'64 Rear Differential GM Recall?

[Gregory G.]

Was there a recall by GM in early 1965 for the posi rear axle gears to be prone to cracking?

Greg

[Michael H.]

Re: '64 Rear Differential GM Recall?

Dave,

It's possible but I never received one for my 64. There may have been something other than an actual recall. (very rare in those days) If there were some differential problems for new 64's, it's possible the paperwork was sent to the dealer in the form of a "Technical Service Bulletin" and units that were returned to the dealer for diff problems would be upgraded to some new part or procedure.

[Duke W.]

Re: '64 Rear Differential GM Recall?

There really wasn't such a thing as a "recall" back then, but I have an interesting story.

In 1965, not long after warranty expiration, the drive pinion on my '63 snapped in two. Alan Green Chevrolet in Seattle, my purchasing dealer, repaired the axle. After some haggling, GM agreed to pay for the parts, and I paid the labor.

As far as I know all they installed was a new ring and pinion.

In 1968 a the pinion bearings spa;;ed and was replaced at the Chevrolet dealer in Pontiac, Michigan. Later, the pinion seal was replaced by the dealer in Madison, Wisconsin (twice as I recall), but it still seaped until I overhauled the axle myself in the late-seventies, and finally got it right.

The Positraction case I found inside was an Eaton, not a Borg-Warner, though I had no knowledge that the case was ever replaced.

So maybe Green replaced what we think should have been a B-W Positraction case originally installed in '63 axles with an Eaton(?). Since GM paid for the parts, I don't know what was replaced, and unfortunately that RO is not in my documentation collection, but was lost to time.

Duke

[Wayne M.]

Not quite a recall, but

(from memory in the TSB's), for '63-64 severe occurance of snapping/popping SOUNDS from the posi clutches, they offered several solutions, the last of which was a complete swap-out of the Dana to the Eaton differential case, to satisfy customer complaints.

I'll locate and post in more detail in later on today, if nobody does so before then.

[Wayne M.]

Sorry -- this was for '65 Passenger Danas only

Was shooting from memory. Found the TSB (#1133, June 14, 1965) but found it applies only to Chev Passenger, incl chevelle and Chevy II. Bulletin goes on to say that most complaints of chatter can be corrected with 4 oz. of additive, but if problem not cured within 200 miles, overhaul of the differential is required (Standard Dana axle) or complete differential replacement with an Eaton unit (Dana heavy duty axle -- 12 bolt cover) Different case # is used with series 3 and series 4 ratio groups.

[Duke W.]

Re: Sorry -- this was for '65 Passenger Danas only

I believe the early (weak) C2 Positraction unit was sourced from Borg-Warner and was replaced by the unit Eaton circa '65, which remained in production until the axle redesign in 1980, and the Eaton is a bolt-in replacement for any Borg-Warners that might be out there, but I doubt there are many, if any.

Duke