Ok I ordered a Auburn LSD and when I opened it up and this thing is filthy looking I guess from the box. I don't know why it stuck to it like this but it just has dust looking stuff from the cardboard all inside of it and a few small pieces of cardboard. It is a little oily inside but not too bad so I'm thinking the oil caught some. I wondered if it was used but it looks new just dirty. I called the place and he said he didn't think it should look like this but to just run some parts cleaner through this that it shouldn't hurt it but if it gave me any trouble that he would stand behind it.

Here are some pictures of it. Is this normal?

What should I do? Should I try to have them clean this or will I run into problems from it? Should I try and get him to exchange it or what?

 

Wow, offhand I'd say it looks like they found a unit and just yanked it from the shelf and dropped it in the box. I'd be concerned if it had bits of metal shavings all over it, but it looks like it was in a dusty environment for a while and dust settled all over the diff. Can't really tell from the pictures - does it have any damage to the unit anywhere? Any stress cracks anywhere? Any broken teeth? If so, I'd send it back. Otherwise, if it's just dust, I'd avoid the hassle of sending it back unless it's really in bad shape.

Just one other question: did it come with a warranty?

If so, then if it has any issues after installation you should be able to send it back and get a new one. I would definitely keep the old differential around until the warranty on this bad boy runs out in case something does happen.

 

I don't know about the warrenty I'm assuming Auburn provides a warrenty but to be honest I haven't checked into it.

Thats kind of what I thought about it being dusty although I'm thinking it might be dust from the cardboard like it's been sitting forever because there are tint pieces of cardboard in there so I'm thinking that has to be what the other dust is.

I don't know about any fractures or cracks. Not that I've seen but I don't know where to look and what not. I may try to send it back. I haven't decided yet. I was thinking of talking to my mechanic that is going to install it to see what he thinks.

The thing that worries me is that I have to pay quite a bit in labor to get the rear end redone now so even if it does have a warrenty it may leave me in a 500-1000 labor bill later on if something does go wrong.

 

you think they would've packaged it a little better than that? in a plastic oily bag even...looks like its been sitting in someones wood shop with saw dust all over it, if it was me i would send it back just to cover my own a$$ in the long run, who knows where all the "dust " is and if you got it all out of it,

 

where did you buy this from ? it should of come in a plastic oil bag like john said .. i hope the shop you take it to has a cleaning tank , but i would call and bitch ...

 

Itis not YOUR job to clean anything your pay good money for! How dare they send that to you! Call the guy and ask him if he will pay for the cleaning in a tank. I would be afraid it may cause problems if you don't get it completely cleaned out. Good luck.