Cleaning & Replacement of differential fluid
- Thread starter M. Davis
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Brake Cleaner spray, they say.
Wipe all the remaining lube out you can with your bare hand, wipe off what residue you can with a cloth that will not leave any threads.
Careful of sharp machined edges.
Wipe all the remaining lube out you can with your bare hand, wipe off what residue you can with a cloth that will not leave any threads.
Careful of sharp machined edges.
I second the Brake Parts Cleaner aerosol can spray. I've used it for years when cleaning out diffs. It cleans very well and dries leaving no residue almost immediately. $1.89 at most auto stores.
[ January 16, 2005, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: Ryan00TJ ]
[ January 16, 2005, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: Ryan00TJ ]
There is no good answer for that. You really can't get all the dirt and cleaner out unless you either take the cover off or it has a drain plug.
Simply sucking out as much of the old as you can an refilling it a common practice and works well enough.
i would suggest always removing the cover and checking differential visually. since the drain/file hole isnt at the bottom of the case you have no chance of finding any loose metal bits.
Be careful using any solvent to clean out a differential. You must get out all traces of the solvent, or it will cause foaming of the fresh gear oil.
Most spray solvents will knock a lot of crud loose, but only the lighter components will vaporise. Take your time to really get all the residue out. Never add a liquid solvent like Varsol.
To play it safe, get some very cheap 80W-90 and do a very short driving period, then drain and refill with the oil you intend to use.
Most spray solvents will knock a lot of crud loose, but only the lighter components will vaporise. Take your time to really get all the residue out. Never add a liquid solvent like Varsol.
To play it safe, get some very cheap 80W-90 and do a very short driving period, then drain and refill with the oil you intend to use.
I would not bother with solvents!!! I would just change it and be happy. If you really wanted to you could buy some cheap dino 80W90 and run it for 500 miles then drain to kind of act as an additional flush. If you have it 4 onces of Lube Control added to the cheap 80W90 for that 500 miles would clean any parrifins or varnish buildup off of the seals. Then drain and add you synthetic gear lube 500 miles latter.
All of my RWD vechiles have had third member set up like a ford 9" and I have never pulled one to clean it up. When I have pulled one to change out gear rations they have always been clean inside.
P.S. Freq. fluid changes will greatly extend the life of gears. When using dino the longest I have ever gone is 2 years or 24,000 miles. To be honest anualy is the best policy.
All of my RWD vechiles have had third member set up like a ford 9" and I have never pulled one to clean it up. When I have pulled one to change out gear rations they have always been clean inside.
P.S. Freq. fluid changes will greatly extend the life of gears. When using dino the longest I have ever gone is 2 years or 24,000 miles. To be honest anualy is the best policy.
Any of the engine cleaners we talk about will do the job...Schaeffer's Neutra, Auto-Rx, Lube Control. Or, as said, just drain. If you see a lot of gunk on the drain plug, they consider heavier duty cleaning.
Gear oil does oxidize, and oxidizes faster when hot. Periodic renewal is smart.
Ken
Gear oil does oxidize, and oxidizes faster when hot. Periodic renewal is smart.
Ken
MolaKule
Staff member
I agree with John and Ken2. Except for LC, Auto-RX, and Neutra you will not know how those other cleaners will affect old seals.
Again, periodic replacement not exceeding two years is the best prevention.
Again, periodic replacement not exceeding two years is the best prevention.
I want to get everything I can out. It seems that brake cleaner has been mentioned. I know it evaporates, but does it leave residue? That is the question for the experts. I am currently purchasing some auto-rx for two vehicles, should I buy more and use this instead?
try now to worry about it. just soak up the fluid in the bottom of the diff with a lint free cloth. clean the gasket surfaces with brake cleaner.
you are changing practically all the fluid. more (percentage wise) than a pan drop in the transmission and the differential is usually serviced on the same schedule.
you are changing practically all the fluid. more (percentage wise) than a pan drop in the transmission and the differential is usually serviced on the same schedule.
I don't think flushing is necessary,just let it drain properly.Cleaning chemicals could also deplete the TBN of the new fluid.
I changed out the differential on a Camry not too long ago that used ATF in it.The plug had some filings but all in all it wasn't too bad for 22K miles.Just refilled with new ATF and no worries!
I changed out the differential on a Camry not too long ago that used ATF in it.The plug had some filings but all in all it wasn't too bad for 22K miles.Just refilled with new ATF and no worries!
My 96’ ½ ton truck is 9 years old and has 107000 miles and the diff fluid has never been changed. Would it hurt seals to change it now?
Some years ago I changed the oil in the rear of a 87 Bronco II at about 100K and soon afterwards it started leaking from the seal to the driveshaft (only when moving). I don't believe the new oil damaged the seal, rather I think a combination of worn out thick sludgy mud and low level prevented leakage before and had caused the seal to wear out. If the seal is worn out and running thick sludge is the only thing that keeps it from leaking, I would rather replace the seal than have the rear end wear out. Of course if you're looking at getting rid of the truck then that might not be a consideration.
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