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Mag-HyTec Cover for Dana 80 Rear axle

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https://www.barthmobile.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3631087061/m/7491055491

07-04-2006, 07:05 PM
Rusty
Mag-HyTec Cover for Dana 80 Rear axle
I just put in the Mag-HyTec aluminum pan for the 4L80E transmission, which very few Barths have (very nice - and comes tapped for a temp sending unit, which I also installed). This increases ATF cooling and adds about 4 additional qt. capacity.

Since I also installed the cover for the Dana 80, I thought I'd pass along the mods I had to make to use it.

1. The standard Dana 80 axle is just "flipped" in other words, just turned over so the driveshaft is in the rear. Mine had the standard cover, so the instructions for checking level were incorrect, as the fill port was higher now the cover was upside down.

2. My first attempt was to switch the fill and drain caps on the Mag-HyTec (the former has a dipstick on it), but the dipstick interfered with the gears, so,

3. I cut off the dipstick to 1/2". The plugs are still switched, with no problem - now the fill is at the very top of the differential, but there's plenty of room to fill it.

Because the small level port is now also too high (placed for normal orientation of the axle), I made a dipstick for that port from a small brass strip.

4. Two brake line brackets straddle the diffential, held on by longer cover bolts. The nuts clamping the brakelines were frozen, so I used a cutoff wheel in a Dremel to remove excess metal, smoothed out by a right-angle grinder - in place.

5. Tomorrow I'll get 2 - 3/8"-16x1-1/4" socket head bolts to finish the job by attaching the brakeline brackets and torquing all the bolts to spec.

This should - according to Mag-HyTec (and users) lower the diffy temp by about 40-45F - part due to the better cooling of the design, and part due to the increased oil capacity (now 8 qts.)


Rusty


MilSpec AMG 6.5L TD 230HP; built-to-order by Peninsular Engines:  Hi-pop injectors, gear-driven camshaft, non-waste-gated, high-output turbo, 18:1 pistons.  Fuel economy increased by 15-20%, power, WOW!"StaRV II"

'94 28' Breakaway: MilSpec AMG 6.5L TD 230HP

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