Rear differential parts source

[gdmn852]

Hello anyone know of a part source for ring and pinion gear for 1949 Buick Super with Dynaflow? I have a howling noise most noticeable at 40 to 50 mph.Plan to take it apart in October and want to get part located beforehand. Thank you.

[Spinneyhill]

How do you know it is the ring and pinion and not a bearing? How much oil is in there?

 

I once had a car that did that and it was a wheel bearing.

Edited August 30, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

You can always tell ring and pinion in an old Buick.  If it howls when its under load, but stops howling when you let off the gas it is ring and pinion.  If it is constant either way it is probably something else.  I'm no mechanic but that's what I have found in 64 years of driving them.

[gdmn852]

Hello thanks for the reply’s I took back cover off ,pulled rear axles they had been serviced recently well packed with grease and seals also were good , checked back lash on ring gear ,it’s at .013 ,this is over tolerance ,could be pinion bearings or ring gear , plan to pull it down in October and want to get parts lined up for rebuilding it’s 4.455 ratio

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

If it is in fact a 4.45, I would just look for another set of gears. I doubt it came that way. More like a 3.9 or 3.6.. The "punkin" will interchange through 1955.

 

  B en

[gdmn852]

Hello again it’s a Dynaflow so it was possible it’s the original gearing they are marked “11-49”which would work out to 4.454.the howling is most pronounced on acceration also the pinion seal leaks so feel it will be better to overhaul it.

[Joseph P. Indusi]

Could possibly be pinion bearings that typically whine on acceleration but quiet down on coast.  

Please check back and let us know what develops. 

Joe

[gdmn852]

Hello I will as I said earlier it will be taken apart in October the plan is to remove the rear end from car and take the carrier assembly to a mechanic that is familiar with the older Buick’s this way car is not taking up space in his garage if run into a part problem and also by doing most of the work should cost less.hoping it is the pinion bearings they are easer to find,ring gears either used or nos.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Bet you can do burnouts with the 4.45.  

 

  Ben

[gdmn852]

No ,nothing happens too fast with a Dynaflow!!In 1949 factory gears were either 4.454 or 4.1 on Supers need the low gears to compensate for the transmission,even then ,not a car you want to take to a drag strip.

[Guest]

But, soooo smoooooooth.  I had 2 1953 Specials, one 4 dr dynaflow and one two dr standard.  The standard owners manual said to start in second(original owner always called it medium) unless on a hill.  It would go to over 80 mph on the speedo before you had to shift to high.  Just using second gear it would out run all my friends F***s.  The Dynaflow was not as fast but was even smoother.  Both great cars.

[gdmn852]

Hello the Mechanic checked the Buick,drove it definitely thinks ring and pinion gear but will try to adjust backlash first If it should need gears said would only put in new unused ones. Let you know later if adjustments help.

[Guest]

14 hours ago, gdmn852 said:

Hello the Mechanic checked the Buick,drove it definitely thinks ring and pinion gear but will try to adjust backlash first If it should need gears said would only put in new unused ones. Let you know later if adjustments help.

Save your self a bundle and replace the whole diff with at least the 4.10s. Time you get done finding new ring and pinion gears and paying hundred+ an hour to have the lash set, you prolley could buy and install 3 used diffs. There are still good used diffs getting pulled out and scrapped by rodders or sold very cheap. Just my humble(know it all) lol! Opinion. I have 4.40s currently in my 1940 Super coupe. Good for conditions in 1940. Capable of providing 10 mpg and shifting to 2nd halfway thru intersection from dead stop to keep from overreving little 248" engine. They will be history asap, as 3.6 is there waiting!

[JohnD1956]

3 hours ago, 2carb40 said:

Capable of providing 10 mpg and shifting to 2nd halfway thru intersection from dead stop

[gdmn852]

Hello again ,if I can find a new set as was thinking something with higher ratio but as a said before acceration is low with Dynaflow even with the low 4.4 gears it can easily drive between 50 and 60 but mpg is only 10 to 15 .Speed limit in that area was 50 on most roads with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at 70. Wonder how many engine were ruined on that ,also tire blowouts!!

[Joseph P. Indusi]

I know Buick used 4.45 rear ratios on many models from 1930's to at least 1948 or maybe to early 1950's.   I could never find anyone who could confirm my suspicion that Buick did this because they did not have an automatic until 1948, and then only on the Roadmasters.  Now Olds got the Hydramatic in 1940 and Cadillac in 1941, several years before Buick got the  Dynaflow.   To minimize the need to shift gears in most local driving, the high torque Buick straight eights with the 4.45 rear ends could get around town with minimal shifting of gears thereby compensating, at least a little, for the lack of an automatic that required no shifting.

Just my suspicion, based on trying to understand why the 4.45 ratio was used.   I wonder if there are any old timers that worked at Buick who could offer their input on this.

Joe, BCA 33493

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

9 hours ago, gdmn852 said:

Hello again ,if I can find a new set as was thinking something with higher ratio but as a said before acceration is low with Dynaflow even with the low 4.4 gears it can easily drive between 50 and 60 but mpg is only 10 to 15 .Speed limit in that area was 50 on most roads with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at 70. Wonder how many engine were ruined on that ,also tire blowouts!!

 

 Put that sucker in L and stand on it. Surprise!  

 

  Ben

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, Joseph P. Indusi said:

I know Buick used 4.45 rear ratios on many models from 1930's to at least 1948 or maybe to early 1950's.   I could never find anyone who could confirm my suspicion that Buick did this because they did not have an automatic until 1948, and then only on the Roadmasters.  Now Olds got the Hydramatic in 1940 and Cadillac in 1941, several years before Buick got the  Dynaflow.   To minimize the need to shift gears in most local driving, the high torque Buick straight eights with the 4.45 rear ends could get around town with minimal shifting of gears thereby compensating, at least a little, for the lack of an automatic that required no shifting.

Just my suspicion, based on trying to understand why the 4.45 ratio was used.   I wonder if there are any old timers that worked at Buick who could offer their input on this.

Joe, BCA 33493

Average speed limit in USA in 1940 was 45mph. Roads sucked, oil pressure, hauling around a 3600 pound coupe. Pretty easy actually to figure engineering decisions when taken in context of the operating conditions of the era.

[Beemon]

A new set of ring and pinion gears for a Buick? I think everyone would be grateful if you found them.

[gdmn852]

Hello,I have used a number of nos parts while restoration of this car front bumper overrides ,filler panel between number and grill,both sides of grill ,passenger side upper stainless trim,door stainless trim,quarter panel trim ,rear driver side stone guard,inner baffles for venti ports and some other parts I forgot about.Parts are still out there but takes time to find them,all body parts for a 1949 Buick are one year only but I did find a few of them.Gears will fit many models and years.

[Perry Garner]

Hey GDMN852, where are you located?

 

I will have a complete rear end out of my '41 century for sale soon, I'm going with a more traditional drive train in my rest-mod, it will be complete from drum to drum and all the way to the end of the torque tube. I haven't pulled the cover to get the exact gearing yet but I counted it with the "turn the wheel and watch the shaft" method and it's somewhere around the 4.xx:1 area. unfortunately, I cannot attest to it's condition as I never drove the car with the exception of onto the trailer and then into the garage but it moved fine under it's own power.

[gdmn852]

Hello, Thank you for your reply,I live in north western Pa.your Century probably has the 4.11 ratio,this would help my 49 on lowering the rpm at highway speeds,Please let me know if this is doable.Gary

[Perry Garner]

Hey Gary,

 

if you want I can get the exact gear number for you if you need it? I may be able to get it up as far as Bloomsburg Pa. for you, I have a friend who's family lives up there and will be down here in about 3 weeks, then going home and should be back up there near the end of October. shoot me a Private message and we can probably figure out a number that works for both of us.

 

I probably won't have it pulled for a couple weeks so the above timing works good for me if it does for you ???

[gdmn852]

Hello ,you can contact me at gdmn852@hotmail.com Thank you

[Daves1940Buick56S]

On 9/25/2018 at 10:35 AM, gdmn852 said:

Hello again ,if I can find a new set as was thinking something with higher ratio but as a said before acceration is low with Dynaflow even with the low 4.4 gears it can easily drive between 50 and 60 but mpg is only 10 to 15 .Speed limit in that area was 50 on most roads with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at 70. Wonder how many engine were ruined on that ,also tire blowouts!!

 

Yeah, when it opened in Oct 1940 the PA Turnpike had no speed limit! And this was for the first few months until they figured out it was a bad idea. Like you said it must have been engine carnage!

 

Cheers, Dave

[s_hilmoe]

I have a pumpkin out a a '41 with 4.4X gears available if you are still looking. It was nice and quite when I removed it.

[gdmn852]

Hello thank you for your reply, I may be interested still waiting for mechanic to adjust gears in car.What is your price on the parts?Thank you.

[gdmn852]

Hello thank you for your reply, I may be interested still waiting for mechanic to adjust gears in car.What is your price on the parts?Thank you.

[gdmn852]

Also on the Pennsylvania Turnpike they had souvenirs available,from bottle openers,pennants,postcards,salt shakers,etc.hard to today that it was a tourist destination in self. I must confess that I have a few.  

[gdmn852]

Hello will take the gear set. I tried to reply thru the email but it said delivery failed.

[s_hilmoe]

2 hours ago, gdmn852 said:

Hello will take the gear set. I tried to reply thru the email but it said delivery failed.

Got your PM and replied back. I'll get it boxed and weighed and let you know.