Differential drain help?
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Joined: Mar 2001
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From: So Cal
I do NOT know your model so am guessing based upon experience with my other vehicles...
Often the rear diff will have a drain plug. It will be on the bottom of the diff. Most of the time it has a plug with a 3/8 or more often 1/2 inch square socket. Just use a really beeg ratchet with the right size plug on it. The plug will be TIGHT and it may take some honking on. It is right hand thread, ie normal.
Other times, the diff will have a rear cover plate. That needs to be reomoved to get the fluid out. You may or may not have a gasket, you may or may not need selaer. Take a good look at what was there and replace accordingly.
The front diff is usually the pita. Many models require you to loosen up the case or axles to remove the fluid. I have not done this yet so can't give hints.
General hints, clean out any fluid and debris you can get at, if you have a removable cover. Just use your finger to flip stuff out of the pockets at the bottom of the case. If you have a plug it may have a magnet. Check this for metal chunks. Usually you will have a small amount of fuzz on it, this is normal. Any chunks bigger than say a grain of rice or lots of them require closer inspection.
Check your manual for fluid type. Some use tranny fluid(usually red), some a GL4 or GL5, manual tranny/diff fluid. Weight is probably 75W90 for newer diffs. If you have limited slip you may need limited slip additive. Usually 1 tube to remove any differential chatter.
If you have a cover plate, clean it off real well with a non oily solvent, brake cleaner is good. If gasket is stuck, scrape it off. Clean the differential surface where the cover plate goes too.
I like to use sealers on both sides of the gasket but it depends on what your truck requires. Torque to spec(usually INCH pounds), but watch the gasket to make sure it isn't squeezed out. This is important especially if you have chinese made rubber or cork gaskets, they do tend to ooze out at specified torque so you may need to go light and use sealer. The black cardboard like gaskets are good.
I like to let the sealer set a few minutes, but follow directions. Some diffs don't use gaskets, just sealer. Some gaskets are reusable if they didn't use sealer last time.
The fill plug is usually on the front of the diff above the center line of the axles. Usually a square drive, often "male" versus female for the drain.
Get yourself one of those hand pumps with a rubber hose so you can pump fluid into the diff. Squeezing it out of the bottle can be a pita. I think they cost something like $5. Pump until a little dribbles out. Make sure the truck is level. The correct level is actually something like 1/2 inch below the fill hole, feel with your fingers. But most of us just dribble.
It is not a hard job to do, more involved than changing engine oil if you have to pull the cover.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
Often the rear diff will have a drain plug. It will be on the bottom of the diff. Most of the time it has a plug with a 3/8 or more often 1/2 inch square socket. Just use a really beeg ratchet with the right size plug on it. The plug will be TIGHT and it may take some honking on. It is right hand thread, ie normal.
Other times, the diff will have a rear cover plate. That needs to be reomoved to get the fluid out. You may or may not have a gasket, you may or may not need selaer. Take a good look at what was there and replace accordingly.
The front diff is usually the pita. Many models require you to loosen up the case or axles to remove the fluid. I have not done this yet so can't give hints.
General hints, clean out any fluid and debris you can get at, if you have a removable cover. Just use your finger to flip stuff out of the pockets at the bottom of the case. If you have a plug it may have a magnet. Check this for metal chunks. Usually you will have a small amount of fuzz on it, this is normal. Any chunks bigger than say a grain of rice or lots of them require closer inspection.
Check your manual for fluid type. Some use tranny fluid(usually red), some a GL4 or GL5, manual tranny/diff fluid. Weight is probably 75W90 for newer diffs. If you have limited slip you may need limited slip additive. Usually 1 tube to remove any differential chatter.
If you have a cover plate, clean it off real well with a non oily solvent, brake cleaner is good. If gasket is stuck, scrape it off. Clean the differential surface where the cover plate goes too.
I like to use sealers on both sides of the gasket but it depends on what your truck requires. Torque to spec(usually INCH pounds), but watch the gasket to make sure it isn't squeezed out. This is important especially if you have chinese made rubber or cork gaskets, they do tend to ooze out at specified torque so you may need to go light and use sealer. The black cardboard like gaskets are good.
I like to let the sealer set a few minutes, but follow directions. Some diffs don't use gaskets, just sealer. Some gaskets are reusable if they didn't use sealer last time.
The fill plug is usually on the front of the diff above the center line of the axles. Usually a square drive, often "male" versus female for the drain.
Get yourself one of those hand pumps with a rubber hose so you can pump fluid into the diff. Squeezing it out of the bottle can be a pita. I think they cost something like $5. Pump until a little dribbles out. Make sure the truck is level. The correct level is actually something like 1/2 inch below the fill hole, feel with your fingers. But most of us just dribble.
It is not a hard job to do, more involved than changing engine oil if you have to pull the cover.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
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