Replacing differential donut
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Replacing differential donut
Giving consideration to replacing my differential donut. I think it is shot. How hard is this. Is it a one-man task? Any special tools or procedures or concerns. Needs to be a 4 hour job or I will pay someone to do.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 2,897
Likes: 0
From: Moon Township PA
Re: Replacing differential donut (Larry82)
Giving consideration to replacing my differential donut. I think it is shot. How hard is this. Is it a one-man task? Any special tools or procedures or concerns. Needs to be a 4 hour job or I will pay someone to do.
Jack up the car as high as possible and support it on quality stands. Take your 1/2" drive socket set under the car with you and the correct wrench (sorry can't remember the size even though I just did this). Support the bottom of the differential with a hydraulic jack and put your wrench on the top bolt. Unscrew the nut off of the bottom and then slowly let the hydraulic jack down. You should be able to wiggle the parts out. I will advise you to note the orientation of all the parts and how they go together BEFORE you start working on them. Use the hydraulic jack to raise or lower the nose of the differential as necessary to get the bolt and doughnut out. Should take you an hour to do this.
Gary
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Re: Replacing differential donut (dman535)
Having the poly bushing overnighted to me. Will have shop across from work install it Friday. Thanks for the info. Shop did a search of local suppliers and told it was not a part serviced anymore. I told them to hold on while I ran across street to my office, which I did and had ordered 10 minutes later. Nice to tell a shop how to do something!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 860
Likes: 40
From: Woodforest
Re: Replacing differential donut (Larry82)
One of the easier tasks you will try on the 82 Larry. I did mine while I pulled my diff out for rebuilding, but you don't have to go that far. Ought to be good for a additional 5 HP :D
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Re: Replacing differential donut (Woodstoc)
I gave it serious consideration, instructions from Vette Brake website shows how simple. But this is a "reimbursable" from my company - no company car, so get most everything covered if I do it slowly - so not worth it.
BTW, should dyno at 7.5 hp increase since it is the polyurethane bushing. :rolleyes:
[Modified by Larry82, 2:13 PM 4/10/2002]
BTW, should dyno at 7.5 hp increase since it is the polyurethane bushing. :rolleyes:
[Modified by Larry82, 2:13 PM 4/10/2002]
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Re: Replacing differential donut (Woodstoc)
Interesting thing happened. Shop could not get differential lifted enough to take out and replace the cushion. Will need to disconnect drive shaft. When trying to, what, unbolt the u-bolts, a 12-point socket wrench gave way. Getting a new socket next week from Mac Tools. Start again. Glad I did not try on my own!
Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 534
Likes: 0
From: FL
Re: Replacing differential donut (dman535)
Order the polyurethane one from Vette Brakes, its like $20 and is stiffer than the factory one. Helps to keep the rear end from steering the car.
-Noel
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,692
Likes: 29
From: Texas
Re: Replacing differential donut (Larry82)
Ahhh! Finally got the poly donut installed. Alot of the rear end noises that were becoming pronounced are now gone! For the last week or 10 days, when just before coming to a stop, I was getting the weirdest popping, shifting noises out of the rear. Thought the differential was going. Seems that it was the differential itself shifting around, since the existing donut was shot, gone, beat up, etc. When downshifting, the shift would really be a jolt. Again, because of the existing donut. Now, drive is quieter, vibrations gone, and no popping, snapping, etc.
Again, these guys had no idea how I could have done it without disconnecting the drive shaft. Especialy, lying on my back in the driveway, under my car.
Again, these guys had no idea how I could have done it without disconnecting the drive shaft. Especialy, lying on my back in the driveway, under my car.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 922
Likes: 0
From: Maine
Re: Replacing differential donut (Larry82)
Well, I just did mine (okay, the car was on my lift) but I didn't have to disconnect the driveshaft and it took all of 1/2 hour, including time to wirebrush the bolt, washers, etc..
As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, you have to put some pressure on the differential (both ways) to get the old one out. My new one just slipped right in - piece of cake.
Glad you got yours done! I think my "clunking" is cured too...
As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, you have to put some pressure on the differential (both ways) to get the old one out. My new one just slipped right in - piece of cake.
Glad you got yours done! I think my "clunking" is cured too...