Is this a good way to ID a 14 bolt open or gov-lock differential?

[divorced]

It seems that about once a week someone posts a pic of a 14 bolt carrier wanting to know if it's an open differential or a Gov-bomb. Sometimes it is hard to tell from the pic what it is because of the angle, and difficult to decide if it has 3 pins or 4 pins. I was looking at some pictures I have saved of 14 bolt carriers and noticed something: Each one appears to have 12 ring gear bolts. In the pic of the Gov-bomb it appears to have 4 ring gear bolts between a set of pins, but on the open differential there are only 3 bolts between each set of pins. By using this method it would seem easy to ID a differential just by counting the number of ring gear bolts between a set of pins.

Would this method of identification work?

 

[divorced]

Example: It is clear in this pic that there are 3 ring gear bolts between a set of pins, indicating an open carrier. (unless of course a Detroit has been installed)

 

[sweetk30]

yes i like your metod of id for 14 ff axle carriers.



that one looks like a locker is in it also. no gears in the slots.

 

[divorced]

that one looks like a locker is in it also. no gears in the slots.

Yep, I think so too. I "borrowed" it from another post...

And your blocks will ship tomorrow, we have a trip planned to the big city

 

[nvrenuf]

For the sake of having it all in one place...


On a 14 bolt Gov Lock carrier, the carrier itself will be smooth and cone shaped on the ring gear side with 3 sets of 2 round cuts outs (revealing clutch plate locating tabs). These round cut outs are circled in red.

(pic from AkFabShop.com)

 

[K5MONSTERCHEV]

I dont mean to be ignorant but to me, the difference is clear. The gov loc carrier is smooth on the outside, an open carrier is not. A gov loc you can see the clutches, the open you see the side gears (or spring if a lockers in it). Gov loc is a 3 pin, open is 4. They dont look the same at all.

Dont mind the yellow circles.

 

[divorced]

Yep, your right. I was thinking it may be easier for the guys who pop the cover off their first 14 bolt and don't really know what either should like like.

 

[thatK30guy]

I like those pictures better than trying to explain to someone. Always better to see the inside of the carrier so they can see the difference between 3 and 4 pin spiders.

 

[gone huntin]

For the sake of having it all in one place...


On a 14 bolt Gov Lock carrier, the carrier itself will be smooth and cone shaped on the ring gear side with 3 sets of 2 round cuts outs (revealing clutch plate locating tabs). These round cut outs are circled in red.

(pic from AkFabShop.com)

OK, I'm gonna throw a wrench into the works here. My carrier looks just like this one BUT it has 4 pin holes instead of 3. No, I did not miscount, I even had someone else count them just to be sure. No one so far has been able to explain this to me.

 

[nvrenuf]

Pics?

If you're counting the pins with the diff still in the housing be sure to mark one with paint or something so you don't accidentally miscount.

 

[gone huntin]

One was already marked with yellow paint, there are four. I'm not gonna pull it apart just to take pics, but next time I have it apart I will get some pics.