I'm posting in here, nervously, because I want an audience of people who should have much experience in this area. Here is my issue...

- The motor is a B16B, trans is an R4 LSD (I may have to recheck that but it has the LSD stamp), motor runs like a horse...no issues. The car is a '00 Civic Hatchback.

-I THINK (read: unsure) that my differential is either a clutch type or gear type.

-When I go around corners SLOWLY in gear(...ie: from a stand still accelerating in 1st...) I have a lot of clunking and what sounds like grinding. When I accelerate at 100% throttle the clunking goes away and it pulls hard towards the inside. While clunking it feels like the engine is going to rip itself out of the engine bay. I have 70A Hasport motormounts, 70A urethane inserts for my torque mounts, and an Ingalls Stiffy side mount.

- When I go around corners slowly, but OUT of gear, like mentioned above there is no clunking or grinding.

- I'm trying to find out if the diff is bad, if the diff is doing what it's supposed to, if the transmission is bad. I don't have the time to take the trans apart and inspect so I'm trying to do best-odds here. If you have any other questions feel free to ask them, flame me...etc.
- pics of car, motor for reference...if any more is needed ask. This problem is making me want to sell my car it's soooo bad.


you can see the R4 LSD on this pic....

 

By going around corners, do you mean turned to full lock?

 

Sounds like an axle issue to me. Though if it's a clutch type diff you might get this behavior too. If you jack up one side of the car, with the trans in neutral, can you spin the front wheel?

 

^ditto, check the axles carefully first. jack the car up, turn the wheel to full lock, and slowly spin the wheels and listen for noise on the axles. shake the axle shaft up and down and in and out to check for excess play.

 

I would say it sounds like spider gears, except that it can't. Potentially some geared tooth issue though depending on lsd type.

 

not necessarily at full lock. It can happen with 2 turns of the wheel a la "T" intersection.

Last I did it I could turn one wheel and BOTH wheels turned the same direction at the same time.


Is there a difference between the CTR and the Si half-shafts? I've been using the Si stuff thus far.

 

Ah, that sounds like a clutch type diff. What kinda fluid are you running in the box?

 

I am running Motul 75w90...

 

Maybe those more experienced with clutch diffs will jump in, but you might want to try adding one of the friction modifiers intended for such diffs. I want to say there is some GM or Ford one that gets good reviews, but I can't remember the name off the top of my head. Some digging on fluids for clutch diffs should turn up quite a bit of info.

 

If you aren't getting the clunking when not in gear and turning sharp at low speeds, then it probably isn't a differential issue. Sounds more like CV's to me.

 

Interesting....
To elaborate some more on some stuff I forgot. I'm running an Si swaybar, Si lower control arms, DX hubs, Si upper arms, and OEM DX lower balljoints. There wouldn't be a geometry problem with the Si and DX parts matching up improperly would there? I do go through an awful lot of passenger side axles....3 in the past 6 months...and no, I don't drive like a retard with the car 99% of the time and I never do burnouts etc etc.

 

how are you destroying the axles? where are they breaking?

 

What you describe sounds exactly like how my Kaaz LSD behaves, however I do not have any axle breakage issues, and its a rallycross car. Though, I am using DSS RR/Rally axles.

I have used everything from GM Syncromesh (part #12377916 is the correct fluid if you want to try it), Kaaz fluid, and Torco RTF and it makes noise with all of them but only during sharp low speed cornering under throttle just as you describe.

At the last Rally-X event we broke the LSD, I have not split the case yet to inspect and at this time I was using Torco RTF (not to imply it has anything to do with the fluid). It seemed to be quietest with the GM Syncromesh and loudest with the Torco RTF. Once the trans is repaired I am going to give the Torco MTF a shot.

So far I am thinking a heavy-duty non-synthetic gear oil is the ticket, though it is a trade-off. Whats good for your LSD will not be so good for your synchro's and vice versa.

 

The axles are being jacked up on the outer joint nearest the hub but just on the passenger side. The driver's side has no issues with the axle.

 

Bamp!

 

No need to bump in this forum. It doesn't move that fast. Your thread was still on the first page and in the top 10 or 15 threads. Besides, there is nothing new to say. It's all been covered. Bump the thread when you've got some more information.