Differential Flange Removal

[LBO730]

Has anyone ever removed a differential flange from the differential? I need to switch the flange from my 75 R200 over to an 81 differential so the driveshaft will bolt up. Is it very difficult to get the nut off and how did you go about it?

Thanks for any help.

[geezer]

You need to devise a method of preventing the flange from turning. A length of angle iron drilled and bolted to the flange will work well along with a long breaker bar and a 27mm socket. Good luck.

[=Enigma=]

Impact wrench and a gear puller did the trick for me but short of that Geezer's recommendation is the best route. However you'll probably still need the puller. I'm not sure I'd recommend banging on it with a hammer.

[Lazeum]

Impact Wrench was the way to go for me either...

You need to follow the specified procedure to put it back in... you'll need tools as well.

[geezer]

You can use an impact wrench to remove the nut, but using a method as I suggested is more beneficial for reassembly, when trying to achieve the proper torque value, which is 137-159 ft.lbs.

[LBO730]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it! Sounds like kind of a pain though.

[jmortensen]

The R200 uses a solid spacer and not a crush sleeve, so torque isn't that critical as long as it is tight enough not to back off. In other words, the torque on the nut doesn't set any clearances inside the diff. If it's tight, those clearances don't change whether the torque is 40 ft/lbs or 200 ft/lbs. Use a strong impact to take it off (you can just hold the flange with a gloved hand while hitting it with the impact), and then put red loctite on the threads and put it on TIGHT with the impact. I know my IR 231 puts out ~150 lbs of torque, so I just set it on 5 and laid into it, then ran some air out of the system to kick the compressor on, waited until it filled up then laid into it some more. Ran it like that for years, until I recently pulled the LSD, the pinion was still nice and tight and worked fine.

Crush sleeve diffs are different and the pinion bearing preload changes with the torque on the pinion nut. They don't really have a set torque value either, you torque them until you get the preload you want, not to xxx ft/lbs.

Edited June 12, 2009 by jmortensen