Differential swap
 

:wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:
So, im dying here. I suck, to put it bluntly- ive been cracking at taking this old differential out for an LSD swap for 6 hours and havent gotten the old one out.
The driveshafts are disconnected, the differential is unbolted (the two brace bolts, the front mount is broken so ive just been yanking on that... I unbolted the two essential bolts on the subframe which got me a few inches lower in there.. but i still cant get it out. Who is familiar with this job?
Maybe im just looking for some reassurance that this does in fact take all day..
When you take down the subframe, for clearance- did yall just unbolt the subframe and get that few inches of drop or did yall have to disconnect more suspension crap from it to make it lower?
Ive read all the archived stuff, the tutorials, my haynes manual.. they all make it look so easy.
Any guidance?

If your sure the front mount is not conncted to the car anymore it should just be a matter of pulling, wiggling and prying all at once. Ive done quite a few of these and it usually come down to one guy pulling w/ all his might while another keep's a jack in place and pries the front up. Dropping the subframe as much as safely possible definitely helps.

oh yeah and.. i just ordered my new front diff mount from mazdatrix... so i should get it wednesday... my question is- how hard is it to replace the front mount without disconnecting the differential? is it possible? what would have to be involved in this process..

ALSO... when i put my LSD in- should i leave the busted front mount off the new diff when i put it the new diff in or should i mount the busted mount to the new diff and drive it with a broken mount instead of no mount til i replace it...
okay to the question is- can the car be driven for a week without a front differential mount or is it going to seriously fuck shit up?
because right now- driving with the bad mount- just causes a slamming noise in the rear when i dont ease the car into gear with precision and care.

banging usually = bad stuff happening
i say just wait till you get the new mount and install it with the diff altogether... makes it easier later on so you dont have to do twice the job... unless you have no other car to drive... then just make sure you take it easy driving it... no hard launches and such...

oh when i replaced my front mount i just followed the haynes manual
lowering the subframe makes taking everything out soo much easier

gl

nah, cant do it. gotta have the car.
i live on an air force base and my garage is.. well rented. its $3.50 an hour for a stall and access to any tool i need for well, anything automotive. cant wail til the parts come in because i cant just leave the car there until then.
if i gotta take the diff out again to put a front mount in so be it. its all good.

but the thing i need to ponder is do i put the bad mount thats ripped at the rubber back in with the new diff or just leave it with nothing.
see when the diff shifts when i go into gear, that bad mount still gives it something to slam against instead of continuing to twist. without the bad mount there it would just continue to twist?
i believe the answer (to me) is quite obviously to put the old busted mount back in with the new diff, although it sortve sucks to do. im just looking for another opinon for there are much wiser than i.

If it takes more than an hour I would be surprised well alone all day...

If you want help you're going to have to give us more than "it won't come out". We can't see what's stopping it; you can.

Just put a assload of zipties on the broken mount and wrap it with some ductape and drive it real easy for the time being

There are only two bolts that hold the front of the differential to the sub frame of the car. The easiest way I have found to take that out is by lowering the sub frame until it clears the two metal hooks on each side. Then you can easily take the two bolts off using a ratchet with an extension, but after you take those two off these is this little metal gasket that is there. If you don't take that off your not going nowhere. After that it should just drop down. Trust me on this I have been through 3 differentials on my car. I'll post pics as soon as I get a chance if you need it.