mx5cartalk.com

I’m totally new to “forums” and fairly new to my ‘5 (MAX, a 01 NB8B), but have found the search keeps taking me to here and the US one. What an eye-opener and source of real practical knowledge (with pictures no less). Thanks to all of you for the vast amount of accumulated wisdom and “how to’s ” I’ve used from this forum.

The humour is (mostly) great to boot!

I have changed all of the fluids in Max to establish a known base line. (Thanks for the MT-90 tip especially).

My question is about the amount of fluid in the Diff. The Handbook says 1 Litre or 1.1 US qt. Armed with two Redline 75W90 1 US qt containers and the wonderful tube / funnel tip the job was started. The diff was drained totally, left open for over two hours while I did something else. No drips coming out at all when I got back to it. My tube and funnel arrangement consists of a large funnel (holds maybe a litre and a half ) and the tube has a in-line tap just before the end so I can control the flow while under the car. Put the whole Redline container (1 US qt) into the Funnel and got under the car and let her rip. I expected the whole first lot to go in, but it overflowed the filler at about .8 of a litre. Yes, the tube was in correctly (deepish and angled down).

No biggy, I guess, if its full its full, and I have bonus “spare” bottle for next time. But after reading an old Topic started by Spitty about diff types (what a discussion) and a more recent one started by Stevesports about “gearbox and differential oil”
I noted that zoomzoom stated “EPX 80W-90 for the diff, about 900mL-1L for torsen and I thnk around double that for an open diff” and “Open diff will likely take more than 1L from memory.”

Is this correct?

Is there a difference in the capacity between the open diff and the torsen?

The Spitty topic offered three options to check the diff type, pull the thing apart and look, jack-it-up and spin the wheels and lastly lay some rubber (on grass).

The last two options were shot down as being inconclusive.

Does anyone that knows they have a Torsen know what amount of oil they can get in?

Same question for anyone that knows they have a open std diff.

Thanks, Steve

I have no clue what diff I have but I'd assume Stock Standard

I put a bottle of 1L and I overfilled it by a bit

But the bottle saying 1L doesn't always mean 1L it could be less and it could be more

I'm interested in knowing or seeing pics of how people fill there Diff and Gearbox oil

I used a hand pump i bought from Autobarn and it takes years for the Gearbox
With the Diff I can empty half the 1L bottle but with the last half I have to use the pump

Don't sweat it. I think the handbook figures are approximations at best. NC book says 4.35l of engine oil (with filter) but was well and truly full at 4.0l - yes, after a run to fill the oil filter.

Torsen diff in my car now. It overflowed well before the whole quart went in. There's a lot more metal in the torsen assembly compared to an open diff so it makes sense that there's less room for oil there. Everything else (housings, crown and pinion, etc) is the same.

Thanks guys.

Not a big sample to work with but it seems that a Torsen takes a little less than an open diff.
Now, if it doesn't rain on the weekend the Garage King may have to find some grass away from view so I don't look like a over-aged prat.

AZNTieN : I have been using the tube with the inline tap and big funnel with great success for a while. If you ever have the misfortune to have to do a Bx Falcon diff you'll see why. They actually put the filler on the front, facing sideways! Its a bastard.

Get a 13mm inline tap from the irrigation section of a hardware store, normally black with a green handle. Tube to fit the tap to funnel is easy, get about 2mts. On the filler side of the tap I used a smaller size tube that friction fitted inside a 150mm piece of the larger tube (about half way). Then push the other end onto the tap. Works a treat for one man operation, no mess at all and you are under the car watching when you turn the tap on/off. I have old lab type test tube holder that anchors the funnel securely to the shed frame (up fairly high to get a good amount of head).

Steve

What I used to do when I was DIY was to use what amounted to an oversize automotive syringe. You merely attached the hose place in the oil container retract fit into the filling hole and expel the oil. Had it for years and it is indestructible and was no problem for gearboxes and diffs. Not sure if these are still available or perhaps other methods have made this simple device as redundant. Mercifully cars are not dotted with grease nipples anymore!!!