Quaife LSD - help?

[Kooldino]

Ok, so yesterday I received my Quaife LSD from Corksport.

The first thing I learned is that I'd have to remove the ring gear off of the stock diff, and bolt it to the Quaife.

The problem is that there are 10 big "rivet" like things that have to be removed before it will come apart.

This proved to be a filthy ***** of a job.

Don't even bother attempting this in your garage, unless you have some SERIOUS tools.

The first thing I tried was grinding the head of one of these things and beating out the remainder with a punch and a sledge. It was a good laugh. It didn't even budge.

Luckily, I have access to a machine shop. The method I found best was this:

-Put the assembly in a vice on a drill press, with the diff side down.

-Set the speed to ~500rpm

-Put in a small (1/8" or so) drill bit, and be very anal about finding the center of one of the "rivets". Once you find the dead center, drill it with that small bit.

-Now, don't move anything. Switch out to a 1/4" or so bit. Drill it again.

-Repeat again, only with a 3/8" bit or so. When you get far down in the rivet, you may notice that it starts spinning with the bit. Keep going, and go all the way through. The "rivet" wil eventually just break apart.

-Repeat the above steps 9 times.

Now, I assumed that once the rivets were out that it would just come apart. Wrong again. We then put it on a press, diff side up. Make sure that the ring gear is resting on an edge, so that when you push down on the diff, the center plate will be able to come out without hitting whatever the ring gear is resting on. This will be a lot easier to understand if/when I post pics.

Be sure to have someone/thing ready to catch the stock diff as you're pressing it out of the ring gear, or it will fall on the ground and possibly get damaged.

So yay, now you have the ring gear free.

But, AFAIK, you still need the pink speedo gear and the bearings. And I have NO idea how to get those off. Does anyone know how to get the bearings and pink speedo gear off??

When we used a puller and tried to get the bearings off, they just exploded everywhere.

So that's where I'm stuck at the moment.

 

[TurfBurn]

You should be able to used a fixed press/bearing holder plate... then use a hydraulic press to press the diff out of the bearings... the bearings need to be supported all the way around by a proper plate, and then they should hold up ok and come off. You need to replace them anyway when you put together the new diff.

Also.. don't forget to modify the shift gate plate before you put the Quaife in.

 

[TurfBurn]

Too expensive LOL... I like my little MSP diff ... but at least yours has a liftetime warranty.. mine is just tigged to hell

 

[Kooldino]

You should be able to used a fixed press/bearing holder plate... then use a hydraulic press to press the diff out of the bearings... the bearings need to be supported all the way around by a proper plate, and then they should hold up ok and come off. You need to replace them anyway when you put together the new diff.

Yeah, it looks like I'm gonna need two new bearings and races.

Also.. don't forget to modify the shift gate plate before you put the Quaife in.

Say what?

 

[Kooldino]

Too expensive LOL... I like my little MSP diff ... but at least yours has a liftetime warranty.. mine is just tigged to hell

Well, the warranty was attractive, and the fact that it provides better grip just sold me.

I've driven a few MSPs and wasn't overly impressed with the LSD, although it beats my open diff.

 

[TurfBurn]

Yeah, it looks like I'm gonna need two new bearings and races.



Say what?

You have to machine off the top of the shift gate or the LSD won't fit. It'll hit on the gate.


It'll drop in and fit fine... but it'll hit on the gate when rotated...


for the bearings call Richard at Mazdastuff and let him know i sent you.. he can get you great deals on the parts.

 

[TurfBurn]

Well, the warranty was attractive, and the fact that it provides better grip just sold me.

I've driven a few MSPs and wasn't overly impressed with the LSD, although it beats my open diff.

Based on what though? how do you say that the LSD wasn't overly impressive? It still locks up and keeps both tires going together and does it quick enough and smooth enough to work well... so why do you say it wasn't overly impressive? I'd need to drive them back to back again, but I don't remember there being a significant difference in feel.

 

[Kooldino]

You have to machine off the top of the shift gate or the LSD won't fit. It'll hit on the gate.

Super. By "gate" do you mean the thing in the trans with the 6 settings, which has the little "pin" gear indicator thing?

Also, which RTV do you reccomend for putting the trans together? Ultra Gray?

 

[Kooldino]

Based on what though? how do you say that the LSD wasn't overly impressive? It still locks up and keeps both tires going together and does it quick enough and smooth enough to work well... so why do you say it wasn't overly impressive? I'd need to drive them back to back again, but I don't remember there being a significant difference in feel.

Well, I've never driven a Protege with a Quaife in it, but with the exception of yourself, everyone who has driven one with an MSP LSD and one with a Quaife LSD said it was night and day.

Don't forget, the race teams used the Quaife, not the MSP.

Then when you look at the designs and specs of the actual units, the Quiafe has another advantage.

But that's all just for another thread.

I based my purchase on people who's opinions I trust who have experience with both, as well as the design.

 

[TurfBurn]

Super. By "gate" do you mean the thing in the trans with the 6 settings, which has the little "pin" gear indicator thing?

Also, which RTV do you reccomend for putting the trans together? Ultra Gray?

It's the flat plate with the raised double H in it for guiding the shifter through the shift pattern... you need to file down half of it so that it is flush with the body of that metal plate... you'll understand when you see it.


Yeah I use the ultra gray or the black.

 

[TurfBurn]

Well, I've never driven a Protege with a Quaife in it, but with the exception of yourself, everyone who has driven one with an MSP LSD and one with a Quaife LSD said it was night and day.

Don't forget, the race teams used the Quaife, not the MSP.

Then when you look at the designs and specs of the actual units, the Quiafe has another advantage.

But that's all just for another thread.

I based my purchase on people who's opinions I trust who have experience with both, as well as the design.

I know the torque lockup is different between them... but how that affects feel for what most of us do is another thing... the race teams need to do a lot more abuse and they are going to use much higher end components.. doesn't mean you'll know the difference...

I don't disagree that the Quaife is a superior unit... the cost factor is where I shudder... more than twice as much for something 98% of the time you'll never be able to tell the difference between???

Keep in mind most of those cars equipped with Quaife's instead of MSP LSD's are going to be set up different suspension wise and body wise etc... a couple fractions different in toe and turn in response and the like are massively difference... so a direct comparison is nearly impossible unless identical stock suspensions with matched alignments are used back to back with the only difference being that diff.

In the end the Quaife is a better unit and a stronger design... but until I can see for myself directly (whenever I get back out to Cali and drive Jeremy's MP3 when it is up again) I'll maintain there is no way it is worth the extra cost.

compare on paper and the Quaife wins... but is the reality of the value still a win.

 

[Kooldino]

It's the flat plate with the raised double H in it for guiding the shifter through the shift pattern... you need to file down half of it so that it is flush with the body of that metal plate... you'll understand when you see it.

Yeah, that's the part I'm talking about too.

Will I be able to do this with a grinder, or does it actually have to be machined?

Yeah I use the ultra gray or the black.

Thanks.

 

[TurfBurn]

Patience and a dremel was how we did it last time.. so you should be good

 

[Kooldino]

List of parts that I think I'm going to have to order: Please correct me if I am wrong.

-2x race / carrier bearing set (one for each side of the diff). I'm assuming that the set is the carrier bearing and the race that sits INSIDE of it. But I could be wrong. $31 each.

-race bearing (and shims???) that sit INSIDE the trans housing, which the outside of the above carrier bearings will ride on

-Ultra gray or black RTV

 

[Kooldino]

Patience and a dremel was how we did it last time.. so you should be good

Awesome. I'll test fit it in my spare trans.

 

[TurfBurn]

the bearing part numbers come with the bearing that goes onto the diff... AND the part that goes into the other side on the tranny... so you only need 2 of that one part number... plus your axle seals, and new lock nuts.

 

[Kooldino]

the bearing part numbers come with the bearing that goes onto the diff... AND the part that goes into the other side on the tranny...

But does it come with the race that goes on the diff under the bearing too? Or is that all considered one "part"?

The way I see it, it should go DIFF->RACE->BEARING->RACE->TRANS

so you only need 2 of that one part number... plus your axle seals, and new lock nuts.

I have new axle seals at my house.

As for the lock nuts, are you referring to the ones that go on the 5th gear side of the input/output shafts? The ones you need an impact gun for, with the lock washers underneath?

 

[BlkZoomZoom]

If you are replacing the carrier you need to set the backlash, this is done with shims behind the races of carrier bearings. There is a special tool mazda makes to measure this, I'm not sure how to do it without the tool.

 

[Kooldino]

If you are replacing the carrier you need to set the backlash, this is done with shims behind the races of carrier bearings. There is a special tool mazda makes to measure this, I'm not sure how to do it without the tool.

Well crap on me. Can you describe this tool?

 

[Kooldino]

Bump - anyone know how to set backlash?