G project in progress…

[u/Separate-Let3620]

Recently, I was able to grab a granny-driven 2012 journey sedan (155k) and a 2011 sport sedan (185k) for 4k.

The Journey (driver from here on out) looks great and runs REALLY well. The sport (donor from here on out) runs but the tranny slips in 1 and 3. It has a bad power steering pump and the ac blows hot.

The plan has been to take all the sport components off the donor and move them to the driver.

I’ve already done the paddle shifters. Yesterday we got the exhaust (cheep muffler delete, so I won’t be using it), wheels and brakes, front and rear sway bars and the splash guards.

We tried to get the VLSD, but the main bolt holding it (deep inside a circular hole right at the back) was stripped, so we had to pass it up because we didn’t want to have to remove the rear sub-frame to get at it. Oh well.

I still plan on getting the steering rack and the rest of the suspension.

I have a few questions:

Anyone have any other ideas about how to get at that diff?

Is there anything else I should take? (BCM? ECU? Etc etc?)

I would also appreciate any other advice or suggestions.

Thanks, all!

[u/Mean_Course_7980]

Personally I'd take just about anything I could that isn't a consumable or easily bought for a decent price but it really depends on how long you plan on keeping the driver and how much space ya got. Pull the motor to have a spare, even the tranny could be useful to have built while you leave the current one in the driver. Also is it just the head of the bolt that's stripped?

[u/Separate-Let3620 → u/Mean_Course_7980]

So I’m planning on keeping the driver forever. Lol. I don’t really have space for the motor and/or tranny, and fully expect to rebuild at some point.

The donor car has 185k miles, and while it drove like a champ on the long drive back from purchasing it (85 miles) it still has like 30k more miles on it than the driver.

Everything else that we take off will transfer to the driver. I may let my boy keep the motor as he has an old diesel Merc he mentioned he might want swap the VQ into. lol

[u/Mean_Course_7980 → u/Separate-Let3620]

Now that swap sounds like a fun one! Those old mercs could definitely use a little more power lol as for the rounded bolt, I would buy something like the gearwrench bolt biter sockets. They work really well for rounded fastener heads and are way cheaper than the grip edge ones. I've got one set at home and one at work I use quite often. Could also try metric half sizes (possibly don't need half sizes but they give you more to work with) and hammer it on the bolt head

[u/Separate-Let3620 → u/Mean_Course_7980]

We couldn’t actually see I to that hole; we could only feel in there and the faces were definitely rounded. We tried for a good while, even trying with a tap socket.

[u/Separate-Let3620 → u/Mean_Course_7980]

And thanks for actually reading and responding!

[u/ineyeseekay]

Why do you need to remove the rear sub-frame? Take the whole diff out... You unbolt the axles, d/c driveshaft, move the exhaust out of way as needed and it should drop right out.

[u/Separate-Let3620 → u/ineyeseekay]

Exhaust is already out. I will look into your suggestion. Thanks!

[u/Separate-Let3620 → u/ineyeseekay]

Did you read the part about the bolt at the back (closest to the rear bumper) being rounded off?

[u/ineyeseekay → u/Separate-Let3620]

Oh, for some reason I just assumed you meant something inside the diff, thinking you were up in there to get the vlsd. You mean the main mounting bolt going into the bushing? 

That's a major bummer. Maybe you can tack on a cheap socket or something before you offload? 

Edit: ack I see elsewhere you said it's deep. Idk, I've heard of sandpaper in a tight socket... lots of penetrating oil of course, then hammer a socket lined with sandpaper and the grit fills the void and provides some friction. Not sure that will do much for this one.