Help me with traction. Will a powertrax locker work???

ta no hop bars? :Brow:

 

THe "big hammer" wouldn't even make the Edlebrock ones fit????o No:

 

Buying from TA may cost you more.......but may cost you less :Smarty: p

 

Got ahold of David Gramlow, and I do intend to try the airbags first. If that doesn't work, I'll replace the worn bushings next..At least I can justify those two things as upgrades even if they don't solve my problem..

That makes sense to my little brain anyway...

 

Well after getting about 500 break in miles on the 462 rebuild- slight combo change I decided to do a hole shot tonight on a lonely road for the first time and discovered my powertrax unit isnt working ...I only have about 800 miles on this unit.....so I guess I will be taking the rear apart this week to see whats up ....I have heard they arent very robust and sometimes the springs fall out and guys find them laying inside on the bottom of the case when troubleshooting them...hopefully this is what has happened to mine ...its got me wondering though how long has it been broken ???? I only have 5 track passes on this unit in total. I will let you guys know what I find....... J

 

What is the exact part number of this unit? Is it a NO SLIP or a LOCK right or A EZ locker? I need the exact name brand and part number. Jim

 

I reread the threads. You have the correct carrier in your 65 lark. They do not know what they are talking about. In the early BOP cars the smaller pinion pin was used. If they actually knew what the He-- they were doing with research from GUYs like us that actually have tons of hands on they would know.

SO that is why your unit has failed you. You need the big pin. in there or you need the correct unit. There 8.2 BOP unit is for PONTIAC only! AGAIN Buick guys are screwed! So what if the unit is not already messed up here is what we can do.... Get you a pontiac open carrier with the same flange offset and use the lock right power trax unit or tell them they sold the wrong unit and send that sucker back. I do not know if they even sell the correct unit. I think a 8.2 chevy could work BUT the spline angles are different...so anothe screwed up deal. If you need to talk PM me I will get you a number to call. Jim

 

Jim here is what I found tonight on my "no slip" when observed with the rear cover off ...the teeth ALL look fine , the unit engages and drops into the opposing castle gears for instance when I "slowly" spin one wheel backwards BUT if I lock the other wheel in place then move the passenger tire forward quick like if you were taking off it immediately disengages out of teh castle gears and starts freewheeling on that side . Again all the springs are still in place no teeth are chipped etc.....I guess I really dont understand how the unit works around that huge center "pin" ....I do not have my alignment block anymore but back when I installed it last year the clearances were spot on. I guess it is the undersized stocker pin that I had to put back in that is the root problem inside the clamshell halves...I know it worked for awhile - as evidenced by two perfect black patches when doing burnouts 20-30 times - now it simply does not. I think the .065 undersized stock pin (.735 vs .800) in there is probably the root of the problem....I just dont understand how I got away with it for awhile..nothings broke .....it has to be that the springs have weakened over time . I wonder if I bent those 4 inner springs outward that push on the pin inside if that would bring it back to life ? As you said I just need to send it back to Summit ..... it says it has a 2 year warranty but I dont have the original box anymore- I wonder if Summit would still take it back or does it have to go back to Richmond ? John

 

I cant visualize how the Powertrax No slip unit works in my head ....does anyone understand and can explain it in laymens terms how exactly the unit engages -disengages ? J

 

I'd call their tech dept and ask them to explain it slowly.

 

If you look at the inside hubs where they ride against the pin you will see that they are ground somewhat eccentric.When the pin is centered in the hubs they can move toward the center of the carrier and unlock from the driven hub.When driving forward or reverse you are driving the carrier which forces the pin against the inside hubs which pushes them away from center engaging them to the outside hubs which turns your axles.When turning the outside wheel spins faster so that side hub is not being driven by the pin and it can unlock.It is normal for these to make some noise due to the eccentric ground hubs as this adds play or backlash to the carrier.These lockers due to the nature of how they lock up can be hard on parts which is why I wouldnot recommend running your original pin.you could also break an axle with enough power and traction.I would not even consider runnig one with a stock c-clip type axle.

 

Ok PT 101
First of all let me tell you your unit will never work correct with out the correct size pin it was designed to use. PERIOD. The early BO rear used the smaller 735 pin in the 64 65 maybe till 66 open carriers. Pontiac had the .795 pin.

Workings. The unit works off the pinion pin. The 2 toothed pieces are on each side are force against each other when more spinning inertia is applied to the spinning force of the case. SO in all aspects the power tracs and lockright units work BETTER under fun load or torque, FACT. They are very good for high horse application.
When turning the inside tire has to spin slower than the outside tire because of distance that needs to be covered on the ground. So when the axle applies force against the PT LR unit side gear and it will be different then the other axles force so the springs that are in the PT or LR unit will compress against the pinion shaft (big cross shaft pin) force the in side toothed piece and creating a spit second of looseness to let the teeth disengage to release the pressure built up on the parts ...When you hear the click noise it has completed one tooth slip in the LOCK RICHT unit. When you here one click in the power trax it has completed one full revolution of the unit and that is what makes these units different. The lock right should wear less then the lock right. The lock right will eventually wear its teeth out sooner than the NO slip power trax unit becuase it is engaging and disengaging less times per turn.

So initial the pinion pin is what makes the power trax and lock right work properly. Period.

Here is what I can do for you. remove your PT unit and inspect the teeth for rounded edges on the teeth if they are severly mash over on the edges you have junked it already ...and were done.
If they are still good plese let me know your gear ratio and I will get you the case you need for the power trax with a bigger pin you need. If you can put the carrier on a flat bench surface and measure from the table surface to where the ring gear and carrier ring gear mounting flange machined surface meet. I need that measurement. 1 1/2" 1 5/16" 2" etc. please get me this measurement and I will see what I have for you. Ok? This is all we can do or your PT is doomed. Jim