Here's what frozen oil looks like in your diff

Last month we showed you what the guys at Garage54 did when they bolted a transparent engine cover and sump onto their Lada in the freezing cold Russian winter.

Today we can show you what diff fluid in sub-zero temperatures looks like at the other end of their GAZ-3102 sedan.

It is worth noting the differential employs a thicker oil than the lubricant used in your engine, so you can expect the results to be just as interesting, even though the temperatures this time around were “only” -10 degrees as opposed to -30 with the engine oil test.

The crazy team at Garage54 appear to have truly mastered the art of swapping out metal components for vacuum-formed plastic ones.

And their latest feat involved replacing the differential cover on the GAZ-3102 to ensure optimal lubrication of all the crucial parts. But let’s dive deeper into the science of it all.

The differential cover plays a crucial role in the process of slinging oil around to keep everything properly lubricated. And that’s precisely why the Garage54 team took such care to get the cover’s shape just right.

Of course, we can’t help but wonder if using a high-quality synthetic oil would have solved many of these issues. But until then, it’s always a good idea to take it easy on your car while it’s still cold.

In the meantime, we will keep an eye out for more fascinating experiments from the creative minds at Garage54.