Topic: 67 All Plants Running Change Thread - 8" Third Member Fill Plug

[J_Speegle]

Thought it was about time to survey and share our findings on when the change took place from the 8" third member designed without a fill plug to the version with a fill plug that took place during 1967 production. The results will be linked to each of the three 67 running change threads once established. This will also help with the 8" rearend fill plug location discussions.

As usual we need the casting date and if it has or does not have the fill plug located on the drivers side (once installed) of the main body of the third member. If you happen to know what car it came from that information as well as the real build date those would also help allot.

Thanks for your consideration and to those that participate in this effort

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Latest cast third member without fill plug -
Earliest cast third member with fill plug -

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Upper picture shows the no fill hole/plug on 3rd member and fill plug version below and to the right




Date code collection is going to be much more difficult for the 8" since the castias date is located on the inside surface as shown below

[67gtasanjose]

San Jose, actual build date 11/2/66, 3rd member Casting Date 6K21, filler in axle housing.

On a side note, I find it amazing that there were only 12-days from when this 3rd member was cast, machined, assembled, freighted cross-continent, and out the end of the final assembly line of a vehicle.

On Edit: a few more images added. The pinion bearing housing has a date also, though yes...any example found MAY be a replacement, it stands to reason that if the date is consistent to the actual build date of the vehicle, that the main housing casting date would ( like my example) be much similar (within a few days).

[J_Speegle]

San Jose, actual build date 11/2/66, 3rd member Casting Date 6K21, filler in axle housing.

On a side note, I find it amazing that there were only 12-days from when this 3rd member was cast, machined, assembled, freighted cross-continent, and out the end of the final assembly line of a vehicle.

On Edit: a few more images added. The pinion bearing housing has a date also, though yes...any example found MAY be a replacement, it stands to reason that if the date is consistent to the actual build date of the vehicle, that the main housing casting date would ( like my example) be much similar (within a few days).

You can also add to the time span between the casting plant and the trip to Sterling where the third member would have been assembled then installed in a rearend housing with all the other parts and the transport also

Does appear to be very or too tight especially considering this is for a San Jose car. For our purposes in this thread it does help so thanks for posting.

[67gtasanjose]

Does appear to be very or too tight especially considering this is for a San Jose car.

This was more or less my point. For this Nov. 66 example, I will state that the ONLY known item ever replaced on this rear end (as an assembly), would have been the RH axle shaft for a bad wheel bearing. Most of you might recall that I've owned this car since 1978 so I cannot account for work prior to that year but I can say that this car was essentially "untouched" and had very little evidence of any care done to maintenance on it prior. The car was beat to death at the time.