MR2 gearbox.. bar through half shaft hole = LSD?

[RomanV]

After a bit of discussion about this in my 'free bits' thread, I thought it would be better to bring this discussion to its own topic, in the tech section.

Now Ive heard conflicting stories, about what it means if you have a 'bar' in the hole where the half shafts go into.

Originally, I had heard that bar = lsd.

Then I got my new gearbox, which had no bar, so I assumed it was non LSD.

Then after doing a few crude tests, decided that it did have an LSD.

Now, after removing my old gearbox from my 1990 NA SW20, I find that there is indeed the bar running down the middle. Although it definitely didnt have an LSD, or if it did, (Which I seriously doubt) then it was buggered.


So... whats the official word?

Ive heard that clutch pack LSD = bar.
No LSD = bar.
No LSD = no bar.
Viscous LSD = no bar.
And I am thinking that mechanical LSD = no bar, as that is what is supposedly in my new gearbox, assuming that it is the factory LSD.
The whole thing is rather confusing.
Since I have never pulled a transaxle apart before, I'm not entirely sure what the bar actually does. Does anyone have a good explanation?

Any comments appreciated.

[RS13]

The "bar" is the rod at which each end the planetary gears sit. If you have a clutch-type LSD, you don't have any spider gears, hence you won't see the "bar".

[RS13]

the bar runs through the "bevel pinions".

Tell you what, try http://www.billzilla.org/diffs.htm

[RomanV]

Cool, thanks a lot, thats heaps of help.

[vvega]

The "bar" is the rod at which each end the planetary gears sit. If you have a clutch-type LSD, you don't have any spider gears, hence you won't see the "bar".

...
you havr a pinion
if you see a bar its a 2 pinion
if you see a hole its a 4 pinion



v