VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1916-1922 - Model 490 Driveshaft Broken

I need a different driveshaft or a new one made at a machine shop or this one welded. This is off a 1916 "490" Chevy. What other years are the same?
As you can see in the picture, it broke about 2 inches into the pinion.
I would like it if someone could tell me the shop where you had one made or how to get a different one.
Call 314-440-7140 or email teachman@usmo.com or text Note: I plan to be at Hershey next week.

The first thing I noticed is that your drive shaft has ball bearings installed where the early 490's used roller bearings. Possibly sometime in the past, the drive shaft in your delivery was replaced with a later 490 model drive shaft. Now, the 490 Parts List book shows two different drive shafts. One for vehicles with straight tooth bevel gears (early) and the other for spiral bevel gears (later). What the difference is, I don't know. My 1916 has straight tooth bevel gears and roller bearing installed. I don't know if you have straight or spiral bevel gears and perhaps you may be able to adapt and use either shaft for your delivery. Hopefully, you will get lucky at Hershey. I don't think I would use a welded shaft, the weld is never as strong as the original metal.

I agree with sc4ninety. The propeller shaft with bearings etc that you have is from 1922-1924 models. I guess your propeller shaft housing is also from one of these models, or else I guess it has been modified. Probably the rear axel housing too is from 1922-1924.

In the summer 2012 my 1922 490 had a major breakdown on drive shaft, ring and pinion gear, rear axle. After two years the 490 was on the road again, with a good used propeller shaft from Gary Wallace, a good used U-joint, a NOS ring gear, a good used pinion gear and some other new procuction or good used parts. Since then I have run the car more than 10 000 kilometers (6 500 miles). I hope you can find some useful information in my thread.

If you search this forum you will find other threads, also about my attempts to find or promote new production, unfortunately without success.

I actually had a local shop make a new rear part for my broken propeller shaft, and they welded those parts together. I asked them to make the conical part of the rear end fit piniong gear with straight teeth, same on early 490 and Ford Model T. The shop also made a collar to fit the rear (pinion) ball bearing.

That solution was my plan B, wich I never had to try. So they are now my spare parts.

Om my website, page Drivning 2012-2013-2014 you can find some pictures from my repair. In the bottom of this page you can find pictures of two alternatives of welded propeller shafts, first one that I got from an englishman, the other is my prop shaft. All text is written in swedish. If you have some questions you are welcome.

Thank you! I think you are right that the driveshaft may be from a "490" that is not 1916. When I was taking it apart, I noticed that there were 3 adjusting bolts to hold the driveshaft and according to the manual for 1916 there was only one.

So maybe this will help in my search for a driveshaft, knowing that maybe it is later than 1916 as it has ball bearings instead of roller bearings.

It really helps to be a member of the VCCA!

I checked part numbers and information about propeller shafts and -housings in the two lists that I have.

”Combined Parts List Four Ninety and Superior models … Effective on and after February 1st, 1924”, with pictures of almost every part. Very useful!

”Master Parts Price List", covering twelve models, including H, 490, Superior and earlier and models up to National, effective February 1, 1928.

Part numbers differs in the two list, although the forged part numbers are or can be same.

Have you got these lists? If not, and if you want numbers and information from them: let me know and I’ll post them.

I don't have the lists. I believe the crucial question for me is when the driveshaft went from roller bearings to ball bearings. And can you put a later model propeller shaft and rear end (e.g.1917-1924) on a 1916 Chevy "490".?

I will email you pages 26-27 scanned from ”Combined Parts List Four-Ninety and Superior models … Effective on and after February 1st, 1924”, Below I call it ”List 1924”.

In the following text i will refer to the part numbers used on these pages in ”List 1924”.

If I have found a similar part in the ”Master Parts Price List”, covering twelve models, including H, 490, Superior and earlier and younger models, ”effective February 1, 1928”, ”List 1928” I will also refer to the numbers in ”List 1928”, with some comment from the List.

I took a look at ”Genuine Chevrolet Parts for Four Cylinder Models, Effective July 1,1940”. I found some details fitting the 490 or Superior, but no propeller shafts or -housings. This list is available on Old online Chevrolet manuals see index page.

First to your first question.

The propeller shaft bearings for Four-Ninety, ”For Use with Straight Tooth Bevel Ring Gear models”, that is 1916-1921 models:
… One ”Propeller Shaft Roller Bearing (Hyatt)” , H 1174.
List 1924:? Not on pages 55-58.
… One (or two?) ”Propeller Shaft Ball Retainer with 18 Balls”, H 51.
List 1924: 330797, with comments (1916-18) and (18 Steel Balls).
… One ”Propeller Shaft Ball Retainer with 14 Steel Balls”, 41239.
List 1928: 334125.

The propeller shaft bearings for Four-Ninety and Superior, ”For Use with Spiral Tooth Bevel Ring Gear models” that is 1922-1924, are:
… One ”Propeller Shaft Bearing Rear N.D., No 1307, Single Row”, 40283.
List 1924:? Not on pages 55-58.
… One ”Propeller Shaft Bearing Front N.D., No 305, Double Row”, 48571.
List 1924:? Not on pages 55-58.

The propeller shafts that corresponds to these sets of bearings are:

1916-1921:”Propeller Shaft, with Collar, Lock Nut and Pinion Nut H 669, Taper 13/16” Long (?, cannot read the small numbers! According to my notes the length is approximately 25 mm), Length of Spline 3 13/16” (?, cannot read the small numbers)”, 41986.
List 1928: Nr 329535, 490 (1916-21). (6 Splines) (52 2/3” Long) (2 1/16” Threaded Section for Collar and Lock Nut).

1922-1924: ”Propeller Shaft with Lock nut and Pinion Nut”, 24040.
The tapered en part, for the pinion gear, is according to my notes 50,5 mm.
List 1928: 337709, 490 (1921-22) Superior B, F. (6 Splines) (52 23/32” ? Long) (1” Threaded section for Lock Nut).

The propeller shaft housings that corresponds to these propeller shaft assemblys are:

1916-1921: ”Propeller Shaft Housing, with base”, H 18.
List 1928: Nr 334237, 490 (1916-1921).

1922-1924: Propeller Shaft Housing, with Base”, 24050.
List 1928: Nr 342023, 490 (1921-22), Superior B, F. Same as ”Lou” mentions in his post to ”gregs 24” in his thread ”24 propeller shaft housing”.

Note that on 490 1921 model both types of propeller shafts seems to have been used.

Then to your second question.

As far as I can see from your pictures your propeller shaft is number 24040 (1922-1924), unless it is modified or special production. If it is 24040 your propeller shaft housing must be of number 24050, unless it is modified. So you can use 1922-1924 model of propeller shaft, number 24040. You cannot use propeller shaft number 41986.

Then there may be another crucial question: Does the propeller shaft housing 24050 fit if your 1916 has rear axle housing model for Superior 1924? In List 1924 the rear axle housing has number 341730. The rear axle housing for ”Four-Ninety and Superior 1923” has number 24078. Maybe they differ only on the brake parts, I don’t know.

Hi teachman

On this link you can find a pdf-file, "Rear end parts", with a couple of pages scanned from ”Combined Parts List Four Ninety and Superior models … Effective on and after February 1st, 1924”, including pages 26-27 on propeller shaft parts.

I tried to send you an email. Maybe you can check if your mailadress in your Profile is correct?

Teachman, did you find your drive shaft? If not let me know I may have something soon. Greg

Yes, Greg, I am in great need of a driveshaft for a 16 Chevy that has the right taper (some vary in length from 1.5 in to 2 in) I think mine is later and my driveshaft that is broken is from a later 16 Chevy -1922 Chevy as it has ball bearings in the pinion. I also wouldn't mind buying the propeller shaft and rear end assembly.

Teachman, I do not have the whole rear end but have some driveshafts and axles from an online auction which ended last Thursday. I bought this site unseen ( from pictures) l received an email from them and requested shipping. There site said it could take a few weeks but I will try to contact them to get a ballpark eta. I will be out of town week of the 15th so it may be after that. I'm not sure. After rereading your post I noticed your email address listed. I will try to send you a picture or link to what bought. Will put driveshaft in the topic.. Greg