i dropped a plastic cap in my rear diff (1 Viewer)

[bloc]

The 200 doesn't have a rear cover. You'd need to disconnect the driveshaft and pull both axles outward (they don't have to come all the way out, just enough to get them out of the diff), remove the fasteners then the gear carrier assembly. Reassembly requires a new paper gasket. It's a hassle job but not really especially difficult.

Personally I’d say replacing the o-ring that seals the axle housing end to the hub bearing is mandatory. They start out with a round cross section. By the time they are disassembled.. no longer round.

As it is you’ll need to separate the brake line from the backing plate to get it out far enough for the axle shaft to clear the diff.. at that point pulling the whole axle is trivial, as long as you have enough room to the sides of the vehicle.

 

[Fisher23]

Are y'all suggesting motor oil due to the cost or something else?

Motor oil .. because it is thinner and not so sticky. It will flow faster when being sucked out with a shop vac.

 

[tominboise]

If you do a google search, you will see that this has happened more than once. Half the people leave the cap, half take the diff apart to get it out. I had it happen to me. So far I have left it alone and just been driving it. I will drain it in another 25k miles and see what comes out.

 

[Roscoes]

If you do a google search, you will see that this has happened more than once. Half the people leave the cap, half take the diff apart to get it out. I had it happen to me. So far I have left it alone and just been driving it. I will drain it in another 25k miles and see what comes out.

I went to home depot last night and picked up some vacuum hose attachments that look like straws of various widths. Hopefully one of them can get at it.

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IF I decide to tow it to a shop, are there any mods that I should look at doing while the diff is apart?

 

[sdnative]

You dropped the cap into the fill port, and are trying to get it out from the drain port by filling and draining multiple times? Is there even a large enough and clear path for the cap to make its way from the fill area to the bottom drain area? Honestly I don't know but I can imagine the clearances are pretty tight between the third member and the diff housing.

Maybe try to drain the oil, then look around the fill port and drain port with a borescope and try to find the cap, then go from there?

 

[Roscoes]

Cap went in via the fill port.

I'm about to drain it for the 3rd time.

I was using the endoscope on my phone and it wasn't optimal. Getting ready to install software on my laptop to support the camera, then I'm going to hunt for the cap again.

Getting eyes on the cap is my current focus. After that, I'll try to capture it with the claw tool or do another fill n' drain.

 

[RET2]

Cap went in via the fill port.

I'm about to drain it for the 3rd time.

I was using the endoscope on my phone and it wasn't optimal. Getting ready to install software on my laptop to support the camera, then I'm going to hunt for the cap again.

Getting eyes on the cap is my current focus. After that, I'll try to capture it with the claw tool or do another fill n' drain.

If you're lucky enough to find it try using a single wire to hook it in the big end. A stripped piece from Romex should do, moving it back to the fill port where a pair of forceps can pull it out.

 

[Docwyte]

This is a good endorsement for the Motive Power Fill. No way to get a cap stuck in your diff with it...

 

[cruisermatt]

I would absolutely not bother. Nothing in your axle will care about a tiny piece of plastic. It will float around in the oil forever and if it does get stuck in anything it will be shredded instantly.

 

[John McVicker]

^^^

This.

 

[Roscoes]

I now have a visual! I'm going to spend a little more time trying to capture it.

 

[RET2]

I now have a visual! I'm going to spend a little more time trying to capture it.


View attachment 3220928

Take a couple of frustration pills, a few deep breaths and proceed. BTW congrats.

 

[gasman4u]

I now have a visual! I'm going to spend a little more time trying to capture it.


View attachment 3220928

Having been in similar circumstances of equal frustration, the advice to relax is poignant. Take a few deep breaths. No matter what you do, make sure the steps taken to remove it aren't WORSE than leaving it in there. I have nothing but common sense to back up the fact the cap is benign compared to a piece of forceps, etc which may break and end up working its way into your gears.

Godspeed.

 

[Fisher23]

a thin wire with a open loop maybe used pull/scoop it closer to the drain plug area.

 

[bj70bc]

i bet a shop vac on the fill port with the drain open would suck it out

 

[Moby]

It's plastic, it's probably fine, but I ruined a set of gears with just a few wire strands from wire wheeling the gasket surface. For peace of mind if it was me I'd use a flex shaft claw to grab it. That tool has saved me from more dropped bolts than I can count. But my case was metal on metal, just enough to pit the teeth and cause whine.

 

[RET2]

It's plastic, it's probably fine, but I ruined a set of gears with just a few wire strands from wire wheeling the gasket surface. For peace of mind if it was me I'd use a flex shaft claw to grab it. That tool has saved me from more dropped bolts than I can count. But my case was metal on metal, just enough to pit the teeth and cause whine.

Suggest single strand wire, cooper or aluminum, #10 or 12?

 

[Moby]

Suggest single strand wire, cooper or aluminum, #10 or 12?

Amazon.com : flexible grabber tool

I have something like these, very handy.

 

[Roscoes]

Is it a big deal if the faces of the gear teeth get scratched? I'm using assorted picks to move the cap and noticed some small scratches on some of the teeth.

 

[Moby]

Is it a big deal if the faces of the gear teeth get scratched? I'm using assorted picks to move the cap and noticed some small scratches on some of the teeth.

If your gears weren't making noise before I wouldn't think there would be a problem. I knew I had a problem, entirely self-created On the other hand if you are creating the scratches, well maybe. When I had to replace my gears due to the 2-3 wire pieces and noise Randy's Ring and Pinion showed me how little it took on the teeth faces to make the gears whine on deceleration.

All that said, I'd get the cap out, button it up and just start driving it. The gears will whine if there is a problem.