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Hi all, I have been scrounging the forums recently as my 1990 NG EXE (named Blutak as she is blue and held together by her namesake) had a wonderful ability to lose traction on diagonal wheels at every opportunity. As i had seen the LSD sticker on the rear diff my opinion of mitsubishi LSD's was not high.
I stumbled across a patrol forum (know thine enemy...) that had a thread on ways to improve the patrol LSD and they operate in the same manner, both being cam\ramp type and operating metal clutch packs.
Now, the spanner twirlers among us know well the effects of varnish on engine internals. I personally had not thought about it where the drivetrain was concerned.
Upon inspection of the diff oil, it was black. Very heavily oxidised and had me wondering if it had ever been replaced!
These guys on the patrol forum had the idea of putting a bottle of engine cleaner in the LSD to remove any varnish.
As any good Paj owner would, immediately thought that if you are silly enough to buy a patrol, you're silly enough to put engine oil treatment in a diff.
After once again getting bogged on the dunes with only one front and one rear buried, I decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a try. If it killed the diff, I'd get a locker.
Checked the oil level, drained out 300 ml of old oil and put the additive in (I used Liqui Moly Engine Oil Flush)
The results are incredible! I have gone from having a diff that was all but open, to a LSD that has enough balls in it to let me undo wheelnuts with the handbrake off. It is that simple! The morning after i had added it, i jacked up one rear and the amount of extra force required to overcome the pre-load was significantly higher (I hadn't even driven it). After a couple of days driving, the amount of extra force required was stunning! It was becoming quite hard to rotate by hand.
I have had it in for a bit over 500 KMs, no noises, no shuddering, no ill effects whatsoever. And i have been working the diff VERY hard in an attempt to get the treatment between the clutch plates. This includes a sideways moment into a mound of dirt that gave me a flat and a leak in the left rear axle seal. Read the details on the thread i made earlier!
Anyway, I will be dropping the old diff oil tomorrow and putting in some Penrite 85w 140; Heavier grade than recommended, i know. Apparently it helps limit slip a little further, but i mainly want the extra thickness for shock proofing the gears in the rear diff. The old leaf sprung rears get some fearsome axle tramp up when you get a bit of wheelspin up. I will, when budget permits, be moving to redline shock proof oil. It gives the same shear strength as 85w 140 but flows as easily as 85w 90. If the info on it is accurate, it will give me the same benefits as the thicker stuff without the power loss.
Seriously, if anyone is about to do a diff oil change, go and get a bottle of engine oil flush and stick it in a week before. I would not recommend leaving it in for more than 500 to 1000 km's as the oil will be diluted by it. Also, even though i have had no problems, I would not recommend shock loading the diff whilst the treatment is in there. The dilution won't affect lubrication much, but the shear strength of the oil will be reduced significantly. Put simply, the oil will be a bit thinner, so metal parts will still slide freely but the thinner oil will be squeezed out from between gear teeth and splines if you shock load the diff (eg, wheel hopping, clutch drops, etc) which will cause metal to metal contact which is bad.
I will update you soon on the final outcome!
I stumbled across a patrol forum (know thine enemy...) that had a thread on ways to improve the patrol LSD and they operate in the same manner, both being cam\ramp type and operating metal clutch packs.
Now, the spanner twirlers among us know well the effects of varnish on engine internals. I personally had not thought about it where the drivetrain was concerned.
Upon inspection of the diff oil, it was black. Very heavily oxidised and had me wondering if it had ever been replaced!
These guys on the patrol forum had the idea of putting a bottle of engine cleaner in the LSD to remove any varnish.
As any good Paj owner would, immediately thought that if you are silly enough to buy a patrol, you're silly enough to put engine oil treatment in a diff.
After once again getting bogged on the dunes with only one front and one rear buried, I decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a try. If it killed the diff, I'd get a locker.
Checked the oil level, drained out 300 ml of old oil and put the additive in (I used Liqui Moly Engine Oil Flush)
The results are incredible! I have gone from having a diff that was all but open, to a LSD that has enough balls in it to let me undo wheelnuts with the handbrake off. It is that simple! The morning after i had added it, i jacked up one rear and the amount of extra force required to overcome the pre-load was significantly higher (I hadn't even driven it). After a couple of days driving, the amount of extra force required was stunning! It was becoming quite hard to rotate by hand.
I have had it in for a bit over 500 KMs, no noises, no shuddering, no ill effects whatsoever. And i have been working the diff VERY hard in an attempt to get the treatment between the clutch plates. This includes a sideways moment into a mound of dirt that gave me a flat and a leak in the left rear axle seal. Read the details on the thread i made earlier!
Anyway, I will be dropping the old diff oil tomorrow and putting in some Penrite 85w 140; Heavier grade than recommended, i know. Apparently it helps limit slip a little further, but i mainly want the extra thickness for shock proofing the gears in the rear diff. The old leaf sprung rears get some fearsome axle tramp up when you get a bit of wheelspin up. I will, when budget permits, be moving to redline shock proof oil. It gives the same shear strength as 85w 140 but flows as easily as 85w 90. If the info on it is accurate, it will give me the same benefits as the thicker stuff without the power loss.
Seriously, if anyone is about to do a diff oil change, go and get a bottle of engine oil flush and stick it in a week before. I would not recommend leaving it in for more than 500 to 1000 km's as the oil will be diluted by it. Also, even though i have had no problems, I would not recommend shock loading the diff whilst the treatment is in there. The dilution won't affect lubrication much, but the shear strength of the oil will be reduced significantly. Put simply, the oil will be a bit thinner, so metal parts will still slide freely but the thinner oil will be squeezed out from between gear teeth and splines if you shock load the diff (eg, wheel hopping, clutch drops, etc) which will cause metal to metal contact which is bad.
I will update you soon on the final outcome!
Runner-Paj; '95 NJ SWB 2.5L TD GL J-Top, low kms Project-Paj; '92 NH SWB 3.0L V6 GLS Hardtop Triple-pack, also low kms. Donor Paj; '92 NH SWB 3.0L V6 GLS Hardtop Triple-pack, with some parts & goodies to go onto other GLS.
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If I agreed with you, then we would both be wrong 
'89 NG Paj, 3L V6, now running 2" suspension lift, 33" Micky T Baja Claws's, Front LOKKA & 12,000lb winch 
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