Mountaineer01 previously posted:
"Cars sit all the time for months or years and you usually don't have an issue with the differentials, would this be any different?"
Only that its not sitting inside the differential carrier in the fluid....the case would be stored on a shelf and most of the fluid will drain out of the case, and of course, dirt and dust can get into the case easily enough as well....As I understand, the biggest issue is that the metal clutch disks need the appropriate lubrication between them from the start. A 'dry' start can cause pretty significant damage immediately (kind of like a dry start to a fresh engine - thus oil pump priming is done). So basically, upon assembly, each disk needs a coating of the proper LSD gear oil (fiber disks are supposed to soak overnight for full impregnation). Typically, you'd install the case into the carrier and start driving it reasonably soon...after that, even if the car is not driven a bit, the initial break-in of the clutch disk surfaces have occurred (like ring/cylinder break in) and then things are pretty good....the case is of course then sitting in the differential carrier where its half or slightly more submerged in gear oil, and one could spin the axle by hand to get some fluid movement. Anyway, its not too big of a deal - going to assemble per FSM instructions with LSD gear oil on the metal disks, then will put in a ziploc inside a sealed plastic bag to keep the dirt and dust out while it sits on the shelf for a few months. If I am really concerned about it, I could most likely use just a bit of petroleum jelly between the disks....this is SOP for assembly of old school transmission and transfer cases with yellow metal parts. It dissolves (not really right word - maybe emmulsifies?) easily into the gear oil (unlike typical moly grease) and provides good protection during the first few seconds of initial start up before gear oil can be slung everywhere, but it doesn't have the proper LSD friction additive.