How imperative is the press fit of a rear axle bearing retainer? As mentioned in another topic, I had to do some creative forming to mine, and it came loose in the process (really surprised me) The retainer is/was brand new, and the mating surface looked Ok. I was able to merely tap the retainer back on with a rubber mallet. It is firm in place but I'm sure it wouldn't take much to get it off.

Is it merely to act as an inward stopping surface for the bearing? Or is it supposed to keep the axle from pulling out if the bearing were to somehow come loose . .?

 

Please don't tell me that you changed the diameter of the axle in any way. If you left the axle alone, then you might can buy a new retainer without the bearing and press it on right. If you polished, ground or otherwise changed the diameter of the axle to a point where a new retainer can be tapped in place, you need to replace the axle.

The retainer is heck for important. The outside bolt on retainer will not hold the axle in place if the inner retainer is not holding the bearing in place.

 

BTW, don't make fun of your little six. As long as it is not a 170, you can make a monstere out of it. The 170 was a four main bearing engine, but the 200 is a seven main bearing engine. It has more bearing area than a V8.

What this means is that you can soup it up until there's no tomorrow and it will live forever.

In the early seventies I had a '66 3 speed, 200 coupe. Right after getting it I came across a set of headers and a dual exhaust system on the cheap and put it on.

Then at rebuild time, I pocket ported the head, match ported the headers to the head, opened up the carb port and ported at the turning point at the bottom of that bore. I mounted a carb off of a 300 truck six. I also added a mild cam at that time.

I also changed it to a toploader 3 speed from the original small transmission.

I have no idea how many times I had to open the hood to prove to someone that it was a six. It ran like an eight and sounded like an 8.

If I could find a deal on a six cylinder 3 speed coupe today, I would do it again. Better yet, there as a Ford guru in the sixties named Ak Miller who souped up a 240 and put it in a Mustang. The 240 is also a seven main bearing six and it has a removable intake manifold meaning that you can do all the fancy porting that you can do to a V8 PLUS it's very easy to put a four barrel on it. Snce that time there have been zillions of 300's made which are a stroked 240.

It would be a blast of a project to build a hot six cylinder Mustang.

Sorry for the ramble, but your comment about the hamsters just reminded me of all the economical fun that I had with that little car.

 

No, I didn't change the diameter of the axle in any way. The most I did was rub it down with alcohol. Next question:

Does anyone know where I can get just a retainer, without purchasing it as a set with a bearing?