Diff stamping?

[tbomachines]

I suspect the diff on my 300E is not stock but somewhat taller than stock. This would explain a ton of oddities that I've noticed:
- sluggishness off the line (created thread)
- Seemingly impossible highway gas mileage (created thread, 30+mpg)
- Speedometer being off (reads high below 60 and low above 60)
- Odometer being off

My car has a strange and sketchy past so it would not surprise me to learn the diff is different (no pun intended). Is there a stamping anywhere on the housing of the ratio? I guess a part number would do too--and then look up the MB number, or is that just for the housing? I didn't see any numbers on the diff but it was getting dark out when I crawled under there. Any help appreciated - thanks!!

[babymog]

From the rear, there is an ear on the housing on the lower right, with the ratio stamped on it.

I have not read your other threads noted, but if the speedo is off higher & lower, possibly the wrong speedo or diff ratio, but the needle would have been re-indexed to create both errors as simply the wrong speedo/ratio would cause it to always be low (or high). Same with the odometer.

Sluggish off the line might be due to the 300E starting in 2nd gear unless you manually select 2 before starting or floor it with a properly operating trans/bowden-cable/kick-down switch.

[tbomachines]

Thanks!! I will look for the ratio on the ear when I can get under it. My speedo reads 15mph at rest so it has been tampered with at some point. I doubt that repairs were dealer since the VIN tags are scratched off the doors and the public windshield tag is missing...as I said its pretty sketchy, had a salvage title issued at 194 miles back in 1990.

[babymog]

VIN still on the inner firewall? B-pillar? Trunk lid etc.?

[tbomachines]

Still on the firewall and trunklid as well as the front fenders but thats it. I have to figure something out with the B-pillar tag as I believe its technically not legal to run without it. Not sure what happened to this car back in the day but its been properly registered for over 15 years including inspections, VIN verifications, etc.