Differential cooler

Why not try measuring the temps first? The result just may keep you from coming up with a solution that doesn't really work to solve a problem that doesn't really exist...

So, uh, why are you doing this? Do you cruise on the highway consistently at 100+mph in your Volvo 244?

E39 and later M cars all have finned differential covers. E36 M3 might too, I forget.

It's just an idea I came up with. Wanted opinions as to whether it'd do any cooling or not.

No company that I can find makes a finned cover for the 240 diff with electic speedo wires going into it. If they did, I'd damn sure buy one one if it wasn't 200 bux.

And the diff gets pretty hot on a 100F* day after 100 miles of 65+ MPH driving. Was just looking for a cheapass way to cool diff a little.

smokeyfan1000 said:

It's just an idea I came up with. Wanted opinions as to whether it'd do any cooling or not.
considering manufactures/etc do it, i'd put money it would cool(that and logically it would)

No company that I can find makes a finned cover for the 240 diff with electic speedo wires going into it. If they did, I'd damn sure buy one one if it wasn't 200 bux.
.....really? you expect a high performance diff cover for a volvo for under $200? if you want cheap and and upgrade, pull the diff cover and weld some fins on it already

And the diff gets pretty hot on a 100F* day after 100 miles of 65+ MPH driving. Was just looking for a cheapass way to cool diff a little.
pretty hot? that's all relative, shove a sensor in it and see what the gauge reads if you really cared

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there are options, but for your price range you have two options, stfu and live with it as is, or weld on fins. gl, good night

What if you switched to synthetic and ran some ducting like they do for brakes and blow it on the diff housing itself?

Do you have a steel or aluminum cover currently?

Uh...is this car even on the road yet? Whitsett ain't exactly the summer home of LeMans...why bother trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist, especially one like this? Have you ever heard of a single RWD Volvo (that wasn't involved in some sort of racing) fail because the diff oil got too hot?

Mike, I'm sorry, but come on dude.

And if you're going to run it through an external cooler, might as well filter it too, right?

Just replace it every 300k miles and you'll be fine.

smokeyfan1000 said:

If they did, I'd damn sure buy one one if it wasn't 200 bux.

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TB quote of the year right there.

stock hp? who needs it?

I was thinking of knocking out a sheet metal scoop out of a piece of scrap and bolt it around the diff cover to catch air and draw it up around the back of the housing. After ~115hr track time, no issues from the rear end from a reliability standpoint using a stock 1031 housing and stock 1031 steel cover and synthetic fluid.

QUOTE]Do you have a steel or aluminum cover currently?[/QUOTE] OEM steel.

[QUOTE

Uh...is this car even on the road yet? Whitsett ain't exactly the summer home of LeMans...why bother trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist, especially one like this? Have you ever heard of a single RWD Volvo (that wasn't involved in some sort of racing) fail because the diff oil got too hot?

Mike, I'm sorry, but come on dude.

And if you're going to run it through an external cooler, might as well ][/QUOTE]

It'll be on the road when I get finished with it. Uh, Is your's running yet?

And, AGAIN, it' is just an idea I had Jared. No need for sarcasm. Was just wanting some somewhat experienced peoples answers as to if it'd cool or not.
And FWIW, the cooler the diff/diff oil can run, the longer it lasts. I was just looking for cheapass heat reduction of a few degrees for not much $.
A 10F* -15F* drop would be nice IMO. I don't know that my idea would accomplish that though.

And IIRC I'm the one that told you when diff oil should be changed.

What if you switched to synthetic and ran some ducting like they do for brakes and blow it on the diff housing itself?

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I've been running synthetic. Royal Purple.. It already has a lot of air blowing on it ,is what I'm thinking. The front of diff anyway.

really? you expect a high performance diff cover for a volvo for under $200? if you want cheap and and upgrade, pull the diff cover and weld some fins on it already

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LOL, A plain Finned aluminum cover isn't worth 200+ bucks. I remember when they were $35-45.00
Maybe the Ford Racing one or other, with a strong brg cap girdle in it is worth 200 bux. Aluminum is not expensive as hell What about 35 cents a pound? I would just prefer a aluminum cover with fins on it. Don't need the girdle.

And for those of you who don't think the diff gets hot, after a 100 mile drive @ 65mph/70mph, next time ya do those speeds for that many miles, stop, jump out and go grab a'hold of that diff or axle hsg and hold it for 10 minutes. Report back with your findings.

But I do see where this thread is now going.

.

smokeyfan1000 said:

It's just an idea I came up with. Wanted opinions as to whether it'd do any cooling or not.

No company that I can find makes a finned cover for the 240 diff with electic speedo wires going into it. If they did, I'd damn sure buy one one if it wasn't 200 bux.

And the diff gets pretty hot on a 100F* day after 100 miles of 65+ MPH driving. Was just looking for a cheapass way to cool diff a little.

Click to expand...

Guess what? it gets hot, it cools down and is ready to do that routine again and again....

when was the last time you heard of a diff failure from heat? all the diff failures I see here seem to be shock related, and not a breakdown of the fluid.

My 242 has 400,000 miles on it, many of those miles are from Hwy 5, 70+ mph from SF Bay Area to Los Angeles , diff has not blown up.

For an endurance racer, it would be cheap insurance...or if you had real data, not just a hunch...

Muchachito, seriously, this is one of those ''less than 0.272% change'' things.

You have no idea if whatever temp it is now is a problem but you do know that whatever it is that many Volvo axles with normal 'merikun service ie "aaaaaw sheeeeeut, I hain't lookt at the axle or trannie fluid since that time that th' hogs done ate yer sister" have gone 200-300k miles..

Rather than fawkin wif this pull the head and mill off 060! get some pop going.

John V said:

Muchachito, seriously, this is one of those ''less than 0.272% change'' things.

You have no idea if whatever temp it is now is a problem but you do know that whatever it is that many Volvo axles with normal 'merikun service ie "aaaaaw sheeeeeut, I hain't lookt at the axle or trannie fluid since that time that th' hogs done ate yer sister" have gone 200-300k miles..

Rather than fawkin wif this pull the head and mill off 060! get some pop going.

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Having been afiliated with four shops over the years that only fixed, or specialized in Volvos, I've only ever seen ONE differential failure, and that was a customer of my Fathers that knew they had a bad seal on the cover and didn't check it or have it replaced for four months. It ran dry and welded itself together.

Who else has had a differential failure on a stock car?

356 casting aluminum is $3.50 a pound, billet is $3 to $5 per pound.
Cheaper in mass quantities of course. You are not paying for the material, you are paying for the time to make the part. Cast or machined from billet you are looking at a few hours for a one-off part.

Those $40 covers you remember had been made in bulk, so the cost goes down a lot.

What you need to do:

Clean the diff, buy some of these in different ranges....

Temperature Indicator Crayons

There is a tape that changes color as well.

I look forward to your transmission cooling post next

You have no idea if whatever temp it is now is a problem but you do know that whatever it is that many Volvo axles with normal 'merikun service ie "aaaaaw sheeeeeut, I hain't lookt at the axle or trannie fluid since that time that th' hogs done ate yer sister" have gone 200-300k miles..

Click to expand...

I know the PO i this car. I have every receipt for work ever done since new. All Volvo dealership work in CaryNC. I' was just wondering IF my idea would work. nope, not pulling he head for more pop.. Gonna drive it for 600,000+ more miles is my plan.

Guess what? it gets hot, it cools down and is ready to do that routine again and again....

when was the last time you heard of a diff failure from heat? all the diff failures I see here seem to be shock related, and not a breakdown of the fluid.

My 242 has 400,000 miles on it, many of those miles are from Hwy 5, 70+ mph from SF Bay Area to Los Angeles , diff has not blown up.

For an endurance racer, it would be cheap insurance...or if you had real data, not just a hunch...

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I've got one with well over 500,000 miles on diff . My 79 245. But that does not mean it will not benefit from cooler oil now does it?

See my point? I might give my idea a try after I get the rest done to the car.

I wish I knew someone who'd let me borrow an infra red theromometer gun thingy, to get a before & after reading on diff temp when I do. Just to see if it cools any.

After all, those little rinky dink oil coolers for engines, mounted under the hood in engine heat, still cool the oil.

could you put one of these in? http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=216278

Datsun R200,

smokeyfan1000 said:

I know the PO i this car. I have every receipt for work ever done since new. All Volvo dealership work in CaryNC. I' was just wondering IF my idea would work. nope, not pulling he head for more pop.. Gonna drive it for 600,000+ more miles is my plan.


I've got one with well over 500,000 miles on diff . My 79 245. But that does not mean it will not benefit from cooler oil now does it?

See my point? I might give my idea a try after I get the rest done to the car.

I wish I knew someone who'd let me borrow an infra red theromometer gun thingy, to get a before & after reading on diff temp when I do. Just to see if it cools any.

After all, those little rinky dink oil coolers for engines, mounted under the hood in engine heat, still cool the oil.

Click to expand...

$39 at Harbor Freight, is within 2? of my Cole-Palmer K-Type Thermocouple Thermometer and 1? of my neighbors DeWalt infrared unit. Can be used in the kitchen as well so the wife shouldn't complain about more tools since she too can use it !!!