Turbo Magazine Homepage

KIA Sportage S2000 - Garage Tech

Kia Sportage S2000 Cleaning Parts
Now is a good time to begin cleaning your rear end and parts in a solvent tank before moving on to the next step.

Kia Sportage S2000 Removing Mounting Bolts For Ring Gear
Remove the 10 mounting bolts (55 lb-ft) in a crisscross pattern to remove the ring gear. As a precautionary measure, we recommend using some thread-locking compound on each of the bolts when reassembling with the new gear set.

Vehicle Year/Model Final Drive
'94-'02 Kia Sportage 4x4 (front axle) 4.778:1
'99+ NZ market Kia Sportage 4x4 (front axle) 4.625:1
'94-'97 Miata 4.10
'99+ Miata five-speed (4.10:1 on automatic starting in 2000) 4.30
'87-'88 Mazda 4x4 truck (front axle) and Kia NZ Sportage optional 4.44
Mazda RX-8 4.44
'79-'85 12a RX-7 and ('99+ six-speed Miata) 3.909
'79-'82 RWD 626 five-speed ('01+ Australian six-speed) 3.636:1
Kia Sportage aftermarket gears are available 4.875:1, 5.125:1, 5.38:1

Kia Sportage S2000 Factory Vs New Ring Gear Set
Here's a side-by-side view of the new ring gear set on the left and the factory S2K unit on the left. To the naked eye both gear sets look similar but upon counting the gear pitch, we found the Kia unit has 43 teeth and the S2K has 41.
Kia Sportage S2000 S2k Vs Kia Pinion Gear
The pinion on the Kia was visibly smaller when sized up to the S2K unit. The Kia setup, measured with a dial caliper, sized up at 2 6/8 inches with a nine-tooth count and the S2K measured 2 7/8 inches with a 10-tooth count.
Kia Sportage S2000 Measuring Kia Setup
Kia Sportage S2000 Installing Roller Bearing
Using our bearing remover, we installed the tapered roller bearing onto the pinion gear. Be sure to install the correct sized thrust washer, which should be measured and toleranced, as only the installer will know when he installs the gear set. Honda offers a shim kit that comes with an assortment of thrust washers to speed up the process (more on the thrust washer as we finalize the install). Tighten the locknut on the pinion drive while applying grease to the tapered roller bearing. Install the drive pinion and pinion spacer into the differential housing and tap it into place using a mallet. Install the oil seal then tighten down the locknut (14 lb-ft). Rotate the drive pinion a few times to ensure proper tapered roller bearing contact. If the drive pinion turning torque is within specs (see service manual) then tighten down to 210 lb-ft of torque.
Kia Sportage S2000 Installing Lsd Assembly
Install the LSD assembly, bearing outer races and adjustment screws onto the differential carrier housing before installing and aligning the bearing caps marked from earlier. Hand tighten the four cap bolts.
Kia Sportage S2000 Measuring Backlash
The most crucial step when installing the new differential is to measure backlash on the ring gear using a dial gauge indicator. Measure four points on the ring gear within 90 degrees apart to get a reading in tolerances. The backlash is within standard if at one point of measurement, the ring gear backlash is within the standard, minimum measurement of 0.05mm or above and the difference between the maximum and minimum measurements do not exceed 0.07mm. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to adjust the screws and tighten the endcaps to 33 lb-ft when complete.
Backlash: (as per Honda Specifications)
Standard: 0.09mm-0.11mm (0.0035-0.0043 in.)
Minimum: 0.05mm (0.0020 in.)
Difference range: 0.07mm (0.0028 in.)
Kia Sportage S2000 Inspecting Contact Pattern
Rotate the pinion a full revolution forward and backward to inspect the contact pattern between the ring and pinion, ensuring no binding or excessive gap is present. If the tooth contact between the ring and pinion is showing toe contact (placement near the edges) you'll need to install a thinner trust washer. If the setup is displaying the exact opposite, known as heel contact, then replace the original washer with a thicker unit. After completion, install the lock plates and torque them down to 16 lb-ft before reinstalling the differential case assembly.
Kia Sportage S2000 Silicone Sealing Pumpkin
While Honda doesn't state the need to use silicone to seal up the pumpkin, we opted to use some sealant to ensure our rear differential doesn't promote unwanted leaks.
Kia Sportage S2000 Tightening Bolts
Tighten the 10 mounting bolts in a crisscross pattern (17 lb-ft) and reinstall both output shafts.
Signal Auto USA
1719 Abalone Ave. #401
Torrance
CA  90501
Yellow Box Speedo Recalibrator
Yellow Jacket Speedometer Fix

Prev | 1  | 2

Infiniti G35 Research
Infiniti G35 The new Infiniti G35 offers solid performance and fuel economy. The G35 has a V6 standard engine producing 306 horsepower, and is available in the Sedan bodystyle. Other similar vehicles are the Lexus IS350 and the Mini Cooper.

Related Photos

Kia Sportage S2000 Ring And Pinion Gear Kia Sportage S2000 Draining Differential
Kia Sportage S2000 S2000 Kia Sportage S2000 Removing Output Shafts

Related Articles

 
1994 Honda Civic EG Hatch - Jojo Callos Pulls Off The Texas Miracle In Houston
Check out the Texas Miracle in Houston, featuring the winner, JoJo Callos, with his 1994 Honda... more
 
1987 Acura Integra - Turbo Honda - January 1987 - Back pressure
Turbo Magazine Introduces Turbo Hondas To The World... more
 
Honda Civic Hatchback - California Modified Imports - CMI Final Showdown
Sacramento Sends Out The '99 Race Season In Style... more

More Related Content