LSD: go with stock or aftermarket in an 86 NA. if aftermarket then who would you recommend? worried about price and reliability. (trying to prep a bit for a turbo swap comming up soon)

 

It completely depends on what the goals for the car are. There are 3 different "types" of LSDs abailable for the RX7. The only LSD that came in the NA was a clutch-type in the GXL and 88 GTU, And a viscous-type in the 89-91GTUs. Swapping to a TurboII rear end would be a wiser option for you seeing how the TII transmission will not simply bolt up to the NA rear end. If you do plan on modifying the driveshaft to use the NA LSD, the GXL/88GTU clutch type is much more common. Beware though, these can wear out with age. A "aftermarket" option would be to swap in a Miata torsen differential. The characteristics are more linear and subtle than the clutch type and are know to last much longer. But, depending on how much power you plan on making with your turbo swap, this might not be such a good idea.



If you plan on swapping the TII diff, there are quite a few options, and none of them very cheap. Most aftermarket LSDs are clutch-type in various rates (1.5,2.0, ect). Kaaz and Cusco are a couple of the popular ones. On the other hand, the Torsen type diff from the FD will also swap into the TII diff housing. This can be a bit of work, but can make for a more desirable car to drive in certain types of racing.



Alex

 

Auto-X, and some road tracks. sounds like turbo II is the way to go, I guess the hard part is finding one... To answer your HP question I'm staying mostly stock. all in all it sounds like I'll be poking around E-bay....

 

The RX7club for sale section has em for sale all the time. You might be have a better chance finding one cheaper on there. Be aware though, youll need the driveshaft and axels from a TII to get it to bolt up to the TII trans. If you plan on autoXing and track days, you might look into swapping the FD diff internals. Its torsen-type doesnt have then initial lockup like a clutch type, preventing the inside wheel spinning when exiting a corner like some agressive clutch-types. Anythings better than the NA open diff though!



Heres the RX7club for sale forum

http://www.rx7club.com/forumdisplay.php?f=194

 

Man, you're a genious and you're awesome. thanks for the info and the link!

 

Now now, not need for flattery. I also forgot to say that if you swap in an FD diff internals, or any aftermarket diff, the backlash needs to be set. In a nutshell, backlash is the ammount of "slack" between the pinion and ring gears. If this isnt dont correctly, the diff can make nasty noises and eventually eat the gears. Although this can be done with the right tools (primarily a dial indicator and sockets and wrenches). There are exstensive write ups on how to do this in just about every 4x4 truck forum.



Alex