I have been wanting to join for 2 years and when I first started there must have been a glitch in the system. Well I am happy as a clam! I own a 68 442 4 speed convertible which is under restoration. At the moment I am fixing printed circuit's of the speedometer and idiot lights by placing 1.8MM X 6MM screws thru all the hollow pins attached to the printed circuit's in order to avoid soldering them as heat can damage them. I plan on testing all light sockets and bulbs as well as head light switch. I am very glad and most grateful to be here.

 

Welcome. It's not really that hard to join....

BTW I have one of those 68 442 4 speed verts as well

 

welcome

 

Welcome, as the others neglected to pass on, we require pictures.

 

oops, my bad x2 on the pics.

 

Welcome. Great site. However, pic's are a must.

 

Glad you are here......now about those pictures. The people on this site are pretty friendly and really helpful but they get really nasty if you do not feed them some pics!

 

Ok guys I get it. My car is apart but I will still take some pictures. Doing a partial restoration. Body mounts, electrical, differential, exhaust, etc....

 

...and you know me! Welcome to this site - it's the best Olds site and has been for years! My '68 isn't a 4-spd so I am envious! Let us know how things are progressing!

Randy C.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Randy, has been a great help over the past couple of years. Always friendly and knowledgeable with great ideas. Randy, I am testing anything and everything electrical. I found (3) gauge lights that where not working (made in China? LED %#@*&) this could have been the cause of my short. I got the radio, courtesy lights and gauge lights to work again cleaned all contacts with denatured alcohol (works great) . Here are a few photo's (W-27 is original brand new, got it on eBay from a guy in my club Capitol City Rockets). I have the lurury to choose between (2) rear ends both completely rebuilt (Posi 323/28 spline & Posi 342/31 spline).

 

It's next to impossible for a gauge light to cause a short. The lights constantly lose thier connection though. Take the bulb out of the plastic holder, clean the little wire contacts on the bulb with fine steel wool or 220 grit paper. Clean the brass contacts inside the plastic holder with the 220 paper. Clean the brass contact where it touches the board with steel wool or 220 paper. If the dash or gauge is out of the car clean the board as well. Put a light coat of dielectric grease on each contact surface (not all over everything). I usually bench test the bulb before putting it back in the holder and then again after it's in the plastic holder.

I did my left and right signal indicator bulbs last night because neither were working

BTW taking the front seat out is the only way to go when working under the dash. Especially with the console

 

 

If you look at the pictures you will see that the front seat is out but in addition i should take out the brake and accelerator pedal's What is dielectric? Life is a learning process and i like to be part of it. I use denatured alcohol instead of the sand paper but whatever works for us is all good. I tested all the light bulbs and all the sockets but i do not know how to test the printed circuit.

 

Denatured alcohol is good for removing oils and such just won't remove corrosion. Dielectric grease is what he is talking about.

Welcome, very nice car by the way!

 

I'd have to go with the 3.42! Just cuz they are a bit quicker and that 4spd tranny ought to be able to handle it quite well. 31 spline, too - it's the real deal!

Randy C.

 

 

randy, i am trying to get the best of both worlds (accelaration and highway driving) and i have heard that 3.23 is the happy medium but i dont know anybody that as a 3.42 posi unit in their 442.

 

You know me

3.42's with an M20

Here's a little fun I had last night. It spins up pretty fast in first so I have to slam second and it keeps spinning until I hit third

 

 

my car has highway gears (M21) not the "Rock Crasher" therefore what would be the difference in acceleration and highway?

 

If i remember correctly the M21 has a higher first gear but 2, 3, & 4 are the same. 3.42 was the was a rear that you could use and M21 or M20 with. You wouldn't want to go higher (numerically lower) than 3.08's with an M21.

 

My brother's '68 has a 3.42 posi with the M21 and it's pretty snappy! However, when we do the re-restore on it, we are hoping to find a 3.91 set-up. Certainly not a gas saver at 3.91, but we suspect that's the way it came when it was new. When he bought it, it had a 2.56 in it and we suspect that a previous owner saw "big bucks", sold the original differential and installed the 2.56. I don't think you could get a 2.56 with the M21.

Anyway, I think you could do quite well with the 3.42 - a little quicker with only a small loss in gas mileage.

Randy C.