Help! Gear oil leaking somewhere

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84pickup

84pickup

Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Threads
19
Messages
275
Location
Cedar City, Utah
hey guys, i noticed yesterday after having driven with the hubs locked and in 4X4 some of the time that there is gear oil all over the starter, brake & clutch lines, lower bell housing, and all over the third member. i took out the diff breather and cleaned it really good and took it out of 4X4 and unlocked the hubs and found that it's still leaking. not as much but it's still leaking. i'm wondering if it's some seal or something in the bell housing or something that is leaking. also the gear oil is really thin for some reason. i'm pretty sure it's gear oil because it smells a lot like gear oil but it's so thin and discolored from the dirt and grime it's run through that i can't really tell. not sure what to think but any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. by the way it's an 84 pickup G52 Tranny with about 192,300 miles and 22R. Thanks
 
Does it look like it's coming out of the breather. or out of where the pinion goes into the diff? Driving with the hubs locked at speed will heat up the gear oil good and it could come out of the breather under the right circumstances, but pretty unlikely.

If it's the pinion seal it's a little involved to change it, because you have to redo the pinion bearing preload, but not that hard of a job.
 
It it really is gear oil, then I'll have to second the pinion seal suggestion. The driveshaft could potentially sling it all over the bottom of the running gear once it got past the seal/flange.
 
hmm it doesn't really look like it's coming from the pinion seal but there's so much dirt/grease build up that i can't really tell. i'm going to clean it with my pressure washer and degreaser and look for a leak.
 
hey hey. Thought I'd throw my recent experience in on this one. Just had my pinion seal replaced. It was leaking for quite some time. Although leak was bad, it only ran down the third member. None of the gear oil was slung up all over the place like you describe. My power steering fluid did that though. It was all over the place. That magic power steering fluid stop leak stuff actually worked. :grinpimp: Couldn't believe it.
 
well if i had PS i would check that but i have the bone dry version with no accesories at all. and i'm wishing i had at least A/C here in Texas. Thanks for the info though.
 
dizzidave said:
Just had my pinion seal replaced. It was leaking for quite some time. Although leak was bad, it only ran down the third member. None of the gear oil was slung up all over the place like you describe.
Click to expand...

Just to make sure, this is referring to a front axle right? And if so, it was being driven with the front locked or in 4x4 or both? I only ask because I could see if the rear was leaking that the oil would be blown back towards the diff, but with a front axle if the pinion seal is leaking, and the driveshaft is spinning then I can't figure out how you avoided having oil flung in 360 degrees around the axis.
 
yes this is the front axle on mine that is currently leaking. i checked the level in the tranny and axle and the oil was flowing out of the hole and good n' thick. while the diff was just a little low i think and it was about the same consistancy and color as the oil leaking so i'm thinking it probably is the pinion seal. someone suggested checking the oil pressure switch/sensor thing too so i'll do that too.
 
Sorry, I guess I should have explained the quote. I was actually referring to dizzidaves post. I couldn't understand how he could have had a front pinion seal leak, and not have it being flung all over the engine compartment. I apologise for the partial sidetrack.
In your case, it's hard to say without looking at it. From your description, I would have to agree with the front pinion seal leak hitting the driveshaft flange and being launched all over the place, as well as being blown back along the underside as you're driving.
 
that' s what i figured you were asking about but i thought that i would clarify for anyone who had any doubts.
 
Hobbiesbestfriend. Yes it was my front axle. I noticed it got worse just after bitter cold winter had gone away. When that happened I stopped using four wheel drive as much and perhaps that is how I did not sling it everywhere? The gear oil was probably much thicker when it was cold and was not prone to slinging. I didn't use four wheel drive too much when it was leaking bad and warm outside. I imagine if I did, you would be correct and it would have gone everywhere. But it didn't, so I wasn't lying:cheers:
 
Check out your wheel seal in the axle as well. I had a leak there and when driving and turning it would sling it all over the lower engine compartment as well. They are prone to having this leak as well..
 
yeah those are leaking just a little and i actually have extra seals from the last time i rebuilt the axle. which wasn't that long ago but after having gone into a huge ditch at 35 MPH it prolly didn't do it any good.

i waited for a while to see if the oil dried up or not and it kind of did. then i went and drove around in 4WD to lube the seals for the month and on my street, as i was coming home, i put it 2WD with the hubs locked and sure enough there was oil that had come out of the breather when i got home. but not as much as there had been when i was driving for like 30 miles with the hubs locked. i'm rather perplexed because it never used to do this when i would drive in 2WD w/hubs locked.
 
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