How do my birfs look ?
- Thread starter pavell
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Yes.
- Thread starter
- #5
Can I clean it with brake clean or is there risk of contamination ? With brake clean getting inside ?
ppc
M Go Blue
They are starting to leak. As long as you're checking grease levels regularly then a full birfield job can wait.
Don't use solvents, just wipe them off.
Don't use solvents, just wipe them off.
ppc
M Go Blue
No need to keep adding grease but check the level with a zip tie so the cavity is two thirds full. To much grease can exacerbate the problem.
Time frame/miles isn't a good way to plan repair. Just depends on if the problem gets worse and how you drive it. 20k maybe but 5 - 10k seems more practical.
Time frame/miles isn't a good way to plan repair. Just depends on if the problem gets worse and how you drive it. 20k maybe but 5 - 10k seems more practical.
FWIW I clean off the swivel or knuckle balls by hand with paper towels. After first cleaning around the square inspection port plug located on the top front of each steering knuckle, then remove the plug. Look in with a bright light then use anything thin and straight as a crude dipstick (clean screw driver), push it in , pull it out but also look inside. If you have a small inspection camera that is even better.
Pump in a Molybdenum (MOLY) fortified grease to get the level ~ 3/4 full. Valvoline Palladium (Lithium base with 3% Moly) is sold at NAPA stores in the US.
Right looks drier than the left, both could probably use a full 14oz tube of grease.
You can drive that a very long time once you add some Moly grease..
Are you currently in Japan? If so what does a local mechanic charge to add grease to the steering knuckles?
If you haven't done a Front Axle service before, here's one link (there are many more on the tubes):
Pump in a Molybdenum (MOLY) fortified grease to get the level ~ 3/4 full. Valvoline Palladium (Lithium base with 3% Moly) is sold at NAPA stores in the US.
Right looks drier than the left, both could probably use a full 14oz tube of grease.
You can drive that a very long time once you add some Moly grease..
Are you currently in Japan? If so what does a local mechanic charge to add grease to the steering knuckles?
If you haven't done a Front Axle service before, here's one link (there are many more on the tubes):
- Thread starter
- #10
No I’m in the USA. Ok thank you for the advice. I will throw some grease and there. I’m just using this rig as a daily driver no off-roading.
I’ll have to get a quote on resealing as I don’t have an area to work.
John McVicker
SILVER Star
Are they actually leaking? It looks normal to me. Every 80 I see on BAT even the super low mile ones have oil and crud around the knuckles. The ones that don’t look freshly detailed. I’d only worry if you are seeing fresh liquid constantly pouring out.
Easy way to tell if your inner axle seals are bad is to drain the diff fluid on the front axle. When I got my 80 and did this job, when I drained the front diff it looked like a dark green disgusting mixture indicating the diff fluid had moly grease mixed into it. What others refer to as birf soup.
- Thread starter
- #15
Good point I will clean all be crud, change diff fluid and report back !
It won’t pressure wash off. Stuff is super strong. Even most brake cleaners don’t touch this stuff. I soaked my knuckles in a solvent solution we use at work when I took it all apart, expensive chemical and that was the only thing that removed the caked on moly grease. Maybe a really powerful pressure washer might so the trick but nothing light-duty (2,000psi or less).
John McVicker
SILVER Star
A couple of putty knives, one maybe 1.5 inches & one maybe 2 inches or so…and some blue shop towels??
As mentioned above, if the front diff gear oil is thick, lumpy, frothy, then the knuckle grease could be getting sucked into the axle housing. One fix
is to bypass the factory breather (which doesn't work very well) and run a hose from the pipe nipple on the left side of the axle housing up
to the engine bay and zip tie it off to something out of the way then stuff a small filter in the open end of the hose.
If you use any tool to remove the build-up IME a plastic scraper does less damage to any painted surfaces. There are some non-solvent based
grease removers that can be used, spray on, let them soak, wipe off. Turpentine on a rag or paper towels works well IME and in general won't harm painted
surfaces.
is to bypass the factory breather (which doesn't work very well) and run a hose from the pipe nipple on the left side of the axle housing up
to the engine bay and zip tie it off to something out of the way then stuff a small filter in the open end of the hose.
If you use any tool to remove the build-up IME a plastic scraper does less damage to any painted surfaces. There are some non-solvent based
grease removers that can be used, spray on, let them soak, wipe off. Turpentine on a rag or paper towels works well IME and in general won't harm painted
surfaces.
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