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Changing Differential Gear Oil

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#41 ·
Earthquake air impact is like $80 after some coupons. If you work on your own vehicle that's one of my favorite tools and you won't be complaining about red loctite
 
#42 ·
Budsky said:
Except- as I pointed out Ford DOES use 12 point bolts and nuts in spots.
Nothing wrong with using a 12 point in most applications- unless like the diff bolts they were put in with red (permanent) loctite requiring a huge amount of torque to break loose.
Due to the limited clearance working under there I almost hurt myself on a few of them:D

BTW I did break loose the bottom 3 with a 12 point gear wrench in 1/2" I think the 13mm would have rounded the heads.
Click to expand...

One of the best purchases I've made in the past year was adding an Impact driver to my 18V Ryobi arsenal. This sounds like a place it might work well, if room permits its use. (even if you have to drop a sway bar to get to covered bolts)
 
#43 · (Edited)
I have 2 of the Ryobi impact drivers- the first one I bought is a weakling- 1/4" hex drive- which is ok for some uses.
The other one is 1/2" drive and is pretty stout!

If the going really gets tough I break out my 1/2" Ingersoll Rand industrial grade air impact. I bought it after trying and returning several Campbell Hausfeld and other lower tier brands.
Had an application where I was needing to loosen lug nuts often- found the CH and others- even though advertised as over 200 ft lbs would NOT break loose lug nuts tightened to 150- no matter how long you hammered them. Bought the IR and zip- right off.

The diff cover bolts aren't bad once you break them loose- a few turns out and they mostly then come out with fingers only.
 
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#44 ·
Budsky: All this sounds too difficult for me. I do have a small electric oil pump. Do you think I can just pump out the old oil thru the fill opening and replace w new oil?

I have a 3.2 diesel at 100K miles with 3.31 ratio I believe. What kind of oil and do I need to add modifier?

Thank you.
 
#45 ·
You can get much of it pumping it out- I prefer the diff cover drop to get all of it- but some is better than nothing.
Ford specs 75W-80 synthetic. I used Mobil 1 75W-90, about 1/3 the cost of Ford's product.
Friction modifier is needed if you have limited slip and use Ford's product. The Mobil 1 already has it in it.
 
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#46 ·
Budsky said:
I have 2 of the Ryobi impact drivers- the first one I bought is a weakling- 1/4" hex drive- which is ok for some uses.
The other one is 1/2" drive and is pretty stout!

If the going really gets tough I break out my 1/2" Ingersoll Rand industrial grade air impact. I bought it after trying and returning several Campbell Hausfeld and other lower tier brands.
Had an application where I was needing to loosen lug nuts often- found the CH and others- even though advertised as over 200 ft lbs would NOT break loose lug nuts tightened to 150- no matter how long you hammered them. Bought the IR and zip- right off.

The diff cover bolts aren't bad once you break them loose- a few turns out and they mostly then come out with fingers only.
Click to expand...
The HF Earthquake II has removed the 240 ft lb crankshaft nut from my Z06 and also the crankshaft nut off my Tundra. the IR products are awesome but that Earthquake is a stellar value
 
#48 ·
Truck said:
The HF Earthquake II has removed the 240 ft lb crankshaft nut from my Z06 and also the crankshaft nut off my Tundra. the IR products are awesome but that Earthquake is a stellar value
Click to expand...
Yes they are a good value- I've had my IR for probably 15 years though long before the Earthquake*.
I did buy HF's strongest impact when I was trying to get the giubo bolts loose on my 2015.
Wouldn't do it.
Returned it since for my purposes it was no better than my old IR, which IIRC is 600 ft lbs.
Finally got them loose with a torch and 3 ft breaker bar, and it was VERY difficult even then.

* What is up with HF having so many "brand" names now?
 
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#50 · (Edited)
Heat them to 500F- the recommended temp for breaking red loose- and you've probably ruined the $30 rubber O-ring gasket under them.

Besides the Ford shop manual does not show them with thread locker- but then it doesn't show the O-ring gasket either, presumably something new on the 2018's.

I've dropped many a diff cover in my life and I don't recall ever encountering one with loctite, and certainly not red loctite, on the bolts.
 
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#51 ·
Budsky said:
Except- as I pointed out Ford DOES use 12 point bolts and nuts in spots.
Nothing wrong with using a 12 point in most applications- unless like the diff bolts they were put in with red (permanent) loctite requiring a huge amount of torque to break loose.
Due to the limited clearance working under there I almost hurt myself on a few of them:D

BTW I did break loose the bottom 3 with a 12 point gear wrench in 1/2" I think the 13mm would have rounded the heads.
Click to expand...
12 points sockets are not the issue, it is the amount of torque, I have rounded edges off with 12 points, hence the suggestion. If you working with plastic air box, dash, trim etc, sure. But the heavy lifting is needed for 6 point will not round the edges,
 
Discussion starter · #52 ·
So to finally wrap this up, when my van was in for the 1000 dollar def heater coil replacement that isn't covered under powertrain warranty, I had them change out my gear oil, and install my new cover. They did a nice job, and now the rear is perfectly quiet.

This is the good dealership that i've been going to lately.

What really boggles my mind, is that my selling dealership didn't even suggest a gear oil change... i suspect that they didn't even actually acknowledge the complaint, or investigate it at all.

Now onto my current fault code and resulting reduced power mode. I need another full time job just to finance fixing this POS.
 
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#53 ·
hammerdown said:
So to finally wrap this up, when my van was in for the 1000 dollar def heater coil replacement that isn't covered under powertrain warranty, I had them change out my gear oil, and install my new cover. They did a nice job, and now the rear is perfectly quiet.

This is the good dealership that i've been going to lately.

What really boggles my mind, is that my selling dealership didn't even suggest a gear oil change... i suspect that they didn't even actually acknowledge the complaint, or investigate it at all.

Now onto my current fault code and resulting reduced power mode. I need another full time job just to finance fixing this POS.
Click to expand...
Which rear diffy cover did you go with?

Same attitude from the dealership I go to. 3 visit and no results. Sorry man!
 
#55 ·
hammerdown said:
So to finally wrap this up, when my van was in for the 1000 dollar def heater coil replacement that isn't covered under powertrain warranty, I had them change out my gear oil, and install my new cover. They did a nice job, and now the rear is perfectly quiet.

This is the good dealership that i've been going to lately.

What really boggles my mind, is that my selling dealership didn't even suggest a gear oil change... i suspect that they didn't even actually acknowledge the complaint, or investigate it at all.

Now onto my current fault code and resulting reduced power mode. I need another full time job just to finance fixing this POS.
Click to expand...
Makes one appreciate VW's decision. >:D
 
#57 · (Edited)
I was fooled the same way. Drain and fill plugs are pointing straight up and straight down so from a head on photo, you can't see the plugs themselves. The small convex areas at the top right and bottom that look a bit different from the rest of the mounting flange are the plugs.
 
#59 ·
My rear diff on my 2015 is leaking a tiny bit ( I hope only a tiny bit), noticed it the other day when installing a heater under the van. Anyway does anyone know if the 2018 rubber gasket you guys mentioned will fit on the 2015 diff?
 
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