Found a wrecked 2006, and I want to pull the rear differential out. How big of a job is this with hand tools?
Found a wrecked 2006, and I want to pull the rear differential out. How big of a job is this with hand tools?
You've got to access the final drive from under the car, or flip the car over. Remove the power plant frame, drive shaft, and half shafts and the unbolt the final drive from the subframe. Be safe.
Drivetrain is already out of it. Was looking for a little more detail. Rear of car is on a permanent stand mounted in the ground.
What sort of detail? Which size wrench to use?
I can take a picture of a removed NC diff when I get home. Don't know if that'll help other than knowing where all the bolts are.
I've never laid a single wrench on a Miata in anger. The closest I have ever been to one is when I took the photo. I will only have the tools I bring to the JY. I don't even know what tools I will need to bring.
Any and every bit of help is appreciated, including tools needed.
Breaker bar, assorted metric sockets, and maybe a small jack to keep it from falling when you undo that last bolt.
This may help, but I don't see any specific bolt sizes.
http://www.mellens.net/mazda/Mazda-Miata-2006-2007/differential.pdf
Holy E36 M3 they have enough bolts to hold the Titanic together.
The photos help a bunch. Thank you.
I had look at the PDF before I posted here, but it TLDR-ed me to near death. I assume I have to pull both of the axles to drop the diff? I need to figure out if I need anything special to do that. I saw yellow shocks on this thing, and it was a 6 speed, so...
Pretty mcuh ever rear suspension arm needs to be unbolted. One of my axles got hung up on the cirlcip and I could not pull it out of the differential housing. I had to buy a slide hammer style axle puller to get it out. And that was in a well stocked garage with a lift. Worst case, you may end up taking the axles and hubs with you.
Got it out My hacksaw was still on a jobsite, and the Sawzall batteries weren't holding enough charge, but the job still wasn't too difficult. Never touched any suspension parts on the passenger side.
Pulled the arms off the driver's side, pulled the halfshaft on that side. Pulled the two bolts on the the upper aluminum mount, popped the passenger halfshaft partially out of the diff, slid the diff to the driver's side, pulled the halfshaft the rest of the way out, and dropped the diff out, mount and all.
In reply to Cooter :
Cool. What are your plans for it?
Flip it to fill my automotive piggy bank. It's a limited slip.
Cooter said:Flip it to fill my automotive piggy bank. It's a limited slip.
They are a something something Fuji diff. It works amazingly well in autocross situations. I like mine a lot (and had an open diff sport NC that was just terrible trying to dig out of a corner).
When I swapped to LSD on my '07 it made a huge difference. I got mine for $350 and considered that to be a good deal. good luck on the swap.
In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :
Yeah, I researched what I could still sell of the stripped hulk (it has been the yard for two months) and ran across this eBay listing with the funky name. Good to hear that it is useful for autocross. From what I have read,some say they aren't incredibly tight and will spin the inside wheel if it lifts.
Cooter said:In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :
(it has been the yard for two months)
Ya, that thing has been heavily picked. Miata parts are very desirable though. Good luck with your flip.
Mostly the engine, trans, and little stuff. The rear suspension and brakes were completely intact when I found it, which made me have ideas of using it it under something, so I knew I needed to pull that rear diff before I ended up with more hoarded clutter in my garage. 
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