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Hate to ask but gears for differential?

9

90volvo

Active member
Joined
May 27, 2017
Location
Eldorado Springs Mo.
I have 90 Volvo 240 5 speed. Which has the 3.31 gears in differential. Can I buy 3.60 gears to install in it? If everything I have read about difference between 1030 and 1031. Gears of 3.73 will not work. Next question; does anybody have a source to buy some gears. I dont want to swap housings out. I have set up ring and pinion gears before in 9 inch ford and dana 44 before with no problems. Also would like a limit slip. Probably a lunch box locker. Hopefully somebody with some experience will ring in that has done this swap. Thanks.
 
The Bertones had 3.54 gears that fit the 1031, they had a bigger housing, bigger pinion bearing and bigger ring gear. 3.73 and higher only fit the 1030 housing, been there done that. I have a 90 245 w/3.73 and I am thinking to switch to the 3.31 axle that I have for better highway cruise. Why do you want to go to higher gears?. BTW gear swap in the car is a PITA.
 
I had a 5 spd (M47) and a 3.73 (since my 245 started out automatic) for a while. It really was somewhat annoyingly undergeared for highway use. not relaxed at all. And first gear was somewhat pointlessly short as well. You'd barely clear the intersection before shifting into 2nd, and almost never even get into boost. And that was with a quick spooling 16T.
 
My car is n/a and mainly in town driving. I thought it would give it little
more zip. I have V cam in it and straight exhaust. It’s tuned and chipped. I know V cam was a little big and notice it like 2200 plus. I do have a 3.73 reared. I guess I could install the darn thing. Looks like back breaking work. My back latex bricks and blocks 30 plus yrs. ��
 
90volvo said:
I do have a 3.73 reared. I guess I could install the darn thing.
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The whole axle, or just the pinion and diff carrier parts from inside it?

Talking shade tree mechanics, the whole axle is the better swap to do. The pinion and carrier gears have to be precisely shimmed and spaced and positioned and gapped, otherwise you're likely to have a howling diff full of shiny metal flakes in no time.

You can get lucky shade treeing diffs, though. I swapped a G80 into mine without changing the pinion gear or the ring gear on the new diff, or any of the bearing shimming on the G80 vs the open diff. Just took the cover off, slapped the G80 in it, cover back on, filled with oil. It then worked just fine for many years of 300-ish whp.
 
740 M46 turbos also used a 1031 diff with a 3.54 in there. Your 90 should have a 1031 type diff as well.

The other way to improve what you have is to use smaller diameter tires. I use 205-55-15 in my 93 wagon which lets it turn the tires a bit easier and still has highway gearing. My wagon is an M47 3.31 car. On stock 14 inch wheels you can use a 195-65-14 for the same effect. Plus those tires are not expensive.
 
John V said:
Yeah but they cost more than $16.88 shipped...so rotsa ruck.

Looking over there right now for some 4.88 or even yummier 5,1 but those are so popular they don't surface often...just go from friend to friend.
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:nod:

Ya but he asked so I thought I'd initiate some furious googling.

:-P
 
283SD said:
The Bertones had 3.54 gears that fit the 1031, they had a bigger housing, bigger pinion bearing and bigger ring gear. 3.73 and higher only fit the 1030 housing, been there done that. I have a 90 245 w/3.73 and I am thinking to switch to the 3.31 axle that I have for better highway cruise. Why do you want to go to higher gears?. BTW gear swap in the car is a PITA.
Click to expand...

I have a 1031 coming out of a 93 945. It has 4.10 gears.
 
JohnMc said:
I had a 5 spd (M47) and a 3.73 (since my 245 started out automatic) for a while. It really was somewhat annoyingly undergeared for highway use. not relaxed at all. And first gear was somewhat pointlessly short as well. You'd barely clear the intersection before shifting into 2nd, and almost never even get into boost. And that was with a quick spooling 16T.
Click to expand...

I just got done swapping in an lsd with a 3.73 and I like it a lot better then the 3.31 that came in it. Mine is a stock b230ft with an m47 5 speed. My wife also drive the car and she said it feels so much better.
 
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