Rear Differential Parts 1965

[TKRIV]

Hi All, Does anyone know of a vendor that deals with rear Differential Parts for 1965 Riv

ideally on the west coast?

Ratio 3:42 LSD

TomK

[BulldogDriver]

https://www.ratechmfg.com/toc.htm
 

these guys for bearings and seals. The rest is hit or miss here or eBay as there is no aftermarket support on these differentials. 
 

Ray

[telriv]

I have a brand new, one year only, posi unit for  '65 FOR 3.42 & up ratios.

It wasn't cheap when I bought it.

Remember it being around $450.00 or so in 1969.

 

Tom T.

[TKRIV]

Thank you men for your reply. It really does puzzle me that there is no-one supporting our differentials.

I want to find the shop that has all the parts before I pull the diff.

Could be worn ring/pinion gears or carrier bearings but I do not want to pull it until I know for sure

that I can get the correct replacement parts that are available.

Whining noise is light and only appears when under load. In fact when I replaced my exhausts system for a quiet system

it was only then that I could hear the whine noise! 

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[EmTee]

A light whine may not be anything serious.  Does it stop when you let-off the throttle and coast?  Growling/rumbling usually goes along with bad bearings.  Your noise sounds more like gear whine that is related to increased lash; likely resulting from normal wear.  How many miles on the car?  Eliminating the whine at this point will likely require new ring & pinion gears (i.e., a total rebuild), because resetting the lash now would change the wear pattern and most likely induce rapid wear form that point on.  You may have better luck trying to find another complete third member.  That would allow you to swap the entire differential assembly without hunting for individual gears and bearings.

 

FWIW, I owned an '89 C1500 pickup that I bought with ~90K on it that had a similar light gear whine.  I drove it another 100K miles before getting rid of it and the differential noise never got any worse.  In fact, I know a friend who had a very nice late '80s Chevy wagon who had the rear end rebuilt (due to bad bearings) and it had a light whine following the rebuild that I don't recall was ever eliminated.

[XframeFX]

On 10/22/2023 at 12:44 PM, telriv said:

one year only, posi unit for  '65 FOR 3.42

Can someone enlighten me what makes 1965 different from 1963-64? Is it the side gears for different axles? PosiTrac and open differentials use the same axles for 1965?

For 1963-63 Riviera, same axle shafts between posi and open?

 

I swapped-out the open differential in my '63 for a posi unit with the same 3.23 from a parts Riviera back in the 80s. Can't remember if I had to swap the axles as well.

My interchange book is inconclusive for all 3 years but, it indicates differential side gears are unique to the Riviera from full size. Or, meaning axles won't interchange because of obvious axle length but splines the same?

[telriv]

Normally the POSI units come apart in pieces whereas this diff. carrier you load everything into it as it's all one piece.

 

Tom T.

Edited October 25, 2023 by telriv (see edit history)

[XframeFX]

On 10/22/2023 at 12:44 PM, telriv said:

'65 FOR 3.42 & up ratios.

Yes, I understand when stated for ratios of 3.42 and up. But as far as the carrier assembly, what are the differences?

[BulldogDriver]

I was understanding that 3.23 and lower used the same carrier. 3.42 and above used a different carrier but I read somewhere, I thought it was Buick V8 forum, that a 3.23 carrier could be modified to fit a 3.42.
 

I also thought that all Gen 1 63-65 used the same differential housing, bearings/seals, and all of the brake parts. The carrier had a different pinion yoke for the 64/65 driveshaft. Tom T would know better. 
 

Ray

[RivNut]

The original owner of my 63 installed a 3.91 rear end to tow his air stream.  It was originally a 3.07. I pulled the 3.91 and installed a 3.23 (only thing I could find at the time - pre internet, Hemmings was it.)  all three went into the same housing.  The only difference I can think of is the diameter of the hub on the outer end of the axle - smaller so that the rally wheels, first available on the Riviera in 65, could use a register ring.

[George Buick Riviera]

On 10/22/2023 at 5:10 PM, BulldogDriver said:

https://www.ratechmfg.com/toc.htm
 

these guys for bearings and seals. The rest is hit or miss here or eBay as there is no aftermarket support on these differentials.

After checking their web page, that will be kit 362K that I am going to order. But I have questions regarding axle shaft bushings, that are in the sleeves, where the axle shaft goes in to the carrier. Last picture shows some GM code, but I can't find anything regarding that - anyone knows where to get them ?