engine and drivetrain Rebuilt diff

[deschodt]

My current Diff is making that "shhhh" sound at low speeds (probably at all speeds but if you go above 30 mph you cannot hear it anymore due to engine noise and leaky windows). My mechanic opened it up, said it needs plenty of new bits but he also advised me to look for a fully rebuilt one, that might be cheaper than them doing it all, not to mention the car will not sit so long... So I'm asking you guys, can you recommend a place that sells rebuilt diffs and is reputable ? I don't wanna spend $$ and end up with the same "shhhh" sound... My car has a 5 speed box now, it shouldn't matter one bit but I'm mentioning it just in case somehow it affects anything... Open to private parties too if they are competent ;-) Thanks in advance !!

Greg.

[ray_]

Dave: http://www.2002parts.com/html/differentials.html

I bet he's not update that list in a while tho!

Cheers,

[c.d.iesel]

coupla options:

contact Jack at - http://www.probimmer.com/Differential.php

dig one out of a Pick-n-Pull

place a FREE WANTED parts ad over in the classified section

or wait 24-Heures and see who makes you an offer

on a diff right here

NOW THIS ALL ASSUMES that your diff is really the cause of the noise ???

have another pair of ears listen to your car

it could be a bad center driveshaft bearing

a bad transmission

a bad rear wheel bearing

a bad front wheel bearing

see what I mean?

(LIMITED SLIP "CAN")

spider gear toast

[M3M3]

it would help if you identified...

where you are

what kind of diff you need (LSD or open)

and what ratio (3.64? 3.91? 4.10?)

if all you need is a stock open 3.64, don't bother with a rebuild. there are lots of decent used ones available for pennies or free. there are two sitting in my yard now.

tell where you are and what you need and i am sure there is one nearby somewhere.

[deschodt]

it would help if you identified...

where you are

what kind of diff you need (LSD or open)

and what ratio (3.64? 3.91? 4.10?)

if all you need is a stock open 3.64, don't bother with a rebuild. there are lots of decent used ones available for pennies or free. there are two sitting in my yard now.

tell where you are and what you need and i am sure there is one nearby somewhere.

All fair points, I was just not thinking about a used one but....

I'm in Tampa, FL... I need something that will bolt on and replace what is presumably a bog stock diff that came with my 73, the only difference from stock as far as my car goes is a 5 speed gear box as I mentioned and my car is fuel injected now, but power wise it's not like a turbo or anything, maybe 100 hp at the wheels now... I have no idea about diff ratios, and I don't think the stock one had LSD, this is absolutely not meant to be a racecar anyway, just a fun runabout... The idea of a decent used one is appealing...except I'd rather not pay my mechanic to install one of those and find out after hours of labor that it's making the same SHHHH noise. Anyway to tell for sure?

And CD, the mechanic did check the car and we are pretty sure it's the diff. Their point was like Marshall's, I would be ahead getting a bolt on replacement, assuming it is better than mine. Dilemma.. Anyone got a good one then? Not asking for a warranty here but some very educated guesses by people who know these things... :-)

Thanks!

[M3M3]

the stock diffs (open, 3.64 ratio) are very solid design and just don't break that often. many folks sell them when they put a Limited Slip diff or move to a higher ratio. i suspect there is someone in the tampa/st pete/orlando area that has one they know is good waiting in a dark corner of there garage.

did the mechanic open up the back cover and confirm an issue?

diffs are very easy to replace if you have any wrenching skills. i did a "how to" thread in the "faq under construction" area of the forum. you could do this yourself or with the help of some local 02'ers and save lots of money.

how to thread

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,50/page,viewtopic/t,373426/

[John_in_VA]

If you have a 5-speed overdrive tranny you might consider a 3.91 diff.

[ray_]

What John said :-)

If you want a 2nd professional opinion, go ask Thomas:

http://www.carsandconcepts.com/contact.html

Cheers,

If you have a 5-speed overdrive tranny you might consider a 3.91 diff.

[TobyB]

R&R on a diff, I got down to under an hour.

Because race car.

It's certainly doable by most in an afternoon if you have the 6mm hex socket

and a jack and some patience. Someone helping is bonus.

A used 320 diff will most likely be fine.

A used 2002 diff will most likely have pitted spider gears.

What I've found,

t

[deschodt]

More details from the mechanics:

My diff suffered some water intrusion at some point, it's got some rust inside.

The spider gear is pitted, and so are the bearings.

Still hoping I can find a good used one - stock - nothing special so I can drive the thing again ;-) Anyone got something in their shed that wasn't super loud when they pulled it out ???

[TobyB]

If you were only 4,000 miles closer, we'd have a deal....

t

[deschodt]

Ok, done deal...

My issue was that my car is currently apart at the mechanics and I don't want to push it by leaving it sitting there taking space. I could have had them button it up with the old diff and come back later (thereby wasting several hours of labor), or..... call Dave at Aardvark and bite the bullet... I'm getting one of those later rebuilt diffs with Limited slip retroffited in, it's definitely not a small amount of money, but it's arriving in 3 days and then I can call it a day.

If I did not own the most expensive non-Tii 2002 already, I will then... We'll also redo some other tranny related stuff and engine seals at the same time... I'll be over 20K in a base 73 ;-O !! (but it is no longer leaking any fluids, it's fuel injected, recaro'ed, totally rust-free, upgraded brakes, wheels, 5-speeds, new diff w/ LSD) Ouch !

[M3M3]

sorry....you are not even close to having the most $$,$$$ sunk into a non-tii 02......;-)

[deschodt]

sorry....you are not even close to having the most $$,$$$ sunk into a non-tii 02......;-)

This should be comforting, but really it just means there's someone crazier than me out there :-) thanks though !

[M3M3]

guilty as charged....

your welcome! :-)