1ScrudeDude

A friend of mine who specializes in chassis welding/fabrication suggested to me to get a used Ford 9" rear from a salvage yard, and he can cut/weld to fit the Z28. He said I could use one out of a junked Ford F-150 or something. This topic came up because I told him I could not afford a new rear set up anytime soon.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

It's possible.

Most OE 9" truck stuff is open, not a posi.

Vents

iTrader: (9)

ebay is your friend...

you can pick up just about anything you'd need save the axles, and housing from them.

1ScrudeDude

Thanks John and Vince. You gave me more to think about. Vince, which axles and housing did you mean for me to save? Sorry, I'm not adept at rear ends, I'm a breast and waist man!

Also Vince, my mechanic said he would have to charge me significantly more for labor to put the improved oil pump in. A LOT more. Does this sound right? Sorry, I don't mean to go off topic....

1ScrudeDude

I found a Ford 9" Posi from a '78 Cougar for 600 bucks. Any thoughts? I'm going to take a closer look and talk to my welder/friend.

Should I be concerned that this unit is that old? Are there risks here, or should I stick to new? I hear mixed reviews about the new set-ups, especially the Moser's.

Vents

iTrader: (9)

me personally, i wouldnt pay more than 100 bucks for a used 9" it's likley all you'll be using is the housing. you'll need new everything else. moser sells the housing ends you need, 31 spline axles, seals, bearings, and everything else you'd need. now, keep this in mind: you can buy ALL the brackets and metal pieces on the rearend NEW from GM, to weld onto the rear. they're in the crash books that the body shops use, ;D nothing like having exactly what you need, and brand new rather than fabricating them. IF and i mean if, the posi is good, it most likley wont be a 31. get a good one, then have your fabricator friend weld up the brackets/plates/Tq arm bracket, and have the axles made to match. ;D easy as pie, and if you find a deal on a posi, it's just a gear and some new bearings from there.

Vents

iTrader: (9)

as far as the pump goes, i'd look into a new mechanic. they are a pain, but not that much of a pain. i'd pay no more than 250 to do an oil pump. (well technically i wouldnt pay anyone but, thats just me ) definately look into getting that done though. they're a VAST improvement over stock 98 pumps which tend to go out and cause serious $$$ in damage.

1ScrudeDude

Thanks Vince, I appreciate the time you put into both issues. I'll see if I can get the housing only from that old 9" for cheap.

As far as the oil pump, my tech quoted me 4-5 hours labor, which puts me out of my ballpark money wise---for now. My Z has only 10k on it, so I was hoping to buy some time to sprout another money tree.

Is it advantageous to do this oil pump simultaneously with the H/C/I swap? I may have to break this up into 2 "operations." As far as another mechanic, there isn't much in these parts to choose from and this guy was cheap for everyhting else he did for me ($150-gear swap, $250-headers.) I know one thing, when I do order the new pump it will be from -------->you!

Thanks again! I'm relatively new here, but I really do like this site, as opposed to the "other" one. The moderators here kick ***....

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

If the Cougar has a 31 spline posi or l/s that would be nice, and if it had a decent gear ratio even better. But what are the odds that it's still good, it's pretty old.