by K-CAR_WAGON » Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:46 pm
You can find some build date information on the Body plate tag. (Ithink its under the hood.) Next to last row (row 4 out of 5 rows); second field from the right side of the tag. 3 alpha numberic characters. Projected Build date: 1st position (most significant - leftmost) = month, where 1-9 = Jan-Sep, A = Oct, B=Nov, C= Dec; next 2 positions (digits 2 and 3) give the day.
In the 1983 Mopar service manual its says driveshafts are identified as "GNK" or "Citroen" assemblies, and that vehicles can be equipped with either assembly, however, assemblies should not be intermixed. In the 1983 Mopar parts book it says that they used 2 different manufactures for the half shaft assemblies (GNK and Citroen). You have to identify them visually (different dimension, different shape boots, etc) (Citroen - inner boot has 3 uniform size ribs; GNK inner boot has 2 small size ribs and one lare size rib (widely spaced) with a gradual taper) (If you send me a PM with an e-mail address I will send you a pdf of the ID drawings). If you want to rebuild a unit you need to identify the unit exactly. It says you may have different brands on differernt sides. For Citroen there is no changeover date. For GNK the changeover date is approximately 5-20-83 and the two GNK units have some different internal parts. I could not find any interfacing parts that indicate a changeover date or that you have to use one brand or the other. I suspect, but am not sure, that Citroen and GNK were just alternative suppliers and that the two GNK units are just a parts supplier internal change. In any event probably best to try to match up your original unit if you are only changing one side.
In my 1986 Mopar parts book, Chrysler is up to 4 alternative suppliers GNK, Citroen, Saignaw, and ACI. In that book it says you can interchange complete units between suppliers as long as its the same application.
A Mitchell parts books covering 81-94 lists a single number for each of the 4 different alternative suppliers (for each side) and says it covers 82-87. Th number in the Mitchell book for GNK does not match the number in the 86 Mopar book or the numbers in the 83 Mopar book. I think GNK must have been constantly making changes to their design.