Flyingw
12-02-2012, 06:02 PM
There have been many arguments about the ES and SX differentials and whether they are the same. THEY ARE NOT. To put this old argument to rest once and for all, I have three each differentials I plan on rebuilding so I disassembled all three differentials and counted the teeth on the ring gear and guess what? The ES ring gear has 34 teeth and the SX ring gear has 35. I havent removed the pinion gears yet but I am assuming they have a different number of teeth as well but I will confim this as well once I finish the disassembly.
I was hoping to rebuild all three of these but preliminary inspection revealed damage in all three. I have two SX diffs and one ES diff. The ES diff and one of the SX diffs had pinion bearings that detonated and the other SX diff was packed full of mud. I got it with no cap on the diff housing and based on the debris I found inside that the trike had been submerged.
This is what happens when you neglect your differential........ Without the differential, you have a really heavy 3wheeld paper weight. TAKE CARE OF YOUR DIFFERENTIALS.... Parts are no longer available.
You can put an ES diff in an SX and visa versa but there are subtle differences between 85 and 86 diffs meaning you can use an 86 diff on an 85 swingarm but you cant use an 85 diff in an 86 swingarm not without doing a little grinding on the axle tube sealing lips. This applies to both diffs. I'll get pics of this after I get the housings all cleaned up.
Water intrusion in to the diffs will be the death of your differential. The single most culprit for allowing water in is the propeller shaft boot. If it tears and water gets in, the water sits in the propeller shaft tube and the water works its way past the propeller shaft seal and gets in to the gear cavity. The axle tubes are also known for allowing water in past the axle tube joints and hub seals but this effects the axles. None the less, its just as damaging. Never assemble the axle tubes with dry joints. Silicone every joint well.
The ES boots are no longer available and the SX boots will run out of stock one day soon. I'm fairly certain the SX boots will work on the ES but I've never had an ES to try it on so I can't say. The main differance between the two boots is the molded angle. The ES has a less angle than the SX but I believe the SX boots will work. The SX boots are available from Service Honda for about 17.00 so get them while you can.
The ES boot would be a good candidate for aftermarket manufacturing (....hint hint jeswinehart). I have fielded this question from several guys lately and if any of you have in fact installed an SX boot on an ES trike sucessfully, I would like confirmation of this.
Anyway, look at the pics closely and you will see the damage in all three diffs. Don't let this happen to you or your trike. Happy Triking!!!!
I was hoping to rebuild all three of these but preliminary inspection revealed damage in all three. I have two SX diffs and one ES diff. The ES diff and one of the SX diffs had pinion bearings that detonated and the other SX diff was packed full of mud. I got it with no cap on the diff housing and based on the debris I found inside that the trike had been submerged.
This is what happens when you neglect your differential........ Without the differential, you have a really heavy 3wheeld paper weight. TAKE CARE OF YOUR DIFFERENTIALS.... Parts are no longer available.
You can put an ES diff in an SX and visa versa but there are subtle differences between 85 and 86 diffs meaning you can use an 86 diff on an 85 swingarm but you cant use an 85 diff in an 86 swingarm not without doing a little grinding on the axle tube sealing lips. This applies to both diffs. I'll get pics of this after I get the housings all cleaned up.
Water intrusion in to the diffs will be the death of your differential. The single most culprit for allowing water in is the propeller shaft boot. If it tears and water gets in, the water sits in the propeller shaft tube and the water works its way past the propeller shaft seal and gets in to the gear cavity. The axle tubes are also known for allowing water in past the axle tube joints and hub seals but this effects the axles. None the less, its just as damaging. Never assemble the axle tubes with dry joints. Silicone every joint well.
The ES boots are no longer available and the SX boots will run out of stock one day soon. I'm fairly certain the SX boots will work on the ES but I've never had an ES to try it on so I can't say. The main differance between the two boots is the molded angle. The ES has a less angle than the SX but I believe the SX boots will work. The SX boots are available from Service Honda for about 17.00 so get them while you can.
The ES boot would be a good candidate for aftermarket manufacturing (....hint hint jeswinehart). I have fielded this question from several guys lately and if any of you have in fact installed an SX boot on an ES trike sucessfully, I would like confirmation of this.
Anyway, look at the pics closely and you will see the damage in all three diffs. Don't let this happen to you or your trike. Happy Triking!!!!