Drain and inspect front differential.
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Joined: Dec 2001
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Drain and inspect front differential.
Today my truck began to howl loudly while going through the gears. All of my fluid levels are ok except for the transaxle (its hard to say how low because the fill hole is so small I can't even get my finger in there -let alone look inside).
Before taking it to the tranny shop I thought I'd replace all of the fluids while checking under all of the inspection covers and see what I can do.
It's -19 outside right now with the windchill so mabey I was a bit hasty in my assesment that Ford Motor Co. has provided me with no practical provision with which to drain and look inside the front differentail. (on my 1986 F-250 4spd, 4x4, the diff cover seems to serve additional duty as the load bearing member of my front axle). PLEASE!, tell me I don't have to remove the front hubs, disconnect ball-joints, and take out alxle shafts just to drop the fluid and have a little peek.
Thanks for your time, your response is well appreciated.
-TK
Before taking it to the tranny shop I thought I'd replace all of the fluids while checking under all of the inspection covers and see what I can do.
It's -19 outside right now with the windchill so mabey I was a bit hasty in my assesment that Ford Motor Co. has provided me with no practical provision with which to drain and look inside the front differentail. (on my 1986 F-250 4spd, 4x4, the diff cover seems to serve additional duty as the load bearing member of my front axle). PLEASE!, tell me I don't have to remove the front hubs, disconnect ball-joints, and take out alxle shafts just to drop the fluid and have a little peek.
Thanks for your time, your response is well appreciated.
-TK
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 48
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Drain and inspect front differential.
i'd say buy a suction pump, stick the hose in the inspection hole and drag out as much of the old stuff as you can. then refill it to the proper level. thats what i did on the rear so i didn't hvae to take off the cover, and thats what i plan on doing on the front when i get around to it. the suction pump looks like a grease gun only it has no pump arm, just the long plunger arm. lemme know what you think.
dave
dave
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Drain and inspect front differential.
Thanx Dave,
I do have a syringe on hand (I'd need one to get the oil back in anyway).
It has been my experience there is no substitute for getting right in there with a shop towel and scooping out the abrasive metal filings while giving the pick-up magnet a good wipe.
Given the alternative (completely removing the front-end) when I do replace the fluid I'll be following your advice.
The good news is I no longer need to look inside either of my diffs.
The bad news is when I dropped the tranny fluid and removed the inspection covers I found what appears to be the shattered remains of a circular-ring shaped bearing. Undoubtedly consistent with that howling noise I've been hearing.
Now I have two additional projects on my plate...
1. Removing and rebuilding my transmission (...yikes!)
2. Removing the gear-oil residue from my mouse and keyboard
Wish me luck. Thanx again,
-TK
I do have a syringe on hand (I'd need one to get the oil back in anyway).
It has been my experience there is no substitute for getting right in there with a shop towel and scooping out the abrasive metal filings while giving the pick-up magnet a good wipe.
Given the alternative (completely removing the front-end) when I do replace the fluid I'll be following your advice.
The good news is I no longer need to look inside either of my diffs.
The bad news is when I dropped the tranny fluid and removed the inspection covers I found what appears to be the shattered remains of a circular-ring shaped bearing. Undoubtedly consistent with that howling noise I've been hearing.
Now I have two additional projects on my plate...
1. Removing and rebuilding my transmission (...yikes!)
2. Removing the gear-oil residue from my mouse and keyboard
Wish me luck. Thanx again,
-TK
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Drain and inspect front differential.
sorry to hear about your loss of transmission, and don't forget to replace the torque converter and flush the cooler, cuz that stuff stores broken ##### and releases it into your freshly rebuild tranny to kill it again. hope everything goes well. later
Dave
Dave
