3.9FD_04 OD casing_04 VLSD carrier...problems?
04-23-2007, 01:53 PM
#1
VLSD pumpkin vs Open-diff pumpkin/housing/casing?
I need help 
Is the (6MT) VLSD housing any different than the Open-diff housing? I thought they were the same. I know the housings have varied after 04.5...but not internally.
The reason I ask; I have an 04 (base) 6MT that came with an "open-differential" pumpkin that is being swapped with these various internal parts.
-Central 20 3.9FD
-VLSD diff/carrier (out of a 4.5_6MT)
-VLSD stub-axles (off a 04_6MT) not the problem at this point
-all new bearings, seals, etc.
TIA,
Zquicksilver
Is the (6MT) VLSD housing any different than the Open-diff housing? I thought they were the same. I know the housings have varied after 04.5...but not internally.
The reason I ask; I have an 04 (base) 6MT that came with an "open-differential" pumpkin that is being swapped with these various internal parts.
-Central 20 3.9FD
-VLSD diff/carrier (out of a 4.5_6MT)
-VLSD stub-axles (off a 04_6MT) not the problem at this point
-all new bearings, seals, etc.
TIA,
Zquicksilver
Last edited by Zquicksilver; 04-27-2007 at 07:23 AM.
04-25-2007, 06:44 AM
#3
I'm the first person here to do a oem VLSD swap into a open diff case. My installing dealer was Tracy Nissan in central cal (mistake given the cost of doing with parts vs just getting a used pumpkin). When they did the install, and checked the clearances, they did not need a single shim. IMO you problem ralates to the Central 20 gear set, or I would question wheather or not the installer has the full range of shims that Nissan has (if you look at the FSM, their are a ton of them).
A more dubious thought, the qualification's of the person turning the wrench. I declined to let just anyone do my install, I went to several dealers before I found one that had a tranny/diff expert on hand.
A more dubious thought, the qualification's of the person turning the wrench. I declined to let just anyone do my install, I went to several dealers before I found one that had a tranny/diff expert on hand.
04-25-2007, 09:25 AM
#4
Originally Posted by Gsedan35
I'm the first person here to do a oem VLSD swap into a open diff case. My installing dealer was Tracy Nissan in central cal (mistake given the cost of doing with parts vs just getting a used pumpkin). When they did the install, and checked the clearances, they did not need a single shim. IMO you problem ralates to the Central 20 gear set, or I would question wheather or not the installer has the full range of shims that Nissan has (if you look at the FSM, their are a ton of them).
A more dubious thought, the qualification's of the person turning the wrench. I declined to let just anyone do my install, I went to several dealers before I found one that had a tranny/diff expert on hand.
A more dubious thought, the qualification's of the person turning the wrench. I declined to let just anyone do my install, I went to several dealers before I found one that had a tranny/diff expert on hand.
Gsedan,
Check your PM please.
Zquicksilver
Last edited by Zquicksilver; 04-25-2007 at 09:55 AM.
04-25-2007, 11:51 AM
#5
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I did a pumpkin swap with my 03 5AT open differential G35 with an 04 6MT vlsd track 350Z. I didn't have any problems but I didn't have to open the pumpkin at all.
For what you are trying to do, it might be easier to obtain a vlsd pumpkin and change the gears in that one.
For what you are trying to do, it might be easier to obtain a vlsd pumpkin and change the gears in that one.
04-26-2007, 11:53 AM
#6
Or just buy an entire custum setup already finished (at a very good price)... I missed the opportunity on that one too 
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Update, my mechanic and I determined its most likely the gear set thats defective... all the other parts seem correct at this point. I was confused at first, but now understand the situation after sending him this simple drawing of the parts. Now I know why he stated re-installing my 3.5FD would be no problem... At this point I hope its the gear set and nothing else.
Zquicksilver
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!Update, my mechanic and I determined its most likely the gear set thats defective... all the other parts seem correct at this point. I was confused at first, but now understand the situation after sending him this simple drawing of the parts. Now I know why he stated re-installing my 3.5FD would be no problem... At this point I hope its the gear set and nothing else.
Zquicksilver
Last edited by Zquicksilver; 04-26-2007 at 12:00 PM.
04-26-2007, 04:37 PM
#7
Defective gear seat is a possibility. When I did my build, the 350EVO gears had some sort of clearance issue, I'm not exactly what. We ended up swapping them for Nismo gears and it worked perfectly.
Responded back to your last PM.
Responded back to your last PM.
Last edited by helldorado; 04-26-2007 at 04:40 PM.
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04-26-2007, 05:04 PM
#8
Hijack!
Who did you get your central20 gear set from? I recieved mine the other day and it looked like a box of smashed a$$holes. The crown and pinion were clanking off oneanother in seperate bags swimming in oil. There are a couple dings in both the crown and pinion so I took them to get a hardness test done which is at 61 RH. Usually something like this comes nicely packaged in styrofoam. Now I'm affraid of having mine installed. Do your gears have letter stampings that give any indication of them being a Central20 product?
Who did you get your central20 gear set from? I recieved mine the other day and it looked like a box of smashed a$$holes. The crown and pinion were clanking off oneanother in seperate bags swimming in oil. There are a couple dings in both the crown and pinion so I took them to get a hardness test done which is at 61 RH. Usually something like this comes nicely packaged in styrofoam. Now I'm affraid of having mine installed. Do your gears have letter stampings that give any indication of them being a Central20 product?
04-27-2007, 07:28 AM
#9
^ I-R-S Corporation, EMS out of Toyko, Japan...
The parts were in bags, bathed in oil, but no packing!!!!!! I flipped out at first, then checked all the teeth and threads, they were fine. Lucky I guess...
I don't remember seeing any stamping, branding it CENTRAL 20. But that doesn't necessarily mean its not, unless you have some information to share?
Zquicksilver
The parts were in bags, bathed in oil, but no packing!!!!!! I flipped out at first, then checked all the teeth and threads, they were fine. Lucky I guess...
I don't remember seeing any stamping, branding it CENTRAL 20. But that doesn't necessarily mean its not, unless you have some information to share?
Zquicksilver
Last edited by Zquicksilver; 04-27-2007 at 07:33 AM.
04-27-2007, 01:54 PM
#11
No more 3.5FD for me 
Even though my mechanic suggested dropping it in, I told him all this only to go back to stock 
I'm currently trying to find a solution...
I want to be able to run with the new Cayman S, current M3 and a few others.... Mustang/GTO. I've enjoyed the improved gas mileage of the 3.3 and long pulls between gears, but I'm ready to have fun again n/a, especially with my new ACT clutch setup and Tranny
I love the new combo!!
GL,
Zquicksilver
Even though my mechanic suggested dropping it in, I told him all this only to go back to stock I'm currently trying to find a solution... I want to be able to run with the new Cayman S, current M3 and a few others.... Mustang/GTO. I've enjoyed the improved gas mileage of the 3.3 and long pulls between gears, but I'm ready to have fun again n/a, especially with my new ACT clutch setup and Tranny
I love the new combo!!GL,
Zquicksilver
Last edited by Zquicksilver; 04-27-2007 at 05:20 PM.
04-27-2007, 03:27 PM
#13
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pss350z
Mine had the same problem, poorly packed, chipped teeth. This is the second set I have gone through now. Very frustrating, especially shipping to canada, eating shipping/duty/taxes x2.
helldorado
As I've had 2 defective central20 gears, I am going 350evo now. What specifically was the problem with your 350evo gears. Thanks and your input is very much appreciated, as I would hate to get a 3rd unuseable set.
for the OP - Zquicksilver
The housings should be the same, as far as I know. Consider an aftermarket LSD, you can pretty much get anything since you have both the VLSD and open stub axles. EDIT - I see you've decided to go back to stock.
pp
Mine had the same problem, poorly packed, chipped teeth. This is the second set I have gone through now. Very frustrating, especially shipping to canada, eating shipping/duty/taxes x2.
helldorado
As I've had 2 defective central20 gears, I am going 350evo now. What specifically was the problem with your 350evo gears. Thanks and your input is very much appreciated, as I would hate to get a 3rd unuseable set.
for the OP - Zquicksilver
The housings should be the same, as far as I know. Consider an aftermarket LSD, you can pretty much get anything since you have both the VLSD and open stub axles. EDIT - I see you've decided to go back to stock.
pp
Last edited by palepony; 04-27-2007 at 03:33 PM.
04-27-2007, 05:35 PM
#14
palepony,
I've already ordered another set of Central 20 gears... I only did this because I'm between a rock and a hard place with the Vender. This is the only way I can get reimbursed for the first set of gears. Proving their f'd up with the second set installing without a hitch. I really want the 3.9 setup and nothing else, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I already told the vender about the lack of proper packing... they said they would inform Central 20 that this is not acceptable. And yes, I'm installing OEM parts only, except the gear set.
If I got two sets F'd up from Central 20, I would personally send them a picture of the messed up gears and a note telling them (they're F'cking Idiots in Japanese)!
I wish you the best of luck man...
Zqucksilver
I've already ordered another set of Central 20 gears... I only did this because I'm between a rock and a hard place with the Vender. This is the only way I can get reimbursed for the first set of gears. Proving their f'd up with the second set installing without a hitch. I really want the 3.9 setup and nothing else, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I already told the vender about the lack of proper packing... they said they would inform Central 20 that this is not acceptable. And yes, I'm installing OEM parts only, except the gear set.
If I got two sets F'd up from Central 20, I would personally send them a picture of the messed up gears and a note telling them (they're F'cking Idiots in Japanese)!
I wish you the best of luck man...
Zqucksilver
04-27-2007, 11:51 PM
#15
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Zquicksilver quote - "I'm between a rock and a hard place with the Vendor"
Interesting point I picked out of your post.
The current vendor I have been dealing with has been helpful and is taking a refund. They assured me they inspected the gears prior to sending and told me the poor packing was Central20's.
I solicited the other vendor on this site for these gears. Since I asked if they were in stock, they said yes, but I specifically asked them if they would send me a hi-res picture of the gears prior to sending. After two PM's of them saying today, next day --> no pics. After second PM a week later --> again telling me they would get them to me today, next day ----> again, no pics. 3rd PM, asked if they would ever be able to send pics ----> never got a response. Utterly poor service by a forum vendor - needless to say I didn't buy from them. ANY member feel free to PM me on my experience.
I will leave vendor names out of this thread. PM me if you want to know details as these are both forum sponsors and don't need this dragged out in a thread. This is, perhaps, a Central20 issue.
Zquicksilver - hope your second set is good. I'm seeking my 3rd - 350evo for me now unless helldorado has something else to convince me otherwise.
pp
Interesting point I picked out of your post.
The current vendor I have been dealing with has been helpful and is taking a refund. They assured me they inspected the gears prior to sending and told me the poor packing was Central20's.
I solicited the other vendor on this site for these gears. Since I asked if they were in stock, they said yes, but I specifically asked them if they would send me a hi-res picture of the gears prior to sending. After two PM's of them saying today, next day --> no pics. After second PM a week later --> again telling me they would get them to me today, next day ----> again, no pics. 3rd PM, asked if they would ever be able to send pics ----> never got a response. Utterly poor service by a forum vendor - needless to say I didn't buy from them. ANY member feel free to PM me on my experience.
I will leave vendor names out of this thread. PM me if you want to know details as these are both forum sponsors and don't need this dragged out in a thread. This is, perhaps, a Central20 issue.
Zquicksilver - hope your second set is good. I'm seeking my 3rd - 350evo for me now unless helldorado has something else to convince me otherwise.
pp
Last edited by palepony; 04-28-2007 at 04:01 PM.
05-01-2007, 08:16 AM
#16
Sorry I didn't get back to the thread sooner, haven't been online in a couple days.
I've heard arguments that the Nismo 3.917 is nothing more than a rebranded 350EVO gearset. I don't know if there's any truth to that or not. It could be just as likely that the Central 20 gearset is produced by the company that produces the Nismo gearset. So take those claims for whatever their worth.
I had AAM do the entire build, so they handled ordering the parts and dealing with the issues. I know Frank said he was having a fitment issue with the 350EVO gears. Probably would've tried Central 20, but there was no way I could get a set within several days, so we opted to go Nismo. They worked perfectly. It doesn't mean Nismo is infallible, it just means that they were what worked in my situation.
If I had to do it all over again, I might've started with the Central 20 gearset first, if they were available, but at the time they weren't in stock in the US, this was when they were just first becoming available. But no regrets going to the Nismo gears. They're probably not any better quality wise than the other two, but it worked and that's what was key. We had enough other issues to deal with on that build and Frank did an absolutely awesome job overcoming everything and did a first-rate job. Awesome tech.
The 3.7 is always a consideration, but I don't think it the difference in gearing justifies the install cost unless you're starting with a 3.3 base. Just my personal preference!
I've heard arguments that the Nismo 3.917 is nothing more than a rebranded 350EVO gearset. I don't know if there's any truth to that or not. It could be just as likely that the Central 20 gearset is produced by the company that produces the Nismo gearset. So take those claims for whatever their worth.
I had AAM do the entire build, so they handled ordering the parts and dealing with the issues. I know Frank said he was having a fitment issue with the 350EVO gears. Probably would've tried Central 20, but there was no way I could get a set within several days, so we opted to go Nismo. They worked perfectly. It doesn't mean Nismo is infallible, it just means that they were what worked in my situation.
If I had to do it all over again, I might've started with the Central 20 gearset first, if they were available, but at the time they weren't in stock in the US, this was when they were just first becoming available. But no regrets going to the Nismo gears. They're probably not any better quality wise than the other two, but it worked and that's what was key. We had enough other issues to deal with on that build and Frank did an absolutely awesome job overcoming everything and did a first-rate job. Awesome tech.
The 3.7 is always a consideration, but I don't think it the difference in gearing justifies the install cost unless you're starting with a 3.3 base. Just my personal preference!
05-01-2007, 02:35 PM
#17
+1 ^
Which 3.9FD came first, its like the egg question, LOL!
I started with an open-diff (3.5), switched to a VLSD (3.3), and now that I finally decided to stay n/a, VLSD (3.9).
This is currently a $1k project overall, after selling my 3.3-pumpkin to a guy who is waiting patiently for me
Hopefully I stay within budget 
No regrets yet...
Zquicksilver
Which 3.9FD came first, its like the egg question, LOL!
I started with an open-diff (3.5), switched to a VLSD (3.3), and now that I finally decided to stay n/a, VLSD (3.9).
This is currently a $1k project overall, after selling my 3.3-pumpkin to a guy who is waiting patiently for me
Hopefully I stay within budget No regrets yet...
Zquicksilver
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