First off what differential is it? H233B or a C200? If you look on the B pillar, the post behind the drivers door, there will be a sticker with gear ratio listed at the bottom. Those numbers will tell us what diff it is.

I've looked through the parts diagrams on Courtesy Nissan's site and I can't find it either. To me it looks like a dust cover and nothing more. Drove my D21 today and it has a C200 but not that part that you show broken. I'll look at my X when I get home, HB233B diff, and see if I find anything.

Is it causing some sort of issue?

 

gear ratio

I found the sticker on the B pillar and at the bottom, beneath the VIN it lists:
Trans: FS5W71C
Axle: CA48
Engine: KA24DE 2389CC
Don't know if any of that helps get gear ratio.

As far as problems I'm not sure. My rear end clunks when I start my Xterra and occassionally I hear a rubbing sound while in 1st/reverse until my RPMs increase. I know very little about this area of car maintenance so i don't know if these noises are related. Any help you can give me beyond this is doubly appreciated.

 

Well it's definitely a C200 but there are some inconsistencies with the FSM that are somewhat strange...

The FSM does not show the cracked piece or the bolts holding it to the axle housing.

There should be a companion flange, ABS sensor and rotor and then the pinion seal.

Anyone else with a 2WD first gen able to post some pics?

 

That's a Salisbury style diff and the only Nissan Salisbury style I'm aware of is the C200.

I'm just not seeing how that part is the cause of the issue. Have you checked the u-joints to ensure they are not the issue? Also is it a one piece drive shaft or a two piece? May be the carrier bearing if it's a two piece shaft.

 

M3C.CA, i talked to a local NAPA guy and he said it might be ABS sensor but i discounted that because i assumed any brake sensor would be at the end of the rear axle somewhere near my brakes. Could he have been right?

 

thanks RacerXXL. I'll check the u-joints and carrier bearing and look into replacing anything that looks bad.

 

Some axles use a tone ring on the differential carrier for ABS, some use wheel speed sensors and some, like the C200, use a sensor and rotor mounted on the pinion.

 

Some axles use a tone ring on the differential carrier for ABS, some use wheel speed sensors and some, like the C200, use a sensor and rotor mounted on the pinion.

Looks like that may be it. See page 49 here. Piece in question appears to be the ABS sensor unit. Would explain why no one can find it in the parts as it's going to be listed with the ABS control parts and not the diff.

 

Nice catch Racer. Pg 49 shows what looks like the cracked part in Neill's pictures. Oddly enough, the teardown section doesn't seem to show it...

Quite interesting, looking at 2004 4cyl ABS sensor on Rockauto, the sensor doesn't look anything like the cracked part in the picture.

Neill, I'd ask your local Napa to bring the part in but look at it before you purchase (if possible). Should be pretty clear if it's the part you're looking for. Napa is a good parts shop and should have no problem letting you hold the part in your hands (and take pictures!) before you pay for it.