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R200 Diff Conversion help (pics and Q's inside)


streeteg

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Ok so MY driveshaft popped out when i was going for a cruise and had to get it towed back home--- so now I might as well throw in the r200 I have had sitting in my garage for the past year or so.

 

diff.JPG

 

Puma FTW.

 

Anyway, I have 2 covers, 2 yokes and an R180 still in the car.

 

Yoke Question:

The holes on the 280z yoke that I bought are bigger then the ones on the driveshaft. Is that even the right yoke? Can I use the one thats on my diff now? Can i transfer the r180 yoke over?

yoke.JPG

 

The covers look the same to me. The one without hte mustache bar is the one that originally came on the diff. The one with the mustache bar was one I was sold by another Hybrid Z member as the right one that I need. Mustache bar fits perfectly on both.

 

cover.JPG

 

Finally I have a diff breather thingy that I bought of ebay because I was told to---not really knowing exactly where it goes or why--- HEre it is--- any help?

 

breather.JPG

 

Anyway--Worse comes to worse I can always just bolt up the driveshaft and save the diff project for another day-- but its something I have been meaning to do for a LONG LONG time (years) and i should really get on it

 

Thank you in advance

 

-Eric

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Streeteg: I gather that the R200 is out of a 280Z? The plastic breather goes in place of the metal breather that is located in the Upper RH corner of the removable diff cover. Carefully extract the old metal one as it is pressed in and then carefully press in the plastic breather. This is optional as the metal breather may be OK.

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I'd be shocked if an R180 yoke fit an R200. One of the things they do to make bigger diffs stronger is to make the pinion shaft thicker.

 

I think some 280Z's had 10mm driveshaft bolts, then I think they went back to 8mm bolts a couple years later. If you have a 10mm yoke you might be able to drill out the flange on the driveshaft and use 10mm bolts, or you could sleeve the bolts like people do on the ring gear, or you could run the 8mm bolts in the 10mm holes, just like guys do on the ring gear when they don't bother with the spacers.

 

I think the 300ZX flange doesn't work with the Z driveshafts. If you're not sure if that is a 300ZX flange, check the bolt pattern against the 10mm flange. If the bolt pattern is the same it will work.

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As you can see there are some significant differences in the fitment of both- I am not sure exactly which one is right though--- Any thoughts?

 

(Oh I Painted one of the covers black because its easier to distinguish on the forum which a person is talking about.

 

-Eric

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As long as those breather can take out any oil excess, you're fine IMO. I don't recall having seen any interference with anything nearby the breather once installed.

 

Regarding yokes, I was told only 280z yokes works from the swap (except the one from 75)

And no you cannot keep R180 yoke since they don't have the same number of teeth on the splines connection (24 vs. 29 if I'm not mistaken).

 

Regarding covers, There're 2 different kind of covers: the bald ones and the ones with splines to help cooling. As long as your 2 covers have the same bolt pattern for mustache bar at the same location, it should be ok.

 

For oil, I would go with Redline 75w90 GL5, you can also check Royal Purple or Amsoil oil with same grade 75w90 GL5.

 

I've done it with mine, moved from R180 3.36 to R200 3.9 I was a very nice improvement ;)

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Well the diff is halfway in--- totally forgot to check if the yoke was correct so wel have to take it off the mustache bar again in the moring. Its 3:30am and I am pooped but I cant wait to get everything back and running again. It was fun for sure

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Finished! Thank you to everyone on the thread who gave me a hand with much needed last minute info. I really appreciate it.

 

Below are some of the pics we took during the installation. The original cover and yoke worked from the R200 that I had so there was no hassle there. Also, I HAD NOT EVEN A LITTLE clue about how to get the stock axles off the diff. We eventually said screw it and just dropped it out as one but it was not easy. I think I sheared a nipple getting it out.

 

On with the pics!

 

diffcar.JPG

Car up in the air as we worked feverishly for like 15 hours straight.

 

 

Little bit of progress happening with myself and my good friend (Dozer)

diffprogress.JPG

 

After hours of trying to get the axles off-- trips to home depot, 2 flathead screwdivers and a crowbar its pretty fair that the r180 deserved this-

FucktheR180.JPG

 

and lastly the finished product next to my main helping hand's RB26 swapped skyline GTS.

skylineandz.JPG

 

 

Again Thank you for all the help. The car feels A LOT more responsive now then it did with the long gears of the 180. Not to mention stronger too-- It is still an open diff but that's why time was invented. It will all come soon.

 

Till next time,

 

-Eric

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The mustache bar actually went in opposite of stock (Bow facing towards the rear of the car, rather then the front... which threw us for a loop. other then that everything bolted up great. The driver side axle a slight bit more then the passengerside, but its not really that crazy.

 

This Saturday I get a new Mandrel bent 3" exhaust from the turbo back, and then the following friday is a tune just in time for the NJ Z Car Club meet in Bridgewater. Im pretty excited

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Sorry for using your thread but i have a question about jokes too, I have a '78 280z and I replaced the stock r200 for a r200 from the '84 300zx and the drive shaft bolt pattern is not the same as the original one, can i just swap the joke from the '78 280z into the r200 from the '84 300zx?

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Sorry for using your thread but i have a question about jokes too, I have a '78 280z and I replaced the stock r200 for a r200 from the '84 300zx and the drive shaft bolt pattern is not the same as the original one, can i just swap the joke from the '78 280z into the r200 from the '84 300zx?

 

Not sure about the joke part, but yes, you can remove the front nose flange (yoke?) from your 280z's R200, and install it on the 84 R200.

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