DTE brace pushes on diff vent?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 410
Likes: 0
From: Topeka KS
DTE brace pushes on diff vent?
I'm putting this used DTE brace on a spare diff that I bought to install and noticed that part of the driver's side brace is smashed up against the diff vent once the bolts are all torqued down. This little cap moves around on my old diff but with the brace bolted down it's pushing on it hard enough that it won't move now. Will this affect the operation of the one-way valve in the vent? Is this normal for this brace?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 4,326
Likes: 140
From: Weatherford, TX
Something doesn't look right. I have a couple pics, not the best, but check it out. In that area, yours has a block and bolt that mine doesn't. It could be a difference between auto and manual brace, but mine is for auto.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Just grind off a small part of the brace to clearance the vent cap. It wont effect the brace.
Make sure that vent isn't damaged. Its a check valve and allows the differential to hold a vacuum after cool down so it wont leak.
BC
Make sure that vent isn't damaged. Its a check valve and allows the differential to hold a vacuum after cool down so it wont leak.
BC
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 410
Likes: 0
From: Topeka KS
That's easy enough. I'm a little confused though as to why the directions that DTE sent me show an aluminum spacer/rod that moves the mounting point over and doesn't have that block that this one does. I can give them a call tomorrow and ask. Grinding off a small area is easy enough. What I also don't get is that I bought this diff with the brace already installed on it but didn't notice the vent when I removed the brace to install a C6Z output shaft - so the previous guy must've been running with it like this too. Could explain why the diff was COVERED in grime. I could just swap the vents to make sure it works (I have my original diff sitting in the garage). Hopefully the vent can be removed without pulling one of the diff covers off.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 4,326
Likes: 140
From: Weatherford, TX
Not that this helps much, but I was browsing thru the ECS site, and noticed some different pics of the DTE brace. There appears to be 2 different versions, FWIW.
This one looks like yours, the way the top struts mount.
These pics, also on the DTE site, show the top struts mounted in a different way, like the style I have.
This one looks like yours, the way the top struts mount.
These pics, also on the DTE site, show the top struts mounted in a different way, like the style I have.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 410
Likes: 0
From: Topeka KS
I did talk to DTE this morning and they said this is just an earlier design of their brace. They said I can just take a grinder and clearance that block to keep it from hitting the vent tube.
