Rear Differential
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 11
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Rear Differential
I'm not a mechanic
I change my own oil, air filter, WW blades etc and that's about it
But I've been told the mechanic found a little bit of metal in the rear differential fluid (truck has 95K miles on it)........
He wants to take it apart and inspect it (to the tune of $150)........
I'm not having any problems with it........I was just getting it checked out before I ship it down to my son in WA to make sure there's nothing about to blow up on it.......
anyhow.......besides the fact that I can't get it to the shop before I ship it.....he also said another option would be to "drop the cover drain it and replace all the fluid and keep an eye on it"........
is this something I can do myself?......... I mean do you just undo all those bolts around the cover.........remove it........let it drain ........new gasket .......rebolt the cover and fill it up with new clean fluid??
looks to me like that's all it takes but I want to make sure 8 jillion little pieces of something aren't going to come tumbling out when I do this......
anybody have any advice about cleaning things off or flushing out while it's apart???
I really needed a project for this weekend *LOL*
thanks
I change my own oil, air filter, WW blades etc and that's about it
But I've been told the mechanic found a little bit of metal in the rear differential fluid (truck has 95K miles on it)........
He wants to take it apart and inspect it (to the tune of $150)........
I'm not having any problems with it........I was just getting it checked out before I ship it down to my son in WA to make sure there's nothing about to blow up on it.......
anyhow.......besides the fact that I can't get it to the shop before I ship it.....he also said another option would be to "drop the cover drain it and replace all the fluid and keep an eye on it"........
is this something I can do myself?......... I mean do you just undo all those bolts around the cover.........remove it........let it drain ........new gasket .......rebolt the cover and fill it up with new clean fluid??
looks to me like that's all it takes but I want to make sure 8 jillion little pieces of something aren't going to come tumbling out when I do this......
anybody have any advice about cleaning things off or flushing out while it's apart???
I really needed a project for this weekend *LOL*
thanks
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,205
Likes: 3
From: Along Lake Erie
Your mechanic should define, "A little metal". After 95,000 miles, it's normal for there to be a bit of gray-colored slime attached to the magnet inside the cover. That's normal. Now, if there were actual metal shavings, then I'd be worried. Your mechanic should have shown you what the problem was before telling you that you need more work done. I'm always leery of mechanics that don't want to explain the symptoms they found and explain why they're bad and merit more work. I make that clear up front and I've never had a shop try to rob me of more money than I need to spend.
On a side note, never be afraid to ask questions. They should explain the how and why of the problem before recommending more work.
Getting back on track, how exactly did he find metal in the gear oil without opening it up and doing the inspection??? As for doing it yourself, if you can do oil changes and tire rotations, changing the diff lube (on the rear) is no big deal. It easiest done with the spare tire removed and the chassis on jack stands, but can be done without, although it's a little cramped up in there.
The process is simple enough: Before you pop the cover, pick up the appropriate volume of replacement gear lube. (I prefer Mobil-1 synthetic, but recommend buying the best you can afford) Before removing the cover and draining it, make sure you can remove the fill plug. It's on the front driver's side of the diff. It takes a 3/8 extension and is a tapered pipe plug that has sealant/thread-locking compound on it. It may require some gentle heating with a propane torch to melt the thread locking compound.
Once you can get the plug out, pop the cover. remove all but the top two corner bolts, and crack the seal on the cover to let it drain. If you pry from the side, the initial gush of fluid isn't quite so bad.
Drain the fluid, clean the sealing surfaces with some brake cleaner to remove the residue and old gasket material, and use some blue or black RTV as a seal, no gasket. Allow the RTV at least a couple hours to set-up before refilling the diff, and you shouldn't have any leaks.
Scale of 1-10, this is about a 2.
On a side note, never be afraid to ask questions. They should explain the how and why of the problem before recommending more work.
Getting back on track, how exactly did he find metal in the gear oil without opening it up and doing the inspection??? As for doing it yourself, if you can do oil changes and tire rotations, changing the diff lube (on the rear) is no big deal. It easiest done with the spare tire removed and the chassis on jack stands, but can be done without, although it's a little cramped up in there.
The process is simple enough: Before you pop the cover, pick up the appropriate volume of replacement gear lube. (I prefer Mobil-1 synthetic, but recommend buying the best you can afford) Before removing the cover and draining it, make sure you can remove the fill plug. It's on the front driver's side of the diff. It takes a 3/8 extension and is a tapered pipe plug that has sealant/thread-locking compound on it. It may require some gentle heating with a propane torch to melt the thread locking compound.
Once you can get the plug out, pop the cover. remove all but the top two corner bolts, and crack the seal on the cover to let it drain. If you pry from the side, the initial gush of fluid isn't quite so bad.
Drain the fluid, clean the sealing surfaces with some brake cleaner to remove the residue and old gasket material, and use some blue or black RTV as a seal, no gasket. Allow the RTV at least a couple hours to set-up before refilling the diff, and you shouldn't have any leaks.
Scale of 1-10, this is about a 2.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 576
Likes: 0
From: Alabama
95K on a 2005? You do some driving, man. 
When did they stop putting drains on the differential?
And like Joe, I wonder how the mechanic would know about the metal fillings without a complete drain? If you have to do it like Joe explained.
Sounds like a scare tactic to put some money in his pocket.
Man, without a drain plug back there, sounds like a messy job.
Some things were much easier 20 years ago.
Some, harder.
The more you gain, the more you lose.
When did they stop putting drains on the differential?
And like Joe, I wonder how the mechanic would know about the metal fillings without a complete drain? If you have to do it like Joe explained.
Sounds like a scare tactic to put some money in his pocket.
Man, without a drain plug back there, sounds like a messy job.
Some things were much easier 20 years ago.
Some, harder.
The more you gain, the more you lose.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
From: Off the Road, Alaska
Everything he said... + dont forget that if you have a limited slip, you should make sure to put in the "friction modifier." Dont waste your time going to Cal's, shucks and napa both carry it on the shelf for cheaper. Ford also reccomends using synthetic period on the rear, natural in the front.
All that aside, if you want to do it completely on the cheap, I priced it out, and jiffy lube could do it for $40 cheaper than I could buying the fluid on my own at wal-mart, if you trust them to do it right. (assuming you are in Anchorage)
All that aside, if you want to do it completely on the cheap, I priced it out, and jiffy lube could do it for $40 cheaper than I could buying the fluid on my own at wal-mart, if you trust them to do it right. (assuming you are in Anchorage)