Or perhaps you don't know how a Torsen LSD works.

 

i was able to turn the flanges two different directions easily. my LSD is fine.


as for visual inspection, not specifically, aside from something major like a missing tooth you might see through holes in the housing. the torsen unit is actually very solid. to be honest i dont think i've ever read of one failing on the forums. keep in mind, this is something that while inside the diff is completely different than a diff failure of ring/pinion/etc.

 

My spare dif is an 04 dif with NINE miles on it, from an in transit wreck, hardly what I'd call high mileage.

flangess can easily be spun in different directions.

Note: we are talking about S2000s here

 

I'm talking about S2000 differentials as well. Interesting that the other ones move freely. The ones I used were very stiff. They would have been earlier 00 models or maybe 01 and had oil inside them.

We'll have to take this off the check list for the chap asking about his LSD condition.


Moparacker, Perhaps you can explain what the bronze faced washers in the middle of the S2K LSD unit and the bellville washer on the ends of the side gears are there for. Not all Torsen LSD's are constructed the same as the S2K units.

Chris.

 

In general, gear type diffs don't "wear" out, so unless you've damaged it you should have no worries

 

spesrf25, do you have a specific reason to think that your Torsen is damaged? Or do you simply want a method to do an inspection while you have the diff disassembled?

Like Wisconsin S2k, every single diff failure I've read about has been ring and pinion related. If your car is drivable, I suspect that the Torsen unit is fine and you have nothing to worry about.

ps - for what it's worth, with both rear tires off the ground I've always found it very easy to turn them in oposite directions. I can get more torque on the wheels than turning the flanges by hand, but still the resistance felt very low.

 

The reason i am asking is because my wheels are currently getting powdercoated. I have not got them back yet (for a month now) so i have been visually inspecting my car and running it from time to time. One day i put the car in 1st gear (up on 4 jacks with nothing touching the ground) and the drivers side wheel (rotor) turned, but the passenger side wheel (rotor) did not. I also heard a clunking sound from the area, but i could not isolate the sound to the diff or anything else in the area, but it did have me concerned. The car drove fine before i took the wheels off, and i never heard the clunking sound before. If it is the gears, then i have nothing to worry about, cause i am ordering 4.57s this week, and a new Carrier housing.
I later turned the drivers side wheel by hand, but the other side remained stationary. The brakes on the passenger side are pretty tight, so i couldn't turn it by hand, plus i can't see if it is turning while i turn the drivers side because i have no one to help with it.

 

Per the 00 thru 03 Workshop manual - Raise the rear wheels, engage 1st gear and rotate a wheel by hand. The other wheel should rotate in the opposite direction. If so then the LS is OK.

Different question re. the differential. The manual and a dealer recommend 90 weight (80W/90) suitable for Limited slip and no mention friction modifiers as sometimes used with limited slip. Another dealer recommend using 4 oz. of GM/Izuzu additive. This dealers mechanic has 25 years experience. Whose right?

 

I'm so flippin happy right now. Thanks ahhclem72. I have the Helms manual, but i neglected to see the part about the car being in first gear while doing it . Then i remembered that i have my spare tire in my closet on my balcony, so i could use that. I just went out and did the test and it worked fine. They rotated in opposite directions, and effortlessly at that.

But i still don't know what that clunking sound was.

I REALLY appriciate the help from all of you.

 

The other dealer is wrong. There is no reason to use friction modifiers with the OEM LSD. It is not a clutch type LSD, it is a Torsen unit.