14FF locker question

[Junkie]

I have a '73 C20 with a 14FF, I believe 4.10. Open diff (or at least it'll burn one tire all day). I've kept my eyes open for a gov locked 14FF but haven't managed to find one for a decent price. I just came across a CL ad:

GM Chevy 14 Bolt Posi Unit - $75 (petaluma)
GM 14 Bolt on posi unit (Gov-lock) out of a chevy. For full foater 10.5 ring gear. Has date code of 1995. Worked great. Comes with good side bearings. $75

I know I'd have to set up the gears but would this work right in my rear end?

 

[sweetk30]

thin carrier for 4.10 -down .

easy to setup .

fit in nice and easy .

check backlash before and swap over ring gear and reset backlash . set preload and fill up and use it . I have done this on a few .

now there not hard core like a Detroit or full posi unit .

there open diff till a wheel spins then they lockup .

so knowing how to use them with out blowing them up is the trick .

hard to tell tho on used if there still good or weak tho . so be cautions of this .

 

[Junkie]

I know that the Gov Lok units aren't known to be all that strong but have heard that the 14FF ones are pretty good.

My truck is 2WD I'd just like a little more traction when pulling a boat out of the water, trailer on wet grass, etc. I don't want something hardcore, a posi would work fine but the price is right on this.

edit: I'm seeing some parts that say they're for 73-87, what changed in 88?

 

[skunked]

Is it me or does that not look like a 14B FF gov lock? The ones I've seen look nothing like that....

 

[Junkie]

I haven't looked all that closely at them, and don't don't quite what I'm looking at... I haven't been inside a rear end (well not a differential at least).

 

[skunked]

the ones I've seen have ribs on them, not smooth like that one.

Also the gov lock should have 3 cross pin holes, open carriers have 4. Can't tell with those two pics provided in the ad.

 

[Junkie]

That leaves a few options... a different type of gov-lok, he's mistaken, or he's lying. Did any other types of non-open diffs come in 90s 14FF?

 

[sweetk30]

trust me that's a 14ff gov-loc . they look totally different than all others .

yes I love my gov-loc units for dd use and in 2wd .

the carrier is the same over the years its a bearing change in the 3rd support in the housing for the pinion was different for a year or 2 . then in 88ish they changed a pinion bearing/race to a different one .

so just a install kit for your year axle is the difference.

there was a slight update and change in the later years on the gov-loc body . this being from a newer axle is prob 1 of them .

 

[Junkie]

Does which generation of gov-loc matter? Is one significantly stronger than the other or something?

 

[thatK30guy]

Is it me or does that not look like a 14B FF gov lock? The ones I've seen look nothing like that....

That's 200% sure a Gov-Lock. No doubt about it. I have one in my '85 K30.