Left vs Right (not political)
#1
Left vs Right (not political)
As you can see, I am new to this forum.
I will post my project in the appropriate place when I figure that out.
I have a 66 Jetstar and removed the control arms and the steering linkage for replacement and refinish. The upper control arms looked identical but I placed them in a manner that I would know which side they came from. Once I stripped the 50+ years of grime I noticed that they are marked L and R.
Now the confusion. I was reading an article about engine casting numbers. The author mentioned that there were casting numbers on the right side head. Then something about it being the driver's side. So I was just like Hmmm this might be a typo or has the right and left side changed? As far as I remember it was was always as sitting in the driver's seat. So the driver's side is the left.
So what's up with that?
I will post my project in the appropriate place when I figure that out.
I have a 66 Jetstar and removed the control arms and the steering linkage for replacement and refinish. The upper control arms looked identical but I placed them in a manner that I would know which side they came from. Once I stripped the 50+ years of grime I noticed that they are marked L and R.
Now the confusion. I was reading an article about engine casting numbers. The author mentioned that there were casting numbers on the right side head. Then something about it being the driver's side. So I was just like Hmmm this might be a typo or has the right and left side changed? As far as I remember it was was always as sitting in the driver's seat. So the driver's side is the left.
So what's up with that?
#5
I read it again and it's a bit confusing when they mix left and right and front and back and driver's side. Here is the quote.
"engine unit number is on the left most side of the block or head, on the driver's side, just below the cylinder head, toward the front. The pad is part of the engine and will indicate the year of manufacture, "
I guess they are using the perspective of standing beside the car on the driver's side?
"engine unit number is on the left most side of the block or head, on the driver's side, just below the cylinder head, toward the front. The pad is part of the engine and will indicate the year of manufacture, "
I guess they are using the perspective of standing beside the car on the driver's side?
#7
casting numbers and stamped numbers are not the same thing,on a 66 the number they are talking about(engine unit #) is stamped on the front of the passenger side head assuming the heads are in their original position.no block stamping until 68
#8
Thanks for the pictures.
#10
I have a 66 Jetstar and removed the control arms and the steering linkage for replacement and refinish. The upper control arms looked identical but I placed them in a manner that I would know which side they came from. Once I stripped the 50+ years of grime I noticed that they are marked L and R.
By the way, have you sourced the upper ball joints yet? They are not available from normal sources like Moog. Rare Parts is about the only source for new, or contact Craig at Mobileparts for new old stock.
#11
I read it again and it's a bit confusing when they mix left and right and front and back and driver's side. Here is the quote.
"engine unit number is on the left most side of the block or head, on the driver's side, just below the cylinder head, toward the front. The pad is part of the engine and will indicate the year of manufacture, "
I guess they are using the perspective of standing beside the car on the driver's side?
"engine unit number is on the left most side of the block or head, on the driver's side, just below the cylinder head, toward the front. The pad is part of the engine and will indicate the year of manufacture, "
I guess they are using the perspective of standing beside the car on the driver's side?
EDIT: Sorry, I missed the above thread in which this was already answered.
Last edited by Vintage Chief; July 14th, 2019 at 04:40 PM.
#12
Just to restate what has been written above, the OP has a 1966 Olds. There is no VIN derivative stamp on the block on a 1966 motor. Olds did not start stamping the VIN derivative until the 1968 model year. The OP's motor has an ENGINE UNIT NUMBER, which is NOT the VIN derivative, stamped into the front of the RIGHT HAND (as in PASSENGER SIDE) cylinder head. It will be above the fuel pump and may be obscured by the alternator or A/C compressor.
Here is a photo of a typical 1964-67 engine unit number.
Here is a photo of a typical 1964-67 engine unit number.
#13
I read it again and it's a bit confusing when they mix left and right and front and back and driver's side. Here is the quote.
"engine unit number is on the left most side of the block or head, on the driver's side, just below the cylinder head, toward the front. The pad is part of the engine and will indicate the year of manufacture, "
I guess they are using the perspective of standing beside the car on the driver's side?
"engine unit number is on the left most side of the block or head, on the driver's side, just below the cylinder head, toward the front. The pad is part of the engine and will indicate the year of manufacture, "
I guess they are using the perspective of standing beside the car on the driver's side?
#14
The 1965-1970 Olds full size cars use different upper ball joints on the right and the left. The difference is in the bolt pattern that holds the ball joint to the upper control arm, thus the different "R" and "L" stamps. Also, these upper control arms originally had two holes to provide access to the upper shock absorber nut. This allowed one stamping to be used to make either a RH or LH upper control arm. My 67 has upper arms configured this way. Somewhere along the line, this was changed so that there is only one offset hole for accessing the upper shock nut. This further forces the arms to be different for RH and LH.
By the way, have you sourced the upper ball joints yet? They are not available from normal sources like Moog. Rare Parts is about the only source for new, or contact Craig at Mobileparts for new old stock.
By the way, have you sourced the upper ball joints yet? They are not available from normal sources like Moog. Rare Parts is about the only source for new, or contact Craig at Mobileparts for new old stock.
#16
I already have a 454 Chevy and transmission lined up for it. But now I am going to pass on the deal and go with the 455 Olds motor.
#17
Well, all I can say is that you had better compare the new ones to the old ones very carefully. Pay particular attention to the length and taper of the stud. The slotted holes tells me they have modified a more common ball joint from a different application.
#18
That's not a real possibility now. I threw out the old ones.
#20
THAT'S a mistake you won't be making again.
Rubber or Polyurethane bushings in those control arms? If you're gonna install Poly, it's too bad you removed the steel bushing shells. You went through a lot of trouble you didn't need to, making more work for yourself and increasing the chance of damaging the arms.
Be sure to support the arm flanges when the new bushing shells go back in. VERY easy to crush or distort the flanges.
Rubber or Polyurethane bushings in those control arms? If you're gonna install Poly, it's too bad you removed the steel bushing shells. You went through a lot of trouble you didn't need to, making more work for yourself and increasing the chance of damaging the arms.
Be sure to support the arm flanges when the new bushing shells go back in. VERY easy to crush or distort the flanges.
#21
The 1965-1970 Olds full size cars use different upper ball joints on the right and the left. The difference is in the bolt pattern that holds the ball joint to the upper control arm, thus the different "R" and "L" stamps.
By the way, have you sourced the upper ball joints yet? They are not available from normal sources like Moog. Rare Parts is about the only source for new, or contact Craig at Mobileparts for new old stock.
By the way, have you sourced the upper ball joints yet? They are not available from normal sources like Moog. Rare Parts is about the only source for new, or contact Craig at Mobileparts for new old stock.
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