Hey guys, I've got a two nice looking differentials in a box in my garage, I recently pulled them out of the pick your part, and I want to install one soon.

I know that when I pulled this 2.88 from an 85 in the Anaheim hell-hole, i got a couple small bits of dirt in it through the open axle hole. (impossible to avoid in that particular yard-car combo.)

I want to clean these things out good before they see any use in a running vehicle, I was wondering if someone could recommend an effective way to clean them? I'm skeptical to use water because of the bearings, & I know one of the senior members recommends ProForce degreaser, so that might work, but I have also thought about using gasoline or maybe just a really light oil and an air compressor. I want to keep the pinion seal undamaged, cause I know its a pain to change out, so I think ill skip on the brake cleaner.

What do ya'll recommend, anyone have experience cleaning out complex parts like this?

Also is there any easy way to tell if a diff is bad? besides missing teeth? I can rotate the flex disc coupling a lil on each before they engage, but I figured that was backlash or something.

As always, my Mercedes and I thank you.

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