Removing R180 diff cover to check ratio

[BTF/PTM]

I wanna open my spare R180 since I've read that the gear ratio is stamped on the ring gear. I figure it may help with selling it if I can tell folks what ratio it is. Is there a gasket between the cover and diff housing? Is it as easy as removing the cover bolts and lifting the cover away? I don't wanna start opening it and find out midway through that I'm getting into a proverbial can of worms. Thanks, guys.

[-eric]

Should be able to just take the cover off,mine had a gasket,just scrape it off clean it up and buy some of the right stuff.

 

http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/automotive_gasketing/gasket_makers/auto_Permatex_the_Right_Stuff_Gasket_Maker.htm

 

Works well,I just buy the short caulking tubes.

[John Scott]

Why get dirty? You can do this much more simply by jacking up the car, spinning the rear wheel two revolutions for open end and counting the revolutions of the drive shaft. There are not that many variances of the Datsun rear to not be able to conclude 3.5 revolutions = 3.55, almost 4 = 3.7, little more than 4=4.11 and so on.

Edited March 16, 2010 by John Scott

[BTF/PTM]

This method should work well enough. The diff is out of the car so spinning it is easy. Thanks =)

 

*edit* - it's a 3.55:1, turned it by hand. For anyone who reads this later, make sure you turn BOTH axle hubs when you do this, otherwise you get the ratio of the internal spider gears instead of the axle ratio.

 

 

Why get dirty? You can do this much more simply by jacking up the car, spinning the rear wheel two revolutions for open end and counting the revolutions of the drive shaft. There are not that many variances of the Datsun rear to not be able to conclude 3.5 revolutions = 3.55, almost 4 = 3.7, little more than 4=4.11 and so on.

Edited March 18, 2010 by BTF/PTM