Installed my 3.42 diff yesterday
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,753
Likes: 2
From: Fresno CA
Installed my 3.42 diff yesterday
Started at 3:30 had it done by 7, wish I had a second person to help a couple times during the install! Real tricky sliding the diff on and holding the ABS unit out of the way. Car feels great, pulls hard and revs so much faster. Now a trip to Andy to get the shift points dialed in. The only sad part is my diff is making some noise so I will be doing this again sometime soon. Looks like the guy I got it from is a stand up guy and is giving me a full refund including shipping.If your planning on doing this yourself I will be happy to give some pointers, found a few short cuts on the R&R. I also installed my tunnel brace, actually installed the new 1/4 inch thick alum tunnel plate and then the stock unit over that mainly for extra heat shielding.
Matt
Matt
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
Originally Posted by Cucchiara
.... The only sad part is my diff is making some noise so I will be doing this again sometime soon.....
Matt
Matt
Last edited by '06 Quicksilver Z06; Nov 27, 2004 at 07:25 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,422
Likes: 0
From: SouthWest FL
Thats awesome---only 3.5 hours. I plan on doing this mod, but have not decided whether to do it myself or not. I'm pretty good mechanically, but may be a bit short in the helper dept and was worried about tackling it w/o any assistance. Glad the install went well, gives me something to think about(like saving about $500 
).
).
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,753
Likes: 2
From: Fresno CA
It really was not that hard but I was a mechanic for 15 years....You need some good jackstands a couple floor jacks and unless your a tech a friend or two. If you decide to do it I can give you a loose step by step the way I did it. Dont pull the axles out of the front wheel hubs, there is plenty of room to pull them from the diff and drop them with the suspension cradle, shocks too.
Matt
Matt
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
That's why it is worth it to always go with a new differential.
Matt, I am always updating my web page with newer techniques... what shortcuts did you discover ?
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Southern California CA
Originally Posted by EB20003
Thats why it is worth it to always go with a new differential. You may have saved a few bucks on the differential but the labor will have to be "paid for" in the form of additional effort and sweat, again since you'll have to do it again.
I purchased a brand new Z06 diff which has better gears than the standard C5 3:42's for $1025. Andy r&r'd the diffs and did the LS1 reprogramming for $450. Andy is also a stand up, great guy so, if there was a problem, he would take care of it.
