Rear diff swap - write up
02-22-2007, 01:16 AM
#22
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Ok, having Just swapped rear ends between a 97 1.8 and a 90 1.6, allow me to add just a little bit to this:
1) its been mentioned before, but it bears saying again. If you are swapping to another 1.6 with the same halfshafts dont dick around with banging the axles out of the hubs. instead remove that suspension bolt at the top/outwardmost position to allow the hub to swing out a bit if you need clearance. If you need even more clearance, bust loose that long bolt at the bottom and let that hub be free. Wont mess up your alignment (too much
2) I didnt have any problem with the PPF, just removed the two bolts on the diff side and never touched the tranny side, however you might have a different experience.
3) When removing driveline bolts, it will be so much easier for you if you start with the driveline, then move to the axles. This way the brakes can assist you. It should be the first 12 bolts you remove.
The rest is fairly straight foward, but you might want to have a jack under the diff before you remove the carrier bolts.
hope this helps.
1) its been mentioned before, but it bears saying again. If you are swapping to another 1.6 with the same halfshafts dont dick around with banging the axles out of the hubs. instead remove that suspension bolt at the top/outwardmost position to allow the hub to swing out a bit if you need clearance. If you need even more clearance, bust loose that long bolt at the bottom and let that hub be free. Wont mess up your alignment (too much
2) I didnt have any problem with the PPF, just removed the two bolts on the diff side and never touched the tranny side, however you might have a different experience.
3) When removing driveline bolts, it will be so much easier for you if you start with the driveline, then move to the axles. This way the brakes can assist you. It should be the first 12 bolts you remove.
The rest is fairly straight foward, but you might want to have a jack under the diff before you remove the carrier bolts.
hope this helps.
I've added some notes to dc2696's post in bold:
-Loosen axle nuts car in gear, tires chocked, may need someone on the brakes too. Get a 3/4 drive breaker bar, I broke my 1/2 drive breaker bar on this step
-jackup car put on jack stands(remove tire)
-remove exhaust from cat back, not mandatory but highly recommended. I did one once where the supercharged car had a one piece exhaust and we would have had to pull the blower to get the exhaust out. We got the diff out around the exhaust. It was a PITA though
-undo ppf at tranny IIRC (support tranny with jackstand as it will sit down and ur engine will hit the firewall) I'd only take out one bolt and just loosen the other. This lets the PPF swing out of the way of the diff but stay attached to the car, then you don't need to worry about the wiring
-undo the 4 bolts that attach the drive shaft to the diff and the 4 bolts per side for the half shafts
-Pull out driveshaft if you want or just seperate it from the diff and let it hang from the tranny.
-for two piece half shafts (1.6 and early 1.8), you can seperate them and work the end of the long half of the shaft past the studs on the short half. It will just work if you curse enough. It sometimes helps to put a jack under the hub and lift it until the control arm is level. This gives the most clearance. Be careful not to lift the car off the jack stand though
-undo wiring on ppf (clips and one ground wire bolted in) not necessary if leaving the PPF attached to the tranny
-undo diff housing support brackets (the ones on the arms of the housing)
-Beat out axles with soft face/dead blow hammer (lub it up with penetrating oil first) since you are doing a 1.6 to 1.6 swap, the half shafts don't need to come out of the hub, only needed for a 1.8 swap. Just leave them in, you can also leave the axel nuts on from step one
-clean out axle hubs and lub up for installation ease
For reassembly, the diff goes in first then the drive shafts and the exhaust last.
If the car is winter driven, expect to have problems with the bolts through both ends of the PPF. You definately don't want to break these ones, unless you have another PPF to use. Use lots of penetrating oil.
Have fun.
-Loosen axle nuts car in gear, tires chocked, may need someone on the brakes too. Get a 3/4 drive breaker bar, I broke my 1/2 drive breaker bar on this step
-jackup car put on jack stands(remove tire)
-remove exhaust from cat back, not mandatory but highly recommended. I did one once where the supercharged car had a one piece exhaust and we would have had to pull the blower to get the exhaust out. We got the diff out around the exhaust. It was a PITA though
-undo ppf at tranny IIRC (support tranny with jackstand as it will sit down and ur engine will hit the firewall) I'd only take out one bolt and just loosen the other. This lets the PPF swing out of the way of the diff but stay attached to the car, then you don't need to worry about the wiring
-undo the 4 bolts that attach the drive shaft to the diff and the 4 bolts per side for the half shafts
-Pull out driveshaft if you want or just seperate it from the diff and let it hang from the tranny.
-for two piece half shafts (1.6 and early 1.8), you can seperate them and work the end of the long half of the shaft past the studs on the short half. It will just work if you curse enough. It sometimes helps to put a jack under the hub and lift it until the control arm is level. This gives the most clearance. Be careful not to lift the car off the jack stand though
-undo wiring on ppf (clips and one ground wire bolted in) not necessary if leaving the PPF attached to the tranny
-undo diff housing support brackets (the ones on the arms of the housing)
-Beat out axles with soft face/dead blow hammer (lub it up with penetrating oil first) since you are doing a 1.6 to 1.6 swap, the half shafts don't need to come out of the hub, only needed for a 1.8 swap. Just leave them in, you can also leave the axel nuts on from step one
-clean out axle hubs and lub up for installation ease
For reassembly, the diff goes in first then the drive shafts and the exhaust last.
If the car is winter driven, expect to have problems with the bolts through both ends of the PPF. You definately don't want to break these ones, unless you have another PPF to use. Use lots of penetrating oil.
Have fun.
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02-23-2007, 10:44 AM
#28
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I'm good at explaining things eh? lol:gay:
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02-23-2007, 02:24 PM
#32
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if you dont open it up you dont have to adjust anything. just make sure it has new fluid. (or fluid at all). I'd probably drain it and replace the seals while it's out.
The backlash is the amount of movement the ring makes before it contacts the pinion teeth....very very very very small amount of movement, yet it needs to be within a certain parameter or risk premature wear/failure.
If you swap out the pinon gear, then that needs to be setup as well and is more involved than backlash. Easiest thing to do is call around and find a shop that will set the backlash for cheap.
The backlash is the amount of movement the ring makes before it contacts the pinion teeth....very very very very small amount of movement, yet it needs to be within a certain parameter or risk premature wear/failure.
If you swap out the pinon gear, then that needs to be setup as well and is more involved than backlash. Easiest thing to do is call around and find a shop that will set the backlash for cheap.
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02-23-2007, 02:28 PM
#34
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So Turbo Tim is shipping me a diff housing, driveshaft, axles, etc....
I'm removing the entire housing from my car, throwing the entire new housing back in, and keeping the shaft/axles/etc... as spares....
I don't have to adjust anything, right, just old out and new in?
I'm removing the entire housing from my car, throwing the entire new housing back in, and keeping the shaft/axles/etc... as spares....
I don't have to adjust anything, right, just old out and new in?
if you dont open it up you dont have to adjust anything. just make sure it has new fluid. (or fluid at all). I'd probably drain it and replace the seals while it's out.
The backlash is the amount of movement the ring makes before it contacts the pinion teeth....very very very very small amount of movement, yet it needs to be within a certain parameter or risk premature wear/failure.
If you swap out the pinon gear, then that needs to be setup as well and is more involved than backlash. Easiest thing to do is call around and find a shop that will set the backlash for cheap.
The backlash is the amount of movement the ring makes before it contacts the pinion teeth....very very very very small amount of movement, yet it needs to be within a certain parameter or risk premature wear/failure.
If you swap out the pinon gear, then that needs to be setup as well and is more involved than backlash. Easiest thing to do is call around and find a shop that will set the backlash for cheap.
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