Noticed a leak today at the bottom of the pumpkin at the seal of the differential cover. Was planning on upgrading the differential cover at the next fluid change.

Have been on Clay's site and there are 2 diff covers I am looking at. The G2 with the fill and drain plugs in the cover and the 08 Superduty cover. Both are aluminum. I have read elsewhen on FTE that I will need longer bolts for the 08 superduty cover. Will I need longer bolts for the G2? What do you guys think about alum vs steel covers? Also what are the thoughts on the fill and drain plugs in the cover?

Thanks Gary

 

I put the 08 cover on my truck about 3 years ago & it still looks good. Bolts needed to be 1/4" longer than originals, IIRC. I would just as soon remove the cover to drain so gears can be inspected close up. Might want to paint it if your in the snowbelt- Dont drive mine a lot in the winter so was'nt a concern for me.

 

I'd slap the 08 cover on, if i had the 80 buks, plus aluminum dissipates heat better/faster.

 

I went with the 08 cover, no fill or drain plugs. Fill through the stock location and remove the cover to drain. I like to inspect things in there when draining the diff anyway.

IIRC ,the bolts are 5/16" x 1 1/4" that are needed for the 08 cover.

 

In case you didn't notice on Clay's site, there is a box to check to get the new bolts. Riffraff Diesel: 08 Superduty Rear Diff Cover

 

Do any of these covers come with a gasket or o ring that sealant isn't needed?

 

Got mine from Clay, shipped for a lot less than 80 bucks.

 

Make double sure it's the cover that's leaking. A pinion seal leak will also run down and drip off the bottom of the pumpkin.

 

Kent,

You were right on. I did not look at the front of the differential until this morning. The leak is definately at the front of the pumpkin. There is fluid spray along the underneath of the truck.

I have checked into replacing the pinion seal and I do not think that is something that I want to tackle. I have heard that the seal usually goes bad due to a bad bearing. Can anyone tell me if this is true. It make a big difference in the cost of the repair if it just the seal versus the seal, bearing and cup.

Gary

 

Nice suggestion Kent. Reps coming your way...

Gary,
Sometimes a leaking pinion seal can be caused by a blocked vent tube. If the tube is clear with no obstructions then it's time to change the seal. I have never heard of a bearing failure on these trucks. I am sure it can happen, I am just saying that I have never seen it happen on any of our fleet or any of my personal trucks so I would be inclined to say it's just a seal.

We can confirm for sure by measuring the temp of the differential cover, if you have a bearing problem there will be heat. Stop by tonight and we'll put the IR gun on it and see what your temps are. I'll be home around 6 ish.

If we have time we can take my truck out for a ride. Did your dad tell you that I have custom tunes finally?

 

Thanks for the reps. I've been there, done that with the pinion seal. Just part of the experience base which makes the FTE hive-mind such a great resource.

I would tend to agree with this. Mine was definitely just a seal.

 

Kent,
Did you replace the seal yourself? When mine failed, I had it replaced by our fleet maintenance shop because I wasn't sure if it had a crush sleeve or not. So I am still not sure if this is a DIY type repair or not. Any advice?

 

Funny you should ask. When I made my appointment with BTS, I mentioned to Tina that I wanted them to make sure they set aside shop time to repair a pinion seal leak while I was there. Since that place is like Disneyland for Ford gearheads, I was running to and fro the entire time. All I know is that they had the seals in stock and the guy used a big azzed impact gun and a three-jawed puller. And they did it for "free" since I was buying a transmission. Sorry, I wish I could be more help.

 

We changed frank's at a Houston gtg a while back. His yoke actually came off with a few light taps with a hammer. Roland had brought all the tools and a torque multiplier. But I changed one at our shop and I had to heat the mess out of the file before I was finally able to pull it off with a large 2 jaw puller

 

Thanks guys. I think Gary is going to have his shop install the seal or take it to the same fleet service place that I used. I checked his diff temps and it was cool. No play at all with the pinion so I think it is just the seal.

Thanks again for the help.