Fitting front differential in place

The combination of heavy weight (> 80 lbs ?) and extremely tight quarters makes fitting the front differential on 1GR-FE a bitch, to say the least.

The mounting points are the mounting bolt that hooks into a frame crossmember in the back near the driveshaft connection and two braces towards the front of the vehicle.

If I lift the diff to lodge the mounting bolt into the hole, the steering rack obstructs the way of the two metal tubes that are on top of the diff when raising it. But pushing the diff farther back than to lodge the bolt in the hole, so that you can raise the front is obstructed by the area near the driveshaft.

Is there a trick to how to fit it in place? I can't remember how I wiggled it out but I do remember I struggled majorly.

 

You will struggle equally as much wrestling that thing back into place. It is such a bitch.

I have had good success putting it nose up to get the inverted bolt to drop into the hole and then lift the arms up to be bolted in place.

I’ll balance the diff on a jack and run straps around the frame and the arms. Jack up a little, take up strap slack, curse a lot, repeat. Sometimes it takes me up to 40 minutes to get it in.

Leaving the breather bracket unbolted from the top while doing it helps.

 

Yeah, I tried that but ended up realizing it wasn't helping much and reverted back to the bare muscle for flexibility

 

Actually you can kinda see it here around the 21 min mark (that’s me in the video). I’ve installed four front diffs and done them all the same way. It’s a bitch but eventually works.

https://youtu.be/p46T5feixYk

 

I got it in.

The main obstacle were the two tubes that attach with a bracket and a bolt. At first, it seemed they needed to be on while installing because they connect to ADD using small hoses and the connection is in such tight quarters that made them impossible to reach after the install. I discovered a way but part of what made it possible was a borescope, mostly to illuminate the way and inspect the connection job. So, if you actually remove the tubes from the main body, it will be much easier to fit it in. The tube bracket is most easily access from under the hood, provided the AC pump has been removed. So it does help if most of the front of the engine has been removed, which not always is as the diff is entirely separate from the engine.

 

@EatSleepTacos -- do you have the torque spec? I am missing that part of the manual. I need the spec for

1. Mounting bolt in the back near the driveshaft
2. Two front bolts that tie into the frame
3. 4 driveshaft bolts

 

Yeah, give me one second and I’ll dig them up in my laptop.

 

101 ft lb for the two arms at the frame
64 ft lb for the 12mm hex net
65 for the driveshaft bolts

 

@EatSleepTacos -- thanks man. do you know by any chance the part # for the CV snap ring?

 

The one on the stub of the cv that sits inside the diff?

 

yes, exactly

 

43425-04040