DJ.

Thanks Ian that is useful to know.

Thanks

After reading the excellent thread here last summer, I discovered the preload on my Titan lsd had dropped below the magic 20 ft/lb. After also reading that I should have been having it serviced at 10,000 mile intervals (less than two years for me) I decided to swap to a Quaiffe ATB. I'm not going to go into Quaiffe v better plate designs, all I have to say is it is a personal choice and knowing other people running Sevens with ATBs, I decided it was a better option for me. Anyway, the point of this thread is that I have just opened a diff for the first time and swapped the two units over. If you are handy with changing bearings and using a dial gauge it is possible to DIY, and with the ATB delivered from Burton at £480, I did it for less than £600 once I had bought crown wheel bearings, driveshaft oil seals and new crown wheel bolts. It is important to say that I didn't disturb the pinion bearings. If you have movement in the pinion, a leaking seal here or your diff needs a general overhaul it is better to seek specialist help. If you want a guide I have written one up here: https://www.southernkitcars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11189 And you can download the Ford guide here: http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/manual/rearaxle/DiffOverhaul.pdf Duncan

If it was mainly road use, I would say the Sigma engine. You have to use the gears more and drive it properly, so there is more satisfaction. I have an old Sigma 125, and it is surprising how little I can really use the full performance on the road. However, you like track driving, and on track days in a lower powered Seven, you are quick round the corners, but anything remotely aerodynamic just goes away on the straights. My acceleration really slows after 90mph, and if I was a competitive quick driver, track days would be frustrating. Fortunately, I'm happy just using the full performance on track once a year, and just wave everyone quicker past If you buy an SV and tour with a passenger and lots of luggage, the 2 litre will help them too. Duncan

New discs are from a Spitfire and only £15 each so I would suggest buying new. The big brake discs are ten times the price I believe.

Geoff Brown said: I think you will lucky to get clean/clear oil from a diff with a plate lsd fitted. My diff oil has always had particles in it at 2 year/10,000 miles oil changes. It didn't change much between brand new Titan fitted to 30,000+ miles, but it never looked completely clear. Duncan

Thank you for your comments I've come to the same conclusion,and as I could buy at £480 including VAT and delivery from Burton, it seems a bargain Duncan

I'm sure you are right Geoff. I think I have been lucky, and it was only a matter of time before it failed and damaged the crown wheel. When I had the diff fitted (not by Caterham) I was not made aware of any advised service interval. Thank you for starting this thread Duncan

That's a good question I've been giving this a lot of thought. I don't have the expertise to rebuild the Titan, so it would be rebuild labour plus the rebuild kit. £250 is going to be the absolute minimum, but I'd put money on it being more than £400 and probably near £500. Now I know about the preload torque, I can see a future where I keep nervously jacking up a wheel and breath a sigh of relief that it is more than 20ftlb. Also ATBs are very reasonably priced currently and my friend (who has been impressed with his and is a better driver than me with race experience) will help me fit it. In the end, I decided the ATB is going to suit my 95% road use well and I will be much happier knowing it isn't going to need regular rebuilds. If I was a competitive track driver with more power, I would probably go for the Tracsport LSD as I accept kerb hopping is going to be really bad for an ATB equiped car.

I have a friend with an MK Indy which has a Sierra diff, and he fitted an ATB last year. He fitted it himself and told me it is quite easy, and has offered to help me do it over the winter. I am lucky, because when I fitted my Titan, I had it installed in an old Ford diff, and left my original hardly used diff safely sealed and stored away. I plan to put the ATB into this lower mileage diff, so the pinion bearings should be fine. My friend suggested I buy new driveshaft oil seals and also crown wheel bearings to make it easier. All the parts were approximately £540. I believe the most difficult part is adjusting the backlash properly. If there is interest, I can take photos and post it here, but it won't be until after lockdown ends.

I found Rob's post interesting I completely understand several contributors to this thread have had extremely bad/expensive experiences with the Titan LSD, but I have done about 35000 miles with a sintered plate Titan and it has not been "unbearably noisy" and hasn't let me down. As Rob says it is likely that there are a silent majority of owners whose experience has been similar to mine. Thanks to this thread, I am now aware that the preload is too low on my Titan, and it requires a rebuild. I really don't fancy taking the diff out every eighteen months at my annual mileage, so I have decided to replace rather than rebuild. I have bought a Quaiffe ATB. As Rob said: With no maintenance, a price of £480 including vat and delivery from Burton Power, it seems a bargain. I accept I will lose drive when one wheel is actually off the ground, but the way I drive it isn't going to happen often and I really don't care about lap times. Duncan

I've just seen a video on Facebook where one of four loose bolts from an lsd (make unknown to me) went into the crown wheel during a lap of Brands! It sounded horrible.

Looks pretty grim!

I wanted comments good or bad, so thanks Dave

Thanks for your replies, I think I will invest in an ATB rather than have my Titan rebuilt. I can get one for £480, so it is less than half the cost of the Tracsport plate diff which will no doubt wear eventually anyway. Duncan

Thanks for your experiences, sounds pretty positive so far.

Having followed the Titan LSD thread closely, I am seriously considering changing to an ATB. I do 95% road mileage and I do not kerb hop on track, so I think it would suit my use and is maintenance free. I would be grateful if any owners with experience (good or bad) would comment to help me make my mind up Thanks Duncan

I think 7 Wonders is right It is never good for an engine to just sit unused for months, but driving on salt does much more harm in my opinion. I disconnect the battery while doing all the winter overhaul jobs ( diff this year.....thanks to Scott) . I don't run it up at all, but do change the oil first. So far after 9 years and 45000 miles, it still runs well and doesn't use oil so it can't be doing too much harm. Duncan

I use a chain one that fits onto a 1/2" ratchet. It always gets it off, but often it isn't easy and it is only hand tightened to start with

I thought stainless rivets should be avoided with aluminium due to galvanic corrosion weakening the floor. I'm pretty sure the rivets holding the floor on my Seven are mild steel as some of the heads have gone rusty. Duncan

That's very good news, glad they sorted for you Duncan

That's what I'm considering. The only bad report I have had of the Quaife ATB was a friend who broke two, in very little mileage but he did have 440bhp!

Thanks to these threads, I have recently tested my Titan lsd preload, it is currently only 18Nm, so having spoken to Road and Race it will be removed for overhaul this winter. I only have a Sigma125 and I'm not a particularly fast driver, but it has survived almost 8 years and 35000 miles. Donuts at Dunsfold, several Car limits days and half a dozen track days. I noticed some clunking when I fitted it and it sounds the same now. Any lsd noise is negligible compared to the whining from the (Ford) crown wheel and pinion, which unfortunately is much the same as from new. I have three choices: 1) refit my original open diff (I had the lsd installed in a second hand old Sierra diff) 2) Have the Titan overhauled 3) Fit a Quaif ATB 4) Change to the new diff everyone is praising I'm not going for the new plate diff as £1200 is too much. I don't fancy going back to an open diff as the car is definitely better with the Titan fitted. So it is a choice between Titan rebuild with the knowledge that I'll have to repeat in future or fit an ATB. For mainly road use, I suspect an ATB would be ok for me, so if the Titan rebuild approaches the ATB cost that's the way I will go. Duncan

I agree it isn't a very elegant solution. I can't see why they don't glue it under the roll bar.

The oversteer might be fun, but I wouldn't fancy the brake balance.