Front Pumpkin Leak

[sr3tlaw]

Hey Guys. I've heard it referred to as a "pumpkin" but I believe it's either the differential or maybe the transfer case? I noticed this leak when I was doing regular maintenance.

What sort of problem am I looking at here? This looks expensive.

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[Bumbo]

That is the front differential... and yes it looks like its leaking.

Doesn't quite look like it’s leaking from the clam-shell itself. Perhaps it is, but I would also look at the side the axle goes into since it seems that could also be the origin.

 

[sr3tlaw]

That is the front differential... and yes it looks like its leaking.

Doesn't quite look like it’s leaking from the clam-shell itself. Perhaps it is, but I would also look at the side the axle goes into since it seems that could also be the origin.

Thank you sir! So there's a chance it could be the busted CV axle I know needs replacing? The front diff normally doesn't have issues I assume?

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[nuron]

Thank you sir! So there's a chance it could be the busted CV axle I know needs replacing? The front diff normally doesn't have issues I assume?

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It's probably like mine in that it's the axle seal leaking. I'm waiting until my CV boots tear and then doing the axles and seals at the same time. Mine isn't a daily driver and doesn't seem to be leaking that much so we'll see.

 

[bob3dsf]

I agree with nuron, look at the oil seal on the drivers side. If you have to replace the CV axle, you'll want to put in a new oil seal anyway (it is all on the same side, right?). It could also be the drain plug, I suppose.... have you changed your gear oil recently? Just trying to rule out easy stuff before you tackle more involved procedures. However, replacing a CV axle isn't really thst hard.... fyi.

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[TowMeOut]

That same leak sent me down a rabbit hole. Most likely it's the driver's side seal. It's not a difficult repair but you have to pull the CV axle which can be somewhat of a pain.

In the process of the repair I damaged the seal in the steering knuckle so ended up replacing that too. When reinstalling the axle one of the rollers from the differential bearing popped loose. So....I ended up pulling the bearing and replacing it with the bushing setup from East Coast Gear Supply.

So...don't be a dummy like me. Be VERY careful and take your time. Hopefully you don't wreck anything else. In hindsight my leak was very minor. If I did it again I'd just hose it down with some degreaser and refill the differential. Keep it topped off at each oil change unless the leak gets much worse (leaving spots on the driveway, etc.).

Wait until you need to do other CV work to fix the seal then just do everything at once.

 

[Spriter]

If you haven't repaired it yet or discovered the source of the leak. Clean off the diff and your Axles, then wait a day or two to see where the new leak comes from.

This will allow you to trace where the leak is coming from, because in the picture it seems to be too grimey/fluid covered to really tell anymore.

I know ive had a case where the axle had a tiny metal fragment that was cutting up the axle seal and the oil would drip to the lowest point in the assembly, that being the differential and then appear as if it was the differential that was leaking.