Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Pre-Disassembly Inspection
2004 Acura 3.5RLSECTION Pre-Disassembly Inspection
- Ring gear backlash, total bearing preload and gear tooth contact pattern should be checked before disassembling differential assembly. Record measurements for reassembly reference.
- To check ring gear backlash, mount differential assembly in soft-jaw vice. Remove oil filler plug and seal washer from differential case cover. Remove oil seal from differential case cover. Align inspection hole on differential carrier with oil filler plug hole.
- Install Wrench (07HAA-SF10100) in differential assembly. See Fig 1. Mount dial indicator on differential case.
- Measure ring gear backlash on differential carrier. Ring gear backlash should be .002-.006" (.05-.15 mm).
- If ring gear backlash is within specification, proper thickness thrust shims are installed behind bearing races for differential carrier bearings. Provided no components are changed, shim is okay. If ring gear backlash is not within specification, different thickness thrust shim must be installed during reassembly.
- To measure total bearing preload, remove differential case cover and carrier. Install dial-type INCH-lb. torque wrench on end of drive pinion. Rotate drive pinion and note drive pinion bearing preload. Total drive pinion bearing preload, with used bearings, should be 13-17 INCH lbs. (1.4-1.9 N.m).
- Reinstall differential carrier and cover. Tighten cover bolts to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS . Install dial-type INCH-lb. torque wrench on end of drive pinion. Measure total bearing preload. Total bearing preload should not exceed drive pinion bearing preload by more than 8-9 INCH lbs. (.90-1.01 N.m).
- To check gear tooth contact pattern, remove differential case cover bolts in a crisscross pattern. Remove differential case cover. See Figure. Clean and paint both sides of ring gear teeth with Prussian Blue.
- Install differential case cover. Install and tighten bolts in a crisscross pattern to 33 ft. lbs. (45 N.m). Install Wrench (07HAA-SF10100) in differential assembly. See Fig 1.
- Rotate ring gear both directions while applying resistance on drive pinion. Remove differential case cover and inspect ring gear tooth contact pattern. Correct gear tooth contact should be centered on the ring gear. See GEAR TOOTH CONTACT PATTERNS article in GENERAL INFORMATION.
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.