While I wait for my donor engine I’m going to attempt to build a Dana 44 positraction rear end for my ’66 Studebaker. The centre pot and innards of this Dana44 are very similar to the Dana 44 rear ends in many C3 and C4 Corvettes.
This rear end unit also has the mounts (pointing towards the bottom of the the photo) for traction bars – offered by the factory usually in conjunction with positraction and rear sway bars. Now begins the boring chore of de-greasing, cleaning and painting the donor unit. My idea is to have a complete unit ready to be quickly swapped into the Studebaker whenever I get the chance. Meanwhile it’s the summer driving season and I prefer to keep the cars on the road rather than doing upgrades and repairs.
As to the ’79 Corvette, it is laid up. One of the new Firestone tires developed a bubble in the inner sidewall and went flat. More on my dealings with Firestone/Bridgestone later.
I am beginning with an empty pot. This unit originally housed a positraction unit.
Proof positive that this housing is for Dana 44 units.
This is a Dana 44 posi unit. Very similar to those used in the Corvette differentials. It is a used unit and needs to be opened up and checked. I can’t remove the bearings until I get the special pullers for the job.
This is the parts book illustration from the Studebaker manual – they called their positraction units Twin Traction. The plates on either side need to be checked for wear.
This is the correct puller to remove the bearings and shims from the positraction housing. With to bearings removed the unit can be disassembled and checked. I picket up this unit from Amazon for CDN$124. A lot of money for a puller, but it will prove it’s worth as the bearings may need to be removed and replaced a few times to adjust the shims to give the correct wear pattern on the crown gear.
Black is best! After a good cleaning – last with paint thinners and a tooth brush – it’s been coated with Tremclad rust primer and then gloss black. Tremclad seems to be fine except where the temperatures are getting up to those under the hood. I had problems with the air filter sticking to the base plate where I used Tremclad oil based rust paint.
Next: more differential details.