Have no clue how long it would STAY clear, but it's pretty neat.
Clear Differential Cover
- Thread starter VaderSS
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Mount a small remote camera to the rear to monitor and have it save the video to your laptop. Later you can review it.quote:
Originally posted by VaderSS:
Have no clue how long it would STAY clear, but it's pretty neat.
Now if we could only get a clear oil filter cover
One day while taking his truck for an off-road jaunt, Joe see's a pile of rocks to conquer. Unbeknownst to him, a rock cracked his extremely fragile, plastic diff cover, spilling gear lube all the way to the hwy. Joe see's smoke. Joe stops. Joe realizes that he just cooked his new 4.56 gears and Detroit Locker. Joe now hates plastic.
These diff covers are stronger than the steel ones they replace. At PS Headquarters they have one for demonstration purposes along with a 2.5 lb mini sledgehammer. The owner told me to hit it as hard as I could but I was reluctant as I did not want to break it. He came out from behind the counter and proceeded to pound on it as hard as he could. This was a guy about 6'2" and 250 lbs. Didn't even leave a mark. That is the strongest plastic I have ever seen. Makes the steel cover look wimpy by comparison.
That is just too cool!
either 4wheel and off-road or fourwheeler tested a bunch of diff covers. the clear one was one of the first to fail. think about this; your diff is stuck on a rock, you are spinning the rear tires fairly fast when you become unstuck and your diff slides over the rock and down on the diff cover bending the cover enough that it contacts the gear teeth as they rip a hole in the cover. dynatrac's cast iron cover and molten images cast stainless were the strongest, they couldn't destroy them. of course if you have a mud or show truck rockcrawling durability is not a factor.
Serious rock crawlers use a skid plate front and rear anyway. Tires go over the rocks not diffs. You don't use your diff as a sled to help get over obsticals unless you are using a skid plate.
Cast parts don't flex or bend they just crack and break. The cast parts would be more succeptable to impact damage as opposed to pressure damage. This would show up in a different test.
That is TOO cool. If you are worried about it getting broken (does sound tough, though) - A nice protector could easily be fabbed.
Remote camera to watch the diff? That would be a hoot!
Remote camera to watch the diff? That would be a hoot!
That is pretty cool ... again, assuming you're not 4-wheeling. In that case, I'd rather have a stamped steel cover which would merely dent a bit.
I assume the plastic is GE's Lexan. Pretty amazing stuff ... but it will shatter under the right (or wrong) conditions. It's also not terribly scratch resistant ... and its resistance to the chemicals in the gear oil is a whole other issue. Once the cover becomes foggy or scratched and no longer transparent (just sorta translucent) the fun is over.
Oh, and no drain plug.
I remember a guy telling me years ago that he had a clear distributor cap for his old Chevy Impala. Sounded neat and years later I saw them for sale in J.C. Whitney's catalog.
Yes, please put me down for a clear plastic valve/cam cover. The one on my Nissan 2.5L is plastic ... but only a black resin.
--- Bror Jace
I assume the plastic is GE's Lexan. Pretty amazing stuff ... but it will shatter under the right (or wrong) conditions. It's also not terribly scratch resistant ... and its resistance to the chemicals in the gear oil is a whole other issue. Once the cover becomes foggy or scratched and no longer transparent (just sorta translucent) the fun is over.
Oh, and no drain plug.
I remember a guy telling me years ago that he had a clear distributor cap for his old Chevy Impala. Sounded neat and years later I saw them for sale in J.C. Whitney's catalog.
Yes, please put me down for a clear plastic valve/cam cover. The one on my Nissan 2.5L is plastic ... but only a black resin.
--- Bror Jace
No. Polycarbonatequote:
Originally posted by Bror Jace:
I assume the plastic is GE's Lexan.
Yes, please put me down for a clear plastic valve/cam cover. The one on my Nissan 2.5L is plastic ... but only a black resin.
--- Bror Jace
Check out the locker blocker at
http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/
for a cover for the Clear Gearz
Valve covers are on their way.
I remember seeing clear valve covers many years ago but as the oil got dirty it made it hard see through.
What about heat stress? Those pumpkins get pretty darn hot and my experience with most plastics, polycarbonates, etc... is that there strength deteriorates over time after numerous heating and cooling cycles.
On the flip side, how does it do at -30F.
Great idea, I'd love to see long term stress tests before I buy.
DEWFPO
On the flip side, how does it do at -30F.
Great idea, I'd love to see long term stress tests before I buy.
DEWFPO
if you are into the show look these are super stong and look cool too! not cheap though.
http://www.moltenimagedesign.com/Product.htm
http://www.moltenimagedesign.com/Product.htm
Now this would be cool!
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