i have a 01 f-150 4x4 Screw with a 5.4L with 150,000 miles and i noticed that the rear differential is leaking quite a bit of fluid... does anybody know the price from FORD or just a shop to get the gasket (im assuming) replaced?
And how do I refill it and drain it? Because i am curious and would like to know how for the future!
Thanks!!

 

I've been typing all day and my fingers are starting to hurt So I'm going to steal Looney's response from another thread:



1. put a pan /wrenches / rags / newspaper underneath the rear end.

2. unbolt and remove the bolts on the bottom half of the differential.

3. Loosen -- but do NOT remove -- the top bolts, and let it drain. When it slows, loosen the bolts a little more to let it finish draining. Go ahead now and remove the cover, check the mating surface. Check your gears and all that fun stuff for obvious signs of wear and damage and address as necessary.

4. Clean off the old differential cover seal. Using a lint-free rag, clean the inside of the cover and the accessible areas of the differntial housing.

5. Apply a think layer of RTV sealant to the cover flange, then press a new gasket into position ( You do not need a new gasket when using RTV ), ensuring proper lineup of the bolt holes. Re-install the differential cover.

6. When you are ready, on the front side of the rear axle (closest to the engine) look around and you should see a plug or bolt or something that you can remove and use that opening to fill the differential with gear oil. It fits a 3/8 inch breaker bar. The Haynes manual recommends using a hand pump or a funnel to refill the differential with new gear oil. Once the lubricant is level with the filler hole, install the fill plug and tighten it securely.

If you have a limited-slip differential, many people here suggest using a friction modifier in your gear oil... Depending on what brand you buy, it might already be pre-mixed into the gear oil. After you fill it up, replace the plug and I would recommend putting the vehicle in neutral and (assuming you have the rear end jacked up) manually rotating the rear tires to get the gear oil into the gears in the differential. Then, check once more for leaks in the differential cover and fire it up, take it for a 20-30 minute drive to get it to proper operating temperature and to break in the fluid. Come home, check again for leaks.

 

Thief

 

use 75 w 140 full synthetick gear lube. buy a 7 oz tube of friction modifier and add it to 2.5 quarts of the gear lube. gear lubes do not contain enough friction modifier normally , and you should add the extra tube.

 

thnx everybody!!!
this should help! lol

 

I just filled my rear with 75W-90 Mobil 1. I've been to AdvanceAuto and AutoZone, and the only 75W-140 they had was the Mobil 1 stuff at $17/qt. So I said F that and got the 75W-90 at $8/qt.

 

i will second what ATC said. the book says to use 75 w 140, but it is $20 quart and not readily available. I also used 75 w 90 and it is fine. That was original fill a few years ago. I bought mine at Wal Mart, very cheap. Just make sure its synthetic.

 

I just did this to my 01 with 127k on it. I bought Royal Purple 75-140 and a some friction modifyer from Ford. I had $30 in 3 qts of oil and $6 in friction modifyer. The lube change was simple and I didn't notice anything but I did get some peace of mind.

 

I put 75w90 Valvoline in my FRONT diff last night.

 

Where did you find that RP for $10? That's cheap for full synthetic 75W-140!


I have some Lucas 80W-90 going in the front diff. tomorrow, and Castrol Mercon V going in the T-case.

 

My cousin works at ORielly's here in Oklahoma and gets me everything at his cost. It was pretty cheap. I was surprised also.

 

I put Castrol Mercon (not V) in T-case last night. Went very well. Draining was simple; filling not bad. I used a small funnel and a 12" length of 1/2" dripline (irrigation). The 1/2" dripline fit snugly over the funnel and into the fill hole. I could then lift the funnel overhead and pure the ATF in. 2 quarts fit well.. upon removing my funnel/dripline rig, a few ounces drained back out. I put down a big sheet of plastic which helped the clean-up. Prep and clean-up are still the big pains in the backside.

 

so can i just pour the 75W-140 into it with a funnel or do i need a special device??

Thanks

 

Find a piece of flexible hose that you can shove over the tip on the bottle. It will make it much easier..

 

Yep.. keep that hose as short as possible.. the thick gear oil is hard to push through a long hose. I tried to use a 24" hose - bad idea. For my front diff, I ended up using about a 14" hose.. that worked, but was still slow.

If you have room to work, the bottle alone might work.. but generally there's not enough space to tip the bottle up.