Leaking New Front Diff

[Cruiserdrew]

Those paper gaskets are brittle and tend to crack as you slide the 3rd member into place. If you get it in with fully intact gasket they work great for decades. But, even being careful, I'll bet I crack 1 out of 3. I really hate that instant $8 waste. When I recently put my 80's new diffs in place, I used Toyota FIPG after I cracked the only rear gasket I had. It's good so far.

You gotta pay your dues cleaning the surfaces though. Clean, bright, shiney, checked 3 times!

One other tip-the 80 front diff tends to squirm around under torque and mess up the gasket. You have to check the torque on the nuts very frequently and keep them tightened to spec. Those little mini-truck studs in my view just are not up to the task, and I wish toyota had used their usual 10mm studs instead of the 8mm studs. I may drill and tap for the bigger studs next time it's apart.

 

[maxamillion2345]

Clean the oil leak and smear rtv all over the outside, all the way up. At worst you've wasted some rtv and have more to clean when you go to fix it for real. At best it stops the leak and you dont have to mess with it for a while...

 

[ZRotheohv]

Toyota orange FIPG for the win! I could separate the third from the housing by about 3mm, just enough to get a good bead of FIPG in there, and it's dry now! Lesson learned about paper gaskets... Thanks!

 

[Tools R Us]

Have seen way too many stock gaskets fail, parts come out, and the diff tends to shift/move/loosen more with them. Unless insisted by the owner, we always use Permatex Grey, clean, if done right, much less/no problems.

 

[richardlillard1]

Those paper gaskets are brittle and tend to crack as you slide the 3rd member into place. If you get it in with fully intact gasket they work great for decades. But, even being careful, I'll bet I crack 1 out of 3. I really hate that instant $8 waste. When I recently put my 80's new diffs in place, I used Toyota FIPG after I cracked the only rear gasket I had. It's good so far.

You gotta pay your dues cleaning the surfaces though. Clean, bright, shiney, checked 3 times!

One other tip-the 80 front diff tends to squirm around under torque and mess up the gasket. You have to check the torque on the nuts very frequently and keep them tightened to spec. Those little mini-truck studs in my view just are not up to the task, and I wish toyota had used their usual 10mm studs instead of the 8mm studs. I may drill and tap for the bigger studs next time it's apart.

I highly doubt it's because the studs are too wimpy, it's likely more due to the fact that the radius arms are putting twisting forces on the axle as it articulates.