2013 F150 Rear diff and transfer case UOAs

[dustyroads]

I'm always short on time, so condensing both units into one thread. I'm not sure, but I believe that the transfer case is probably the factory fill. The rear diff lube report looks too low on iron to be the factory fill, although it came out grey colored, which is what some others have reported when draining the factory fill on F150s. So....

Sorry, but uncertain of what we're looking at here. I bought the truck earlier this year with 81k miles and while it's in great condition, I don't know the service history.

Odometer read 91k miles when these samples were taken. I refilled the rear diff with M1 75W-140 and for the transfer case, I used Valvoline Transfer Case Fluid. The Valvoline TC fluid is said to cover Ford's XL-12, GM Auto Trak II and ATF+4 applications.

Cat SOS reports, tested by Milton Cat in Massachusetts.

Code:




Ford 9.75" rear diff Borg Warner TC

3.55 with electronic locker (electronic shift on the fly)

75W-140 (unknown brand, miles) uncertain, but probably factory fill

Odometer 91k miles 91k miles



Copper 1 40

Iron 333 603

Chromium 2 1

Aluminum 1 39

Lead 0 2

Tin 1 1

Silicon 22 61

Sodium 2 11

Potassium 4 9

Boron 52 25

Moly 1 0

Nickel 25 16

Silver 0 0



Titanium 21 1

Calcium 8 84

Magnesium 1 82

Zinc 14 24

Phosphorus 1134 82

Barium 0 3



Oxidation 61% 11

Nitration 4% 4

Sulfation 64% 19



Visc @ 100C 24.5 5.2



PQI 59 89



ISO 23/23/21 22/20/16



4 micron 50248 38039

6 micron 40489 8495

10 micron 24638 1064

14 micron 12816 438

18 micron 4264 212

21 micron 1444 129

38 micron 382 36

50 micron 287 23




















The transfer case wasn't full before I pulled the plug. I stuck my pinky finger in and could barely touch the fluid. After putting in 1.5 quarts (listed capacity), the new fluid was close to running out of the fill hole. This is my first time testing the TC fluid in any of my pickups, so I don't know if my results are as bad as I think, but "yikes!" is what comes to mind.

Guys and gals, check your factory fill fluids. Don't assume that they get it right when assembling a new vehicle.

 

[Emperors6]

Nice. Why not a F350/F450?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Low fluid causes a lot of transfer cases to spontaneously explode. Glad you checked it now, rather than it exploding down the road!

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: Emperors6
Nice. Why not a F350/F450?

D.R.

gets to drive a semi. No need to compensate.

 

[CarbonSteel]

I would say that the iron reading in the rear differential is too low for that to be the factory fill. I had 429 ppm after only 13,300 miles and though probably not identical driving conditions, I would guess that your reading should be in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 ppm after 81K miles.

 

[dustyroads]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Low fluid causes a lot of transfer cases to spontaneously explode. Glad you checked it now, rather than it exploding down the road!


Well, I guess there was enough in there to prevent exploding, but between the low viscosity and low fluid level, it certainly isn't a pretty UOA. The iron sure is high for a part time case, I wonder if the previous owner used 4x4 a bunch, or just the result of the low fluid level. I used 4x4 last March in some pretty deep snow all worked well with no funny noises.

Originally Posted By: CT8
Originally Posted By: Emperors6
Nice. Why not a F350/F450?

D.R.

gets to drive a semi. No need to compensate.


I had to think about Emperors' comment. Maybe just a nod to the 75W140? If so, it's what Ford spec'd in my pickup. I understand that now they're using 75W-85 in the rear diffs.


Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
I would say that the iron reading in the rear differential is too low for that to be the factory fill. I had 429 ppm after only 13,300 miles and though probably not identical driving conditions, I would guess that your reading should be in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 ppm after 81K miles.


I agree with you that the factory fill would probably have shown much more iron (based on your 2010 FX4), but I don't know. Unless there's some poor wear going on, I don't know why iron would be so high on a lube that had been changed along the way. I guess it could be just residual iron rinsing out on the first refill. Between the look of the fluid, and the fight that the cover gave me in removing it, I would have thought it was the first time draining. However, the "fuzz" on the plug wasn't as thick as I had expected, either. I dunno....

Your transfer case UOAs looked fantastic on your 2010 FX4, mine is a little scary to look at. Hopefully, mine will go on to live a long life with proper care. I will consider switching to Amsoil in my TC next year, but I'm going to send in a sample of the Valvoline TC fluid for VOA and give it a workout this winter. I will see how it looks next spring.

 

[Emperors6]

I was just asking about the F350/F450 due to the higher towing capacity.

 

[dustyroads]

Originally Posted By: Emperors6
I was just asking about the F350/F450 due to the higher towing capacity.

That's fine. I'll tell you what came to mind...my friends saw the 75W-140 on the shelf in my garage, waiting to go in the rear diff. They (Chevy guys) laughed and said if I needed that heavy of lube, I should just get a heavier duty truck. Their trucks use 75W-90 so it seemed silly that I would be using the heavier grade. I've seen similar sentiment in some F-150 threads where guys wondered why Ford was using 75W-140. I thought maybe you were looking at it like that.

 

[Snagglefoot]

One thing that I’ve found regarding OCI’s is a lot of people regard rear diff’s, front diffs and transfer cases as needing the same OCI’s. After checking it out, I find transfer cases generally require more changes than diffs, especially if they have an auto setting with clutches inside the case.

An example would be that the front diff and rear diff are not even listed in the maintenance program for Chevy 1500 trucks within the first 150,000 miles but transfer cases require changes every 50,000 miles.

SF

 

[dustyroads]

Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
One thing that I’ve found regarding OCI’s is a lot of people regard rear diff’s, front diffs and transfer cases as needing the same OCI’s. After checking it out, I find transfer cases generally require more changes than diffs, especially if they have an auto setting with clutches inside the case.




Agreed. Looking at my own reports above, the transfer case is sheared down to a low viscosity, and shows lots of iron. That's just a part time TC with no "auto" option. Maybe it was used extensively in 4x4, or maybe something is going to fail, but it definitely needed servicing. I think I will change the TC fluid again in the summer and go with a higher viscosity ATF, rather than the 5.9 cSt Valvoline fluid that I used.

For the folks not used to seeing particle counts, I should have put a > ahead of the micron sizes. It should show number of particles greater than 4 micron, 6 micron, etc. Cat doesn't show it on their report, and I was typing as fast as possible and left out the "greater than" symbols.

 

[dustyroads]

Just an update on the transfer case.

Valvoline Transfer Case Fluid

Code


Valvoline factory fill

Odometer 109781 91000

Fluid miles 18781 91000



Copper 27 40

Iron 123 603

Chromium 0 1

Aluminum 9 39

Lead 0 2

Tin 0 1



Silicon 17 61

Sodium 12 11

Potassium 9 9



Boron 218 25

Moly 1 0



Nickel 3 16

Silver 0 0



Titanium 0 1

Calcium 248 84

Magnesium 72 82

Zinc 17 24

Phosphorus 463 82

Barium 1 3



Oxidation% 16 11

Nitration% 5 4

Sulfation% 23 19



Visc@100°C 6.0 cSt 5.2 cSt



PQI 27 89

(particle quantifying index)



ISO code 22/19/15 22/20/16



4 micron 33446 38039

6 micron 4019 8495

10 micron 535 1064

14 micron 320 438

18 micron 273 212

21 micron 257 129

38 micron 150 36

50 micron 113 23