Sinking Creek 4WD Association

My f150 appears to be leaking out the back seal of the rear differential. I have no idea if this should be an easy seal and fix or if Ill need a new axle. Any ideas? Ill post a picture later today.

Should be an easy fix to just pull the cover, clean everything well where the seal is gonna go, rtv it and fill it up with fresh fluid.

It's easy peasy to fix. I used to have to do it after every wheeling trip in my Bronco Freshman year.

Take the cover off and drain the fluid

Clean the old gasket material and/or RTV off the two mating surfaces (diff cover and axle housing)

Reapply RTV on the axle housing, making a continuous bead going inside of the bolt holes.

Put the cover back on

Tighten the bolts in an alternating pattern

Wait 30 minutes for the RTV to set up

Refill the diff

This should fix your issue, make sure the cover mating surface is flat and that all the threads are clean and good on the bolts and in the axle housing.

Consider buying an aftermarket diff cover for the 8.8 like this one: http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-520897 ... cover.html

I got really fed up with my flimsy stamped steel one. It will pay for itself. Diff fluid, RTV, and gaskets get expensive. You make it leak everytime you go out, I promise. Plus it's inconvenient and wasteful to leak gear oil.

I've also heard great things about using "Lube Lockers" instead of RTV. A little more costly, however easier and reuseable.

http://lubelocker.com/products/lub-llr-f880

I use the factory style paper gaskets with indian head gasket shellac. I don't always trust RTV to seal properly and you could very easily get too much and a piece of that in a wheel bearing or pinion bearing is bad news. Cleaning the surfaces with brake parts cleaner to get the oil and trash off them will also help make a good seal.

I'm going to degrease it for now and find exactly where the leak is but if it is just the seal I'm going to need a place to work on fixing it.

Lucas wrote:I'm going to degrease it for now and find exactly where the leak is but if it is just the seal I'm going to need a place to work on fixing it.

You have no parking lots where you live?

I use lube lockers.
They are more expensive to buy than a tube of rtv but are reuseable and when I need to service it I don't have to scrape off old rtv and when refilling you don't have to wait for it to dry before refilling.

Its real easy to do, easily done in a driveway or back yard.

I would recommend a torque wrench when reinstalling.

Lucas wrote:I'm going to degrease it for now and find exactly where the leak is but if it is just the seal I'm going to need a place to work on fixing it.

This, along with most repairs, is a parking lot job.

General, consensus:

Buy an offroad service aftermarket diff cover and lube locker, so you wont have to do this again.

Here's the company that I'm buying my diff covers from for my CUCV (Dana 60/GM14bolt):
www.greatlakeoffroad.com/

Several reasons I decided on this company:

1. Lifetime guarantee. PERIOD. No questions asked you break it they replace it. Need I say more?

2. Customizable. I only ordered mine with the optional drain plug and counter bored mount holes however there are several other options to choose from. If you have ever tried to drain a 14 bolt to change fluid after you went wheeling then you know why this is a must have option.

3. The uparmored cover was given a bulletproof rating by JP Magazine. Will stop all the following ammo rounds: .454 Casull, .460, 7.62, .303, .450, and finally 22-250. This actually doesn't matter to me at all but thought I would include it for fun. Here's the article should you want to read it: http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/trans ... roof-test/

Here is a coupon code for Great Lakes Offroad for 10% off your purchase.

PIRATE10

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