*********EDIT************

here is a OBX LSD failure. it was carefully disassembled before installation and carefully re-assembled following weeks and weeks of research on honda-tech and information given to me by other users who have done the same. all bevelled washers were installed correctly and all the bolts were torqued to 40ft/lbs with red loctite.

the LSD was making loud clunking/binding sounds around turns right away after installation.. it was fine when driving in a straight line even though it was NOT working as a LSD anymore. it would one-wheel-peel on hard acceleration.

i decided to pull it out and replace it with a real LSD (quaife) before it totally blew apart and caused major damage to the tranny and even possibly cause an accident if it locked up the wheels.

in total i put about 1000miles on this LSD......but it was making lots of clunking sounds right from the time of first installation.

all in all i do regret buying this LSD because it failed for me.......i see about a 90% success rate with these LSD's so i figured it would be fine but i guess i was part of that other 10%. for all other OBX uses who have no trouble with them you are lucky and i envy you and i hope you have good long term reliability with it.

most people are going to argue the fact that it was not installed correctly but if you ask anyone who knows me and my car i take extreme caution when working on mechanical components. the helms is my second bible and all specs and clearances were perfect.

as always colourful criticism is always welcome.

























Modified by non-VTEC at 7:52 AM 10/17/2006

 

i've never had one apart, but i've also never seen somebody say they broke theirs, incorrectly put together or not. they're pretty beefy-looking. i would definitely buy one if they made one for Nissan 240SX. i would take it apart, too, and check the spring washers. however, the direction they're installed will make a very tiny difference. i can't see that making a measurable difference in anything unless the come both facing the same way to begin with. in that case they should definitely be moved to face opposite directions or they won't cause proper spring rate or free length. no clue on torque; i usually don't use a torque wrench. my hands are about as good a torque indicator as i can ask for. they sense the strain in the bolts well .

 

ok just a quick updated

i disassembled the OBX LSD.

couple things i noticed:
1. the allen key head bolts holding the LSD together are 12.9 grade. its stamped right on the head. 12.9 is the strongest grade available (to my knowledge). but I'm wondering if they really are 12.9 unless they are just "stamped" 12.9 but are really "1" grade like earl said from his original inspection.

2. all the bevelled washers were installed correctly.

3. i noticed a couple of the gears were upside down. i don't know if this would affect the performance of the LSD since they are all cut the exact same way but i flipped them around so that they all faced the same way. (I'm referring to the gears on the outer-most section of the LSD. they have a dimple on one side and none on the other.....i reversed a couple of them so that the dimples were all facing one way)

other than that it looks like a pretty strong peice......i don't think anyone should have any trouble with this LSD if they want try one out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by non-VTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ok just a quick updated

i disassembled the OBX LSD.

couple things i noticed:
1. the allen key head bolts holding the LSD together are 12.9 grade. its stamped right on the head. 12.9 is the strongest grade available (to my knowledge). but I'm wondering if they really are 12.9 unless they are just "stamped" 12.9 but are really "1" grade like earl said from his original inspection.

2. all the bevelled washers were installed correctly.

3. i noticed a couple of the gears were upside down. i don't know if this would affect the performance of the LSD since they are all cut the exact same way but i flipped them around so that they all faced the same way. (I'm referring to the gears on the outer-most section of the LSD. they have a dimple on one side and none on the other.....i reversed a couple of them so that the dimples were all facing one way)

other than that it looks like a pretty strong peice......i don't think anyone should have any trouble with this LSD if they want try one out.</TD></TR></TABLE>
1: if they were grade 1, they'd be broken by now. grade 1 is just silly how crappy they are. chances are they really are grade 12 hardware b/c stock ring gear bolts are grade 12 and most other transmission bolts are grade 10.
3: i don't think you should be flipping the gears around. some are supposed to push on one end of the diff, others are supposed to push on the other. i don't think the direction should matter since the gear is cut only one way, but maybe one side of the gear is made for contact and friction and the other end is not designed for constant friction. i would leave them pointed the way the came.

 

edited


Modified by non-VTEC at 7:52 PM 5/6/2006

 

all i did was check the torque on the bolts that hold the case together-one was a little loose.
i didn't actually go inside.mine also rattled when you shook it.
i've had it installed for a few months now with no problems.a few thousand miles and about 20 hard drag runs on slicks.
my main advice would be to convert over to the ITR/LS sealed carrier bearings,and get the clearance within spec.mine had an amount of sideplay that was bigger than spec,but smaller than the smallest shim available.i worked a shim down to get the side clearance withing factory spec.
Chris

 

TeamNextGenChris: i plan to change over to the LS/ITR ball bearing setup for the diff. one question for you though. i know that there is a shim (the one you modified) that goes on one side of the case half.

but is there another shim/spacer that goes on the oposite side of the case? or the ball bearing just sits there and the axel seal covers it up?

also which ball bearings should i get. the LS (80mm x 40mm x 18mm) or the ITR bearings (80mm x 40mm x 19.5mm)

 

i just have the one shim on one side.
i could have swore in the past i looked up the ITR and LS bearing part numbers,and they were the same-so i'd assume they were the size?
when i did my ITR LSD into my GSR tranny,i ordered ITR bearings.when i did the OBX,i ordered LS bearings(just based on whichever i got the better deal on at the time).both worked fine.although if the LS are,in fact,thinner than the ITR,they may be the way to go with the OBX unit as they may open up the side clearance enough to use an unmodified spacer.
Chris

 

i just got the bearing sizes from here: http://www.hybridgarage.com/tech/lsd/index.html

i didn't think there was a difference in size but apparently there is......i cant see the extra size of the ITR bearings that much more reliable than the LS bearings........how often do we hear of diff bearing failures in honda? hardly ever....

but when looking at this image:

it shows that there is some kind of shim/spacer (#9) on the opposite end of the diff along side the ball bearing. pictured there is a 2000 Integra LS tranny image from http://www.acuraparts247.com

 

okay,on the #9 part.the Acura parts fiche doesn't show a part number for that.i'm thinking maybe it's not used(maybe they're using one diagram for numerous applications?).i can't remember for the life of me if my tranny had that in it.i do KNOW that i didn't use any spacer other than the one shim when installing the LSD.
i was just comparing part numbers,and the 99 Si and Del Sol VTEC trannies both use the same part number diff bearing as the LS.also,neither show the #9 shim.
Chris

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TeamNextGenChris &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">okay,on the #9 part.the Acura parts fiche doesn't show a part number for that.i'm thinking maybe it's not used(maybe they're using one diagram for numerous applications?).i can't remember for the life of me if my tranny had that in it.i do KNOW that i didn't use any spacer other than the one shim when installing the LSD.
i was just comparing part numbers,and the 99 Si and Del Sol VTEC trannies both use the same part number diff bearing as the LS.also,neither show the #9 shim.
Chris</TD></TR></TABLE>
speaking of that i'm not sure i've ever seen the part #9 shown. i don't have any laying around the shop, either, which is probably an even better indication as to whether or not it's in there. i have all sorts of odds and ends -- small parts like shims and such -- laying around, and i don't see any big washer like that.

 

alright cool guys.......i think i have all the info i need on what parts to order.....

maybe that washer/shim is for the taperd bearing pre-load adjustments? i have no idea im not a tranny man....

 

bump!

 

Did the warranty come through?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Enzo Speed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Did the warranty come through?</TD></TR></TABLE>

actually the LSD is still sitting in the box on my work bench....i might just toss it out unless someone wants to buy it.

shortly after i removed it i called OBX and explained what happened. i told them i opened the thing just to see exactly what broke inside and the guy told me since i opened it chances are they will not warranty it....so i figured i will save my time and shipping money and not even bother sending it back in.........

even if by some chance they would give me a replacement i would never use it again.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by non-VTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

actually the LSD is still sitting in the box on my work bench....i might just toss it out unless someone wants to buy it.

shortly after i removed it i called OBX and explained what happened. i told them i opened the thing just to see exactly what broke inside and the guy told me since i opened it chances are they will not warranty it....so i figured i will save my time and shipping money and not even bother sending it back in.........

even if by some chance they would give me a replacement i would never use it again.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Why don't you just put it back together and send it back? I'm sure they can't tell whether or not it's been opened if you put everything back together correctly.

 

Did all that internal damage come from the bolts backing out?

 

the bolts never backed out. i just took that picture when i loosed the bolts.

i might send it back.....but according to a few guys who tried to get warranty from OBX and even the dealer/distributors it's a real pain in the *** to try to get any sort of replacement from them. OBX customer service sucks *** and talking to the guy on the phone he sounded brain dead.

its honestly not worth my time and money to ship it back to them....if i feel like it one day i will.....

also they will know it has been opened anyway one of the bolts got stripped/crossthreaded while trying to remove it and half of it broke in the case of the diff. you can see it in one of the pictures.

 

Ouch. I bought an OBX header a few years ago and it was a nightmare. I had to throw it away because it was such a piece of crap. OBX never answered my calls or responded to my emails

 

subscribed....

 

Not to dig up an old thread, but for any future reference:

http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=520556

I think your gears are in backwards.

Corey