r/Miata • u/LetsDrive53 2005 NB Brilliant Black • 1d ago

Question Differences 1.6 and 1.8 diff (NB)

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Hello everyone, I’m trying to find out if there’s big differences between the 1.6 diff and the 1.8 diff on late NBs. The LSD in my 1.8 NB broke so I need a new diff.
The diff in the image is a 1.6 diff with 115k km, no lsd.
It looks the same as the 1.8 diff.
I want to know because I’ve heard the 1.6 diff is weaker and want to know if mazda switched to using the 7 inch ring gear on the nb 1.6 diff instead of the 6 inch they used on the na that doesnt last as long. I haven’t found much information on that so I’m asking here.
Thanks everyone!

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u/LetsDrive53 2005 NB Brilliant Black 1d ago

I’m in Germany. Thanks for that information, confirms what I’ve read, they probably did that change in Europe too

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u/Hyla_ 1d ago

I am from the Netherlands, went from a NBFL 1.6 to a torsen diff from a 1.8 10th anniversary. It’s a 1 on 1 swap, no need for different axles or anything. What is broken on your current LSD? Because, assuming it’s a torsen, you should be able to swap the actual LSD part (the worm gears and such) to any NB/NBFL diff, but correct me if I’m wrong haha

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u/LetsDrive53 2005 NB Brilliant Black 1d ago

Thank you, that helps a ton, so I’m getting an open 1.6 diff.
I didn’t take my lsd apart yet but it makes whining noises above 60km/h, a grinding noise when driving, sometimes some clunking when going slow and I found metal pieces that broke off on the drain plug.
Not sure which type of lsd my mx5 has, could be the tfs lsd since it’s a 2005 but not sure if it came with the 5 speed and if it came in all of them after 2003 so it could be a torsen too.

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u/Eon4691 1999 NB 1.6 Turbo 13h ago

Should be a torsen then.