Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle Stock Euro Diff Pics, what do you think?

Anyone able to tell if this diff from my Euro Trans is one of those hardened or juststandard differentials??

Here's some pics...I have more if needed.

Thanks for the info...

Diff 1
Diff 2

Nice pics.

Seems like it oughta be a 4 spider unit to get some real strength.

Dan

That looks just like a stock diff.

From everyone I've spoken to, some knowing there is a "hardened" diff and a plain old one, say there aren't visual differences.

I was just gonna sell it for cheap anyway, but I just wanted to tell whomever bought it if it was special or not...

Oh well..

Step aside children, let em work here......
Ok, this stuff is my area of expertise. I design axles for a living for American Axle & Mfg.

That diff case is by no means hardened. Typically cases are hardened by "nitriding" them, which makes them black. Obviously, this one is "as cast" as it is obvious by it';s grey colour.

Even the side gears look as forged, although the spider gears (also know as diff pinion gears) ARE hardened, hence their blackened/darker appearance. I don't remember what a US spec MTX75 diff looks like, but you should compare the spider gears, as from what I remember, they're the components that usually fail first, and thus cause catastrophic damage of the entire transaxle.

So if the US spec spider gears look grey, like the side gears do in this pic, then yes, perhaps this unit is marginally stronger, but by now means as strong as a Quaife or a Torsen diff.

Hence if you were to go to the trouble of replacing your diff wwhich is a HUGE job (I know I've done it), I wouldn't even waste my time putting in another stock Ford "open" diff.

Good info...thanks..

We know the casing is standard, but supposedly there are some euro diffs with hardened spider gears. So for someone who has a standard Cougar/Contour who blew their stock diff, and doesn't want to drop the $500 or so on an aftetermarket unit, sould just get another stock unit.

I was gonna toss this one up on Ebay for cheap in case someone needed one. I just don't want to mis advertise it.

So I'll post it as standard.

But it is an interesting find...nonetheless.

Thanks again...

Oh...anyone have pics of a stock diff from a US tranny???

I did some more research:

there are 3 open type diffs on an MTX..one is 'as seen' in that pic..and looks like the gears are 'formed'/stamped/sintered..re soft rounded teeth edges etc...the other two appear as conventional 'cut'teeth....these pics are showing the weakest type!...the other two are the same re 'cut'...but the tooth angles were revised...$50 tops for that POS!

Sorry dude........

Hey Stazi...

Check the Forced induction forum: FI Forum

There is a pic of another stock diff, and it looks much different from the pics I posted.

Those teeth look much sharper...

figured you might want to see.