I bought my 1990 a couple months ago. He said in ad it has the 1.8 diff upgrade with half shafts. When I went to pick up I confirmed by asking if it was the Torsen... he said yes.




I had a buddy tell me that if you spin one wheel one way the other should go the other direction. (while car is in the air)



How can I tell what diff I have?


TIA


JB

 

http://www.miata.net/garage/diffguide/index.html

 

I just read through that guide. I have a Torsen Type II!

 

Thanks.


I figured there was something like that. I just didn't search the right terms

 

Any easy way to tell? With it on the car?

 

Flat foot it around a corner. If the back end kicks out, you have a torsen. If the inside tire makes a smoke show, you have an open. Just to be sure, do it twice.

With a torsen, you can't jack it up and spin it. With no load, it will act like an open. Knowing that, it allows you to go up driveways on only 2 wheels using the parking brake as an artificial load

 

I've spun out a few times on the track, and done a few (heoretical)donuts. I'm guessing it is a torsen?


It will def. kick out if I give it too much in a corner....

 

The only way to tell for sure is to pull an axle and look inside the diff.

 

Can you peak into the pumpkin from the fill hole?

 

No.


At lunch I took it sideways, so I'm guessing it does hav the Torsen?

 

Thats the only "easy" way I can think of. When my car was open diff, it'd do a sweet one wheel peel around corners. Once I put the torsen inside the opens pumpkin, it would turn them both over..... Allowing me to be a drift champion....