I bought a '92 Firebird about three weeks ago and to my dismay realized that the rear differential is leaking out of what appears to be the front seal where it meets the driveshaft. In my manual, it mentions that I will basically be unable to work on my differential if it is a Borg Warner model... something about special tools.

Now, my problem is that my axleshaft and differential housing are caked pretty bad with rust (second on my to-do list) and I can't see whats stamped on there. It does have a GM stamp, but being that Borg Warner is a subsidiary of sorts, I'm not sure. Is there any way to tell the two apart by any other method?

Additionally, I know this car is on its second engine and transmission and the fact that it used to have a manual transmission leads me to believe that the car used to have a 305 in it, not a 350 like it does now. Any help would be appreciated!!

 

If you can find your RPO code sticker it should have the axle code on it. The RPO code sticker in my 89 was in the center console.

 

Borg-Warner is nor t a subsidiary of GM. It's a whole separate company that's about a half-century older than GM (had its roots in early farm mechanization eqpt).

Screw a bunch of codes. That's too much like work. "Work" is a 4-letter word: to be avoided at all costs.

Count the bolts holding the cover on. If there's 9, it's the B-W 9-bolt rear. If there's 10, it's a (get ready!!) 10-bolt.

The "special" tools needed to work on the 9-bolt are no different from any other rear of the same general size and design. Here's my "special tool" (no, not THAT one...) made from a 4' piece of about 1½" x ¼" strip stock with 2 holes drilled in it.

 

Alright sweet. I figured it would have something to do with bolts. Now i just need to get some bolt blaster and try and fix that ****. Thanks guys.