B6 into 97 aspire swap, AND lsd into trans-done AND tested

[iceracerdude]

Ok, just got finished moving my 89 b6 from my old 90 festy, into my 97 aspire. I had previously upgraded the older vac. advance style distrib. to the newer 90 style festy distrib. Was also running a (2 plug) b6 computer. The newer style (97) tps is completely different, and will be needing some engineering to get it go onto the older throttle body. In the meantime, the older tps, is in fact working! It doesn't like it and it did set some codes. I've also reused the aspire distributor, and the aspire b3 computer, and it's running amazingly great. I've got a narrow band air/fuel gauge that's telling me it's running slightly richer, which is good, but I can't smell any extra gasoline at all. I've got to change out the temp sensors, looks like possibly the gauge sensor has a different range to it.
But now for the really great news:
Got my Phantom Grip LSD installed and I've been driving it around.
I've been able to test it on pavement, wet pavement, and dirt roads and I'm here to tell ya, it way hooks up! This without any breakin (seating)time, but you'll understand why later. First things first. I got the #906 gold, the "gold" designates the "spring tension" option. The gold springs are "standard", the green springs are stronger yet, and are optional. Apparently they actually make an optional weaker spring? My goal was to achieve more grip on wet roads, snow, and ice. If you're drag racing or autocrossing, maybe you'd want the stronger green springs? Also, so far, torque steer is completely gone! I took it out on the dirt, cranked the wheels all the way left and hammered it. Both of those wheels just clawed and chewed continuously, think fat girl at a buffet! The way this thing works is, it "locks" the two side gears together with spring pressure. Not a 100% lock, or you wouldn't be able to turn, but keeps/prevents that old "one wheel spinning" from happening. You cannot feel it when you're turning, it's just smooth and torque steer free! That "one wheel spinning situation" IS what eventually grenades transmissions. AVOID IT! I've seen that on more than one occasion, especially on the ice. I can't wait to see what happens as the ice and snow conditions arrive.
And now for some pics:
This is what the trans looks like open:



Here's pics of diff carriers without and with the lsd:




This unit does not just "drop" into "our" carriers, I'm sure some of the larger units might get a little luckier than us. I actually had to do quite a bit of machining, 30 thousands off of each of the two pinion gears, and 30 thousands off of two sides of the lsd to create a total of 120 thou. of space. I'm using 115 with 5 for oil.
You'll also have to take some off the side gears as well, (this is where the real friction happens) Phanton Grip actually suggests a belt sander as an option, but I spent the money for the exellent flatness only machining can provide. The next two pics are of two side gears "before" and one pinion gear and a side gear "after":



The total cost for this deal was: $256 for the lsd (online store), $75 for machining (local shop), and $90 for cryogenic treatment of 4 gears, 4 thrust washers, and 1 pinion pin (300 below, Il).
Now of course, I did all new seals in the trans, and new end bearings on the diff carrier, ($30 for the bearings). The rest of my bearings were good, (150,000 miles) on this trans.

The removal, dissasembly, reassembly, and reinstall, all done by your's truely: priceless

[packrat427]

That is very nice !! Great pics also

I am sure you will be pleased with that set up .

300 below ..sweet , it is just a few miles from the house .

I have always wanted to take a few things there .

[iceracerdude]

Great guys over at 300 below. That whole process takes a few days. They do the cycle twice a week. I guess they drop it to down to 300 below slowly, and leave it there for 20 or 24 hours then SLOWLY bring it back up. I just wanted that little extra piece of mind, you know, when you're beating the hell out of your equipment, and hopefully the competition, you want to know you've done everything you can to prepare.

[niklid05]

so is cryo all its cracked up to be? youd think freezing molecules would cause the part to shrink.

[iceracerdude]

I can't believe "all its cracked up to be" is where you went! I Don't know yet, but my main goal was to strenghten these very tiny load bearing pinion gears. Cause I sure can't make em bigger so I wanted to do something. I guess the freezing concept was always plauseable. What the problem was: how to freeze without breaking, going down or even coming back up. Then they realized, do it very, very slow, think days. The parts have not changed in size what so ever. The best analogy I can give you is: think of changing a piece of pine board into a piece of oak. The metal becomes denser, but not more brittle, and it's through and through. Not just a surface treatment. I figured that this was cheap insurance. The rate, when I got my work done, was $70 for 20 lbs. of stuff. I didn't send in but 5 lbs in all, but as you can see, you can get a lot done for cheap. Another item they recommended from their customer's experience, was turbo bearings, but I didn't want to pull mine apart and have to get everything rebalanced. They claim quadruple wear expectations minimum and more often than not greater! Unfortunately, I'm not Penske Racing, so I don't expect my vast crew of mechanics to do a trans. teardown after each race for a wear comparison. I do know I don't want to have to tear it down very often, if ever again, so is it worth $70? See to me, a failure of this nature, has a far greater implication. Unlike say, an alternator or a starter or a clutch cable failure. When these gears fail, they have the potential to destroy the diff carrier and then, immediately following, the whole trans case right along with it. Have you ever see a transmission with a window in it? If not, then thats a good thing. A starter failure (with a stick shift, will still not take you out of the game) or with a clutch cable failure, nothing else gets ruined. I have been and will be beating on this thing (the Phantom Grip LSD, AND the cryo gears). So if this configuration is going to fail, I'll surely let you know!
But all I'm really expecting is.......
yet another trip to the podium.

[packrat427]

If you guys only knew how many BIG name people , and NHRA and other teams send entire engine assy's -Disassembled of course , and other driveline parts to these people to be cryogenically treated .

If there was any question on reliability , I don't think they would still be doing all of their work there.

[niklid05]

no pun intended. LOL



interesting though. I should see if there is a place around me that does that. Ill take some junk there that Im pretty good at breaking and see if it helps haha.

[iceracerdude]

Right u r packrat427......Humm, I wonder why those teams aren't telling everybody?

[packrat427]

It is one of those little secrets , most know of it now .

(The Professor ) Warren Johnson -Pro Stock , was one of the first to do his engine here , it was a very big secret and very big HP gain and reliability .

They were not to tell anybody that the engine was here in Decatur at the shop .