the framestand motor mount is sagging where it hangs off the back of the engine cradle, so i assume the brace you mentioned is also missing. I did put a jack under the motor and after a lot of trouble i finally got the new used header in place.
I will do some research to find the motor mount brace you mentioned. Being my first Pontiac I am not familiar with it. I did also notice the oil pan is incredibly close to the engine cradle.

I don't know if it's standard procedure either but just did it because I had to with the type of headers and setup I was dealing with at the time. Don't just assume it's only a carb problem with gas in the oil other causes are a bad fuel pump leaking it directly into the crankcase, poor running engine and a choke that never opens all the way. Here is a picture of the mounts and associated parts from Harold B's site. https://www.firebird400ho.com/mdocuments-library/ in section 6 engine mechanical v-8 figure 6-76

Try dropping the right header in from topside, and report back.

Wow never heard of a bad fuel pump leaking gas into the crankcase. How does that even happen?
The piece of crap Holley on it never had a working choke i just held it open. You could literally see gas leaking on the intake and i did assume internal gas leaking as well. And poor running engine yes.

Hey Barnbird I tried to take pictures of the underside of both motor frame mounts. There is a bracket there that is horizontal that goes no where. Also I had already seen the 4 piece brackets i am suppose to have and you right the bottom support brackets are missing. Thank you for the link though

Thanks Amervo I had already tried that and no way that can happen.
I got the right side header in from the bottom after jacking the motor up some. And also the motor mount is sagging from no support bracket