R180 Diff repair/replacement

[silverz]

Hi,

The diff in my 240Z has become very noisy and requires attention.

Does anyone have any advice on getting the diff reconditioned or replaced etc?

I would rather have the current diff rebuilt so I know it has the same ratios etc, however I may have to send the diff down south to get this done as I live in Darwin, though I will check locally first.

 

I am interested to here your experiences if anyone has been through this, how much it cost etc.

 

Thanks

Regards

Peter

[620Z]

I had an LSD I brought recently refreshed by a guy here in Melbourne. He did a top job and added a couple of extra plates in to tighten up the LSD. He is honest reliable and fair so if you need a contact and are prepared to chip it down I can put you in contact with him. I have no idea about cost since yours is probably an open diff. Not sure if you need sincro's or what. But he might be able to help if you can't find anyone in Darwin. I would however be surprised if you can't find anyone there. Freight up and back from Melbourne would be a $120- or so I reckon.

[silverz]

Thanks for your help. Mine is just a standard diff. If I can't get it done here I will ask for the bloke in Melb contact details.

[gilltech]

I was quoted well over a grand to rebuild a 260Z R200 diff completely, a few years ago, as the crown & pinion needed repair or replacement due to damage caused by a piece of a shear pin getting caught up in the teeth, so be careful when sending yours away to another part of the country without some idea of possible cost as it will be out of your hands, literally.

There should be someone who deals in diffs in Darwin, surely? The actual guts aren't that different to any standard Australian car with a live axle; just have to be set up (as in alignment, tolerances etc etc) very very carefully by someone who knows how to do it right, or else the re-built diff will just continue to be noisy.

You could simply try another diff; one from a 240K would do (also R180), just check whether it came from a manual or auto car so you know what ratio. Or you could take the opportunity to upgrade to the heavier R200 from a 260Z; there's plenty of info around as to what you need to do to fit one to a 240.

[24OZ]

sounds like the perfect opportunity to upgrade to an R200 &/or an LSD

[silverz]

Thanks for all of the advice guys I really apreciate it.

I would like to stick with the R180, as everything else is pretty stock. Gilltech's advice ref the 240k diff is interesting, I would like to make sure I get the right ratio however. Is there any external indications of what the ratio is? any easy way I can tell?

My son is flying up from Queensland next week if I can locate the right diff I am sure I can talk him into bringing it with him, he wont have much luggage (typical 18 yr old!)

Also when you say it has to be set up by someone who knows what they are doing to ensure the tollerances are correct etc, does that apply to bolting in a replacement diff? is it a specialist task or would I be able to tackle this myself - I am reasonably mechanically competent and do most of the routine maintenance myself, but I am no specialist.

Thanks again guys I am learning heaps.

[Mr Camouflage]

If your pulling out the diff and replacing the whole unit, then yes you can do that yourself. If you are pulling the diff apart to replace the center, then leave that for the experts.

[silverz]

Thanks for the advice, I have a couple of possible sources for r180 diffs already, I just need to confirm the ratios are correct 3.364:1 for a manual 240Z? and that the diff can be sent to Darwin.

 

Regards

Peter

[gilltech]

I absolutely agree; pulling the diff out & putting it back is straight forward basic mechanical work; but the internal guts setting up must be done by someone experienced or most likely you will end up with a noisy diff again - tolerances & alignment are absolutely critical internally. Some Zed diffs hummed or whined a little from new, from what I've heard from original owners!

I just mentioned that the 240K uses the same diffs as the Zed, as I used one as a temporary replacement until a R200 came available to replace my troublesome one in my 260Z, some years ago now; the wrecker charged me far less than he would have if it had come from a Zed. But there are probably more diffs around these days; at one time they were like hen's teeth & wreckers knew it.

There is a discussion elsewhere in this website about stock diff ratios. 1:3.364 sounds high, but I'm really only familiar with 260Zs. The R180 I used for a while came from an auto 240K, & was 1:3.545. The R200 in my manual 260Z is 1:3.7. Best check your existing diff - pull the cover off & count the teeth on the crown wheel & pinion; divide one by the other & there's your ratio. You may want to gear your car up or down, depending on your preference, if you end up with several diffs to choose from. It would be a good idea to keep a spare diff stashed away, as they were discovered to be a weak point on the early Zeds in competition. Hence the comments about upgrading to the stronger (but heavier) R200.

[zedevan]

i have an r200 out of my manual 260z if u want it, it was noisey although it wasn't removed for this reason.

 

i had my "replacement" diff refreshened by the guy craig mentioned and its also noisey when the engine is slowing the car down, although i've read that due to the gears wearing a particually way they are noisey when running hte opposite direction, so seems like a reason why they would be noisy while just rolling down a hill etc

 

i think a proper diff rebuild involves a new centre, which is close to a grand if not over it. mayb we should all do a group buy of those copies people have access to in america?

 

the other common diff noise is it clunking when you back off the pedal