ERA: In-car removal of differential cover?

[Dangerous Doug]

I have the ERA rear suspension in my FIA. Has anyone removed the differential cover while the rear suspension assembly is still in the car? I can get my Cobra up onto a lift to do the work, but I'd forgotten how tight it is between the rear suspension assembly and the trunk panels. I want to install a new finned aluminum differential cover I recently purchased.

DD

[RICK LAKE]

Dangerous Doug Doug I did mine with the gas tank out because of running a breather line and vent on to the rearend cradle. My cover was also a cap support for the carrier in the rearend. It put pressure on the carrier caps to stop walking or twisting inside the case. LPW from Summit. Filling the carrier was the only pain in the butt to get the right amount of fluid back inside. Rick L.

[Dangerous Doug]

Rick, so you were able to slip the cover out of the aluminum subframe?

What was the symptom you experienced that made you decide to change your differential cover (walking or twisting inside the differential)?

I found a drill-driven pump for about $9 at my local ACE Hardware that I plan to use to move the oil. Still left to see how well it will work.

DD

[RICK LAKE]

Dangerous Doug Doug I have the old steel cradle for my car. With the tank down I have enough wiggy room to get it out. I have quick connector for fuel system to drop tank. Wire for sendor is longer so I can drop tank on ground and unhook.
As far as support cover, I try and overbuild everything and have backup systems if possible. I talked to guys racing for years with Jag rearends. Alot of this depends on power of the motor and which rear carrier you end up with. One Jag rear carrier has a 17 or 19 spline stub shafts and carrier. Know 2 guys running this setup and have not damaged the rearend. Both are very good drivers and limit abuse to car. One car is autocross and road race only the other does 1/4 mile too with road race and autocross. I have seen 27 spline stub shafts twisted and snapped. I know some of this has to do with clutch holding power, amount of torque and HP, and how soft the tires are and what gives first. Jag rear and Jeep Dana 44 use the same internal parts. I broke a couple of rearends with slapper bars on the rearend and L60 soft tires back in the old days. I replaced the rearend and carrier 3 times before getting better chromemoly axles, tripe"D" locker, and tighter backlash in the case. ARP studs and nuts to hold caps in place and added the support to put pressure on the carriercaps. I have been told that a Jag rearend will hold 600HP. I have read in different articles that 450-475 is max HP or torque for this rearend. The CWI kit has 30 spline stub shafts instead of 27 spline and is about 30% stronger. The story I heard was CWI was getting stub shaft through the down under country and they where twisting. They may have been under more hp that 600hp. I don't have that info. I do know that Mark Williams makes custom stub shafts for Jag rearends and they are chromemoly and good for 700+HP. I have a set and 15 years later no failures or twisting of shafts. Short axle shafts are chromemoly tubes. I broke 1 stubshaft bearing with 3 miles on car. The installer screwed up (the damn mechanic, me). The vent tube was the only other problem I got from running on the track for more than 15 minutes. The rearend fluid got hot and rearend builds up a little pressure. Ran a longer hose and small catch can for this. No problem since. I did also add a small 4" fan to blow air down the trans tunnel and onto the rearend. I don't have a temp gauge for the trans or rearend but think this dropped the temps by 20-30 degrees with cooler fresh air blowing on this part of the car. My Trans tunnel is fire proofed and sealed. If I do have a fire, this will give me a chance to get out of the car without frying.
Haylon system is on the wish list down the road. 3 line system. 2 under the hood and one on me. If the driver is smart and not over abusive, a stock rearend will hold up for many years. It's about being smooth and control of the car. I man handle my car some times, this extra overbuilding the car saves me when a get stupid and mad. You know the line," Drive it like you stole it". If you have easy access and $145.00 dollars, buy it and set it up right. I see no down side. Rick L.

[Dangerous Doug]

All my spare change I'm directing toward my 331 stroker build. Good info, though. More than I would need I think.

I run a four nozzle halon system. Two underhood, one for me and one for my passenger, spraying at leg level.

DD

[RICK LAKE]

Dangerous Doug Try to give all and the best info I have. Sometimes it's a war and peace novel, but all the info is there. It's still your choice. Rick L. Ps can we talk you into a 347? was another 16 cubes??? Treat this like a women thing, bigger is better, yeah right.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Doug

... spraying at leg level.

If I was caught in my Cobra while it was on fire I know I would be spraying my leg... even without a fire suppression system.

[otto]

hi, where did you get your new diff. cover
regards Bob

[Dangerous Doug]

Originally Posted by patrickt

if i was caught in my cobra while it was on fire i know i would be spraying my leg... Even without a fire suppression system.

LMAO! 2Funny

[Dangerous Doug]

Originally Posted by otto

hi, where did you get your new diff. cover
regards Bob

SpeedwayMotors.com had the Jag rear differential cover. I think it was $90. I haven't fit it yet. I keep eyeing the space between the cover and the subframe, and then the sway bar...

Oh, Speedway offers natural finish (my pick) or polished ($190, if I recall correctly.

DD

[Dangerous Doug]

Oh, and I'm pretty happy with my 331 selection. That gives me a 9.6% increase in displacement (347 would be 14.9% increase). I'm sure the 331 vs 347 debate has waged long, but I'd be concerned about sidewall pressure and the oil rings proximity to the wrist pin. My conservative side, I guess.
On the wild side, though, I'm going with a Comp Cams XE274HR hydraulic roller. That and AFR 185's, Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap with a Holley double-pumper ought to do the trick.

[Snakebit]

I changed my dif cover to a Transdapt finned aluminum cover. Had to drill and tap for the vent tube. I had to bend the lip on the aluminum panel to get the cover in. Make 2 studs to screw into the rear housing to line up the cover.

[Dangerous Doug]

Meaning the aluminum trunk panel? You had to bend the lip of that panel where the rivets are just above?

Sway bar get in the way at all?

DD

[Snakebit]

Yes to bending the lip on the trunk panel. I had to remove the sway bar bracket and link on one side to move it out of the way. You definately need the studs to line up the dif cover as you can only cradle it with one hand. Tight fit, but can be done.

[Dangerous Doug]

Thanks! Yes, I assumed it'd be a PIA project. Now to find the time...

DD