How to check if I have Torsen LSD

I have a 96 Miata. I've read on the web that this year's model comes
with either an open or Torsen differential.

With my car on stands, when I spin the one rear wheel, the other wheel
will spin in the opposite direction. When I hold one of the wheels
tight, my son was not able to spin the wheel on the other side. Can
anyone conclude from this rather I have a Torsen LSD or not? If not,
is there any other test I can do short of pulling off a stub axle to
peek at the gears?

Thanks
Mack

In article . com>,
"G. Mack" > wrote:

> I have a 96 Miata. I've read on the web that this year's model comes
> with either an open or Torsen differential.
>
> With my car on stands, when I spin the one rear wheel, the other wheel
> will spin in the opposite direction. When I hold one of the wheels
> tight, my son was not able to spin the wheel on the other side. Can
> anyone conclude from this rather I have a Torsen LSD or not? If not,
> is there any other test I can do short of pulling off a stub axle to
> peek at the gears?

From the miata.net Garage:

(Q)How do you identify Torsen's without dissasembly?

(A)The Torsen won't always turn both wheels when you turn the
driveshaft, sometime if they are cold they will. One way is to take out
the fill plug to see the Torsen gears which is hard to do because of the
angle. Another way is to attempt to turn both half shafts in the same
direction at the same time (tranny in neutral), can't be done with a
Torsen. The foolproof way is to pull the stub axle on the type 1 or the
drive axle on the type two. If you don't see a bar and can see directly
thru the diff. it is a Torsen. If there is a bar, (spider gears) it's an
open.

Or you could phone Mazda with the VIN and they'll tell you how it came
out of the factory. The only '96 Miatas without Torsens were base and
power steering package models, plus all automatics.

Depends on how much trouble you want to go to.
When all else fails, find an asphalt or "blacktop" surface that is quite
smooth.
(Little used or empty parking lot is good.)
Make a wet area with the gallon water jug I forgot to mention.
Position the car so that only one rear wheel is wet and in the water.
Deliberately get the wet rear wheel to spin. If you have a Torsen or other
semi locking rear end, you may feel it engage, and the dry rear wheel will
move the car forward. If not, The wet wheel may sit and spin, or the car
will move foreward slowly.


"G. Mack" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I have a 96 Miata. I've read on the web that this year's model comes
> with either an open or Torsen differential.
>
> With my car on stands, when I spin the one rear wheel, the other wheel
> will spin in the opposite direction. When I hold one of the wheels
> tight, my son was not able to spin the wheel on the other side. Can
> anyone conclude from this rather I have a Torsen LSD or not? If not,
> is there any other test I can do short of pulling off a stub axle to
> peek at the gears?
>
> Thanks
> Mack
>

On Sep 4, 7:56 pm, Lanny Chambers > wrote:
> In article . com>,
> "G. Mack" > wrote:
>
> > I have a 96 Miata. I've read on the web that this year's model comes
> > with either an open or Torsen differential.
>
> > With my car on stands, when I spin the one rear wheel, the other wheel
> > will spin in the opposite direction. When I hold one of the wheels
> > tight, my son was not able to spin the wheel on the other side. Can
> > anyone conclude from this rather I have a Torsen LSD or not? If not,
> > is there any other test I can do short of pulling off a stub axle to
> > peek at the gears?
>
> From the miata.net Garage:
>
> (Q)How do you identify Torsen's without dissasembly?
>
> (A)The Torsen won't always turn both wheels when you turn the
> driveshaft, sometime if they are cold they will. One way is to take out
> the fill plug to see the Torsen gears which is hard to do because of the
> angle. Another way is to attempt to turn both half shafts in the same
> direction at the same time (tranny in neutral), can't be done with a
> Torsen. The foolproof way is to pull the stub axle on the type 1 or the

Does turning the wheels differ than turning the half shafts? Aren't
they directly connected?

> drive axle on the type two. If you don't see a bar and can see directly
> thru the diff. it is a Torsen. If there is a bar, (spider gears) it's an
> open.
>
> Or you could phone Mazda with the VIN and they'll tell you how it came
> out of the factory. The only '96 Miatas without Torsens were base and
> power steering package models, plus all automatics.

My car has power steering and windows.

In article . com>,
"G. Mack" > wrote:

> The only '96 Miatas without Torsens were base and
> > power steering package models, plus all automatics.
>
> My car has power steering and windows.

Power windows means your car is at least a Popular Equipment Package,
and if it's a 5-speed it was delivered with a Torsen.

OK you guys ! Just go to miata.net . Look in the garage section.
there is a place in there that will tell and show you how to tell if you
have a Torson ! To make it short, look at the front of the diff. where
the drive line comes back from the tranny. IF there are some vibration
dampeners located there just aft of the "U" joint, you have a Torson !
IF no dampeners. it is an "open" rear end". ( this is for 1994 and on )
IF, some one has replaced the rear end in a 1990 - 1993, with a 1994 and
later, it will still have the dampeners ! The '90 - '93's have VLSD or
open and you can check this by jacking one rear wheel off the ground,
put the car in gear and with a "Torque wrench" ( I don't remember the
setting) and time how long it takes to go to 90 deg's. of rotation. I
don't have my '91 shop manual anymore or I could trint that info. out.
(it should be in the garage section too if you look.

I think you guys should all start looking at the items in the miata.net
site. It will answer about 75% of att the questions that you are asking
in here.


Bruce Bing '03 LS (with Torson) :-)

(BRUCE HASKIN) wrote:

>OK you guys ! Just go to miata.net . Look in the garage section.
>there is a place in there that will tell and show you how to tell if you
>have a Torson ! To make it short, look at the front of the diff. where
>the drive line comes back from the tranny. IF there are some vibration
>dampeners located there just aft of the "U" joint, you have a Torson !
>IF no dampeners. it is an "open" rear end". ( this is for 1994 and on )
>IF, some one has replaced the rear end in a 1990 - 1993, with a 1994 and
>later, it will still have the dampeners ! The '90 - '93's have VLSD or
>open and you can check this by jacking one rear wheel off the ground,
>put the car in gear and with a "Torque wrench" ( I don't remember the
>setting) and time how long it takes to go to 90 deg's. of rotation. I
>don't have my '91 shop manual anymore or I could trint that info. out.
>(it should be in the garage section too if you look.
>
>I think you guys should all start looking at the items in the miata.net
>site. It will answer about 75% of att the questions that you are asking
>in here.

Then what would we do here?

Leon
--
Leon van Dommelen Bess, the Miata Bozo, the Miata
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
The only thing better than a white Miata is two white Miatas

"pws" > wrote in message
...
> Jim wrote:
>
>> Discuss which color is best.
>>
>> Jim '93 red
>
> White is faster, black looks nicer, for at least 10 minutes after you wash
> it.
> I don't particularly like red, but don't let my Miata hear that. Both
> times that I have had a complete color choice I have gone with dark
> metallic blue, so that must be my favorite.
>
> There is always the "my NA, NB, or NC is better" argument as well.
>
> Pat

You all started it, white might be fastest, black may look the best (for a
little while), and blue is a great color, but in my opinion, BRG is the
best.

Gus BRG 1991

On 2007-09-07, nosfatsug > wrote:

> You all started it, white might be fastest, black may look the
> best (for a little while), and blue is a great color, but in
> my opinion, BRG is the best.

Titanium (haze gray) is definitely the best. How else are you
going to go unnoticed in a WW1 naval battle.

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! HELLO, everybody,
at I'm a HUMAN!!
visi.com

On Sep 5, 10:45 am, Lanny Chambers > wrote:
> In article . com>,
> "G. Mack" > wrote:
>
> > The only '96 Miatas without Torsens were base and
> > > power steering package models, plus all automatics.
>
> > My car has power steering and windows.
>
> Power windows means your car is at least a Popular Equipment Package,
> and if it's a 5-speed it was delivered with a Torsen.

This sounds like my car. I guess I shouldn't autocross in STS2
anymore.

Thanks Lanny