RE: Step by guide to removing the rear diff..please

[jasons318is]

Hi all,
i'm sure my rear diff on my 318is is not feeling the love and i have decided to get it reconditioned. i want to remove it myself, but i have never done one - could some body please give a step by step guide to going it?

thanks

jason

[Toms73NovaSS]

Remove the allen head bolts that hold the cv shafts to the diff. You will have to rotate the wheels/driveshaft to be able to get to all the bolts. Tie the cv shafts up so they are not hanging.

Un do the speedo electrical connection.

Remove the 4 nuts that hold the drive shaft to the diff. You may have to pry carefully between the plate on the drive shaft and the input flange on the diff to get them to slide apart.

Now support the bottom of the diff with something so it doesn't drop.

Loosen the 1 bolt where the rear diff cover attaches to body, do not remove yet.

Remove 4 bolts that are above (they go through the rear suspension down into the top of the diff, 2 towards the front and 2 just past mid way)

Now Slide out bolt that you did not remove where it attaches to diff cover and then lower carefully.

[twothrees]

Here's a link too

http://www.e30eta.com/ecdiff.htm