tranny / axle problems NEED HELP!!??

[ken inn]

if you look on the trans bell housing, right below the cylinder head, where it bolts to the block, it will have the numbers/letters STAMPED on it. W5M332----. N is what you want. W=you are hosed. nate pharr changed out the final drive in one, but the case itself is machined to accept the different final drives, and the close tolerances make it act like a pump, to lube other parts of the trans. also, if you remove the axles, and look thru the part where the axles go, if you can see clear thru, it is lsd. if you can see a round post, about 1" in dia blocking the way, it is NOT lsd. if it is lsd, you need a longer left(i think) axle to go thru and engage the lsd. these axles are like unobtanium. from what i understand, the rs trans wont grenade unless you are at speed, and then there is a lot of screaming. like, all 4 wheels lock up. scott evans at forced performance also knows a lot about the rs trans. the only way you can get it to work is to use the rear diff from the rs, also hard to get.

 

I want to update this for the archives as I have been getting ~5 PM's a year about this problem from others.

It turns out the transmission was from a late-model RS with a front LSD. The numbers on the tranny were WQEK.... It WAS a shorter final drive. I put a new set of rear-end gears in the car to correct the ratio problems.

As for the "broken axle" condition: I needed a longer right-side inner axle stub to correctly engage the front differential. The stock stub shaft is just barely long enough to engage, but the circlip that holds the axle in will not engage. Thats why I experienced the problems, the axle just kinda fell out.

I do not have the part number anymore, Im not sure what happened to my archive of JDM PN's, but its all gone, so I cannot be of any help there. If anyone does have the PN, please post it here so others can get it int he future. Thanks!

rayn