15 replies to this topic

[obrut]

I can get a good deal on a 99 4.30 open diff with housing for $160. I did some searching and it sounds like this should bolt right into my 96. This would at least get me the 4.30 gears and i hope to add the torsen later. The open diff is not ideal but at least i can get out on the track.

Any reason i shouldn't get this?

[Ron Alan]

Nope! I assume your 96 diff is a 4.1 open? Any year torsen will fit so keep your eye out...complete 4.1 units(torsen) are usually cheaper because of the ratio. You can swap the torsen unit into your 4.3!

[obrut]

I havent pulled my stock diff yet but the car is a 96 power steering package car and i can only assume its open. I picked the diff up today, came out of a 99 with 90k miles. Gears look good, housing is in good shape too. Anything i need to do besides axle shaft seals and paint?

[Ron Alan]

Hope when you pull your diff that it is a torsen! You will be able to tell right away when the axles are out. It will either have a bar/rod perpendicular to the axle hole (open)or you will see nothing...straight hole all the way through(Torsen)

[obrut]

I checked my diff the other night and its an open like I thought. What should i be paying for a used torsen by itself?

[callumhay]

I paid $1250 for the diff, housing, axles and drive shaft. Bought from East Street and very happy with it. The 4.3 torsens are hard to find and I have seen them occasionally on eBay without housing, drive shaft and axles for around 600-800.

[Chris Welch]

There's a T2 on ebay currently for $395 shipped. If you watch, you can catch them cheap. There seems to almost always be a complete 4.30 Torsen 3rd listed for $700 or less.

[obrut]

In my search for a torsen i found a complete 4.30 with torsen and housing for $400 local. It came out of a 01 with 78k miles.

[Ron Alan]

In my search for a torsen i found a complete 4.30 with torsen and housing for $400 local. It came out of a 01 with 78k miles.

Truly check to make sure it is a 4.3! Hopefully it did not come out of a 6 speed car which is 3.9

[obrut]

I pulled it apart before I bought it to inspect the gears. I count 43 teeth on the ring gear and then recounted it again and got 43. He also had the 5 speed forsale from the same car.

[davew]

You can  have a 43 tooth ring gear woth a 10 tooth pinion for a 4.3 ratio. You can also have a 43 tooth ring gear with an 11 tooth pinion for a 3.9 ratio. Both available in Miatas.

 

Dave

[Ron Alan]

^^^ exactly...why you always count both. Also automatic NB open diffs are 4.1(unless the one I had had been switched?)

 

You should buy the 5 speed as well!

[davew]

4.10's are 41 ring/10 pinion

[obrut]

Just so I can sleep tonight, I recounted both diffs, both are 43 ring and 10 pinion

[Bench Racer]

 

[obrut]

So both of the 4.3 diffs I bought did not come with the lower spacer that is bolted on with one bolt.  I decided to use the one from my 96 and I noticed that the 96 4.1 diff spacer is bolted on with two bolts.  I did a search and it looks like the earlier diff spacer has two ears to bolt the spacer to the diff and the 99+ only has one.

 

Can I use the two bolt version on the 99+ diff that only uses one bolt?  I tried it and it seems to fit.

 

I'm trying to get a hold of the guy how sold it to me to see if he still has the spacer.