I need some advice.
I imported an R200 long nose diff in a 3.9 ratio from Japan a few years ago off a DR30. Ripped the back off and checked the crownwheel and pinion for any damage and it looked very good. Even quickly checked the mesh using some red lead (I find it easier to see than bearing blue). Back lash felt fine. It had a factory clutch type LSD.
I also bought a brand new Quaife LSD.
So I booked the diff in to a local diff shop and got them to fit new bearings when fitting the new centre. A year later I had finished the rear end and put it in the back of the car. Took it for a drive and there were three noises coming from the back end.
1. Low speed click at approx 3-4 times wheel speed under 20km/h
2. A nasty clunk when changing gears or going from partial throttle to deceleration.
3. Period whine starting around 70km/h on partial accel and decel and continuing through to 85 (I didn't go any faster than this)
4. On partial throttle a nasty click/whirr noise
Thinking it was the CV's making all the noise, I changed out the CV's to a different type. This made little to no difference.
Took the diff in the car back to previous diff shop and took owner around the block. He was horrified at the noises and started saying it sounded like the CV joints, but said they would look at it. I said I would be happy for them to open up the back of the diff and have a look and if there was nothing wrong, I'd be happy to pay the labour.
I drove the car around the back and they put it up on the hoist. The diff shop owner then starts having a bit of a look under the car, rotates the tailshaft. "Bloody hell this centre has a heap of backlash!" I tell him it's a brand new Quaife ATB diff and it shouldn't have any 'backlash'.
He then tells me the CV joints are crap and making funny noises. I say to him it's not the CV joints, it's the diff. I changed the CV's to something different!
"Oh mate, it must be the gearbox too." I say that it can't be the gearbox as it was quiet as a mouse when we were driving it.
He says "It's a second hand crownwheel and pinion, we can't do anything with it"
Basically this 'expert' is pointing the finger at anything but the differential they put together.
I start to get annoyed and say that I am going to take the car away from them as they aren't fixing the problem. They don't even crack the rear cover out and have a look.
I end up taking the car off them and telling them I am not going to pay anything as they haven't looked at the diff at all.
Today, I have had some time with the old man to jack the back of the car up, put some jack stands under the suspension arms to raise them up to approx ride height and put the damn thing in 4th gear under no load up to 60km/h. Shock horror the noises come back. Guess where they are coming from? Using a combination of stethoscope and a screwdriver up to the ear, we check everything from the wheel bearings to the gearbox. It's the bloody diff and the bloody pinion side. Dad even says the diff is getting very hot up the front.
I crack the back and drop the oil. After just over 100km, this is what I see...
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My thoughts are:
Take the diff to another diff shop and get them to look at it.
Ask for a refund for my $660...
Can anyone recommend a reputable differential shop that has experience with Nissan differentials?
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1972 Datsun 1600, S14 SR20DET Engineered (204rwkW @ 17psi.)
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