Amazing what new parts, attention to detail, and "blueprinting" stuff does to make your ride easier.
8.5 in rearend
- Thread starter Billy1979malibu
- Start date
Quick performance recommended that I break in the new gears with 20 mi heat cycles for the first 100 miles and then short trips with no WOT until 500 miles. Then they want me to change the oil. So today at about 630 miles, I popped the cover and I feel stupid now because the oil is really clean and there is very little glitter. The glitter is actually microscopic. There is some gasket paper and RTV in the drip pan. The oil looks like honey. Anyway, it looks like there was a bit of a leak so I'm not going to put this old cover back on. I have a cast aluminum piece coming from Amazon $65. I didn't want to pay $140 for the cheapest girdle cover. I'm going to take the wheels off and the drive shaft off and see what the turning resistance is like to make sure I still have preload, but it looks like I built it right so far.
I used to run it on a jack for about 15 minutes then probably drive it 2 miles total around the pits and then to the staging lanes and hit it with the transbrake. Then take the cover off 2 years later.
Yes. The shop told me the same thing, that quick performance was being retarded, and I should send it. I mean who gives a s*** about a warranty on $100 gears anyway?
When I took the drums off and the drive shaft off there was turning resistance; it was not 20in-lb (by feel), but didnt spin freely. Backlash feels good (by feel). I could come up with a hundred excuses why I went in there, but it was my first build, I don't trust myself, and I want to install a non-leaking cover with a drain plug so I never have to go in again.
With the car already up in the air I've changed the oil and greased everything. Make sure everything's tight.
I think I'm going to rebuild the old 7.5 as a 3.08 with the 26-spline and Auburn posi on hand for the '78 Olds 3 speed - that will only cost me time, oil, and $100 gears.
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I've had this in my cart for a while but feel free to buy it. Perfect Launch girdle cover, "used" Amazon, $132
Yeah that's the one I resisted purchasing. I have spent so much money on this rear end that I felt shame buying that piece of jewelry. I can see gouge marks on the gasket surface of the stamped original, so I do need a new cover but I just bought one with good reviews cheap and drain plug. I'll put a picture up later. Wanted that one for sure.
i think that's an excessive break in as well.
it's a little more than a warranty on cheap parts then it is covering their end from a labor $tandpoint.the way the world is these days and how people are behaving.
say it goes awry on you and the local garage goes through it for you at say 150 an hour plus parts/ materials etc that dirty smelly job adds up when a customer's becoming irate on the phone over their cheap gears failing and incurred costs of repairs.
I did the 100-mile break-in per the recommendation but I was spinning tires and doing highway driving after that. Still I opened it up out of curiosity and doubt. Nobody babies a performance car the day they take it off the lot... I smelled horseshit.
Anyway I'm open for business now. Anyone within driving distance wants me to build them one I'll do it for $500 given the parts
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doood you need either a magnet in the rear cover or a fill plug with a magnet in it.
Sweet_Johnny those girdles aren’t doing much of anything until you are close to the point of breaking the rear. Sticky tires and hard hits drag racing is where they are worth the money. The TA Performance one is a very nice, quality piece.
Sweet_Johnny those girdles aren’t doing much of anything until you are close to the point of breaking the rear. Sticky tires and hard hits drag racing is where they are worth the money. The TA Performance one is a very nice, quality piece.
