What should I know about 1.6 open to torsen swap
 

Hey guys,

So I just started taking out the 1.6 open diff to install the torsen into my 90

Does anyone have any tips?

Do I need to remove the exhaust?
How do I separate the PPF from the Diff?

Thanks

You've got a 1.8 propshaft and half-axles too, right? The 1.6 parts are just a little bit too long.

Getting the PPF off the Diff... Chuck Norris only has to stare harshly at it for a few seconds and it falls right off. Other folks have varying degrees of difficulty.

Getting the big bolt out from the bottom is easy, and then removing the mushroom-shaped spacer isn't too bad if you have a small chisel and a pickle fork. But there's a spacer up top that just absolutely defied my attempts to pull it down from the bottom. In the end, I found it easiest to unbolt the PPF from the transmission, remove the wiring from it, and then drop the whole PPF / diff assembly out of the car as one piece. Driving the spacer down from the top was quite easy.

I couldn't say whether it's possible to leave the exhaust in or not, I simply took mine off (from the cat back) at the beginning of the process.

Thanks Joe,

Yes I have the complete swap :)
I have everything unbolted at this point.
It seems like I may have to drop the exhaust and PPF to finish the swap. I may try a few more things to see if I can separate the dif and ppf while in the car.
I was really hoping to leave the ppf on the car to get the dif out.

Was anyone else able to get the diff out with the ppf or exhaust installed?

Thanks

I left the ppf in place, only unbolted header-back. Spacers came out quite easy after some soaking in wd40 en prying with a big screwdriver.
This was last winter, working under the car with 2 jackstands, 2 scissor jacks, 1 hydraulic jack and some bricks to lower de diff assembly :giggle:

its all coming to me next week... although it will be easier for me as im chaning out transmission as well.

So I got the old open diff out of the Turbo Miata, no big problem there, I am at the shop now to take out my old blown diff on my other Winterbeater Miata. I will be installing the diff from the turbo to the beater...

Anyway, the beater has a few winters on it so the bolts are a bit rusty.
My first problem is that one of the two main bolts that bolt the diff and ppf together are seized. any ideas? I may have to take out the ppf from the turbo to install into the beater so at least I will have a winter beater this winter.

Does anyone have a spare PPF laying around?

Any other suggestions are appreciated...

Planet Miata should have plenty of PPF's laying around for fairly cheap if you don't have any luck here.

Thanks I will keep that in mind,

The bolt head just snapped off, so I may need a new PPF. If anyone has one please let me know. I guess I'll have to go home and take the ppf out of my other car to get the beater running...damn...

Just drill some holes in a 2X4, homemade PPF :giggle:

Hey, good idea, maybe i can make one out of oak or something, I'll have to put a few coats of clear on it first:giggle:

HEY, it is a winter beater :dunno:

You said it!

I demand 2X4 PPF pics.

Ditto!
:D