Rear Differential Leak

[Romer]

I traded cars with Rachel so I could get her drawer system installed. Come home and there is an oil spot where my truck was under the rear diff. I tell the wife I need to clean it up and work on it a bit and she said it's been there for 3 days . Later on she said she had no way to tell if it was water or oil.

So there is oil splatter from about 3PM to 9PM on the clock.

I check the torque and 3 of the bolts needed a few turns to be at spec for torque.

Refilled the diff and I was down about 4-5 ounces. Probably most of it on the floor of the garage.

Something else looked interesting. The front of the diff has a silver plate prior to the pinion. Looked like there was traces of oil there on the bottom. That might make more sense, leaking out of there and the air and motion fling it to the wider splatter problem. Yet those several bolts were not fully torqued.

Cleaned everything up and will watch it for a few days. As long as I keep fluid in there I should be OK.

 

[Romer]

Guess I should mention I regeared about 3 weeks ago.

 

[Beowulf]

I check the torque and 3 of the bolts needed a few turns to be at spec for torque.

"Turns" as in complete 360* revolutions? That's pretty loose I'd say.

-B-

 

[landtank]

My front diff started to leak after the re-gear. Had a few nuts that needed to be snugged up. That was over two years ago and everything has been fine.

Clean it up and monitor it, it's probably ok.

 

[Romer]

Thanks Guys. The bolts that were loose were near the top. I was probably over 360 and the other two were probably between 180 and 360. I wouldn't have thought that would cause it. The rest were snug at 54 ft-lbs.

Cleaned it up and drove it and no drips. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[IdahoDoug]

You're toast. Better sell it to me right away at 50 cents on the dollar.

DougM

 

[Romer]

You're toast. Better sell it to me right away at 50 cents on the dollar.

DougM

Like that's going to happen

 

[cruiserdan]

Ken I would suggest that you also check the torque on the rear axle flanges and front drive flanges and front diff. As well as the driveshaft companion flange nuts and lug nuts.

 

[Romer]

So how hard can I really torque these bolts? Spec says 54. I took a few of them up to 74. It's a very slow leak still, almost a weep. It looks like it is coming from the spot where I put a little of the red Toyota gasket stuff because the seal ripped around a bolt. This would be the bolt at about 4 PM.

Not 100% sure of thats the source, but was a little wet there and a drip on the bottom of the diff. Increased torque there to 74-ft-lbs and the two bolts on either side, cleaned it up again and we will see how it goes.

 

[cruiserdan]

54 lb-ft is pretty tight. I would not suggest going any tighter. You risk breaking something. If it leaks at 54 lf it will leak at 90 lb-ft.

The "fix" would be to drop the diff and replace the gasket.

My frOnt was leaking where the gasket broke at about 8 o'clock. It let go through a bolt hole and the gasket started to wiggle out. I removed the nut on the stud at the break and I de-greased the area. I then ran a bead of black FIPG around the diff ring and into and around the stud where the tear was. I reinstalled that nut and washer and retorqued the rest of the nuts. That "field fix" has held for almost two years now. I plan to pull the diff at my next axle service and replace the gasket.