Leaking Rear Differential
- Thread starter wperk
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It is leaking from the housing, no one place as far as I can see. The rust is pretty profound. What should I expect if the dif fluid gets too low?
Thank you for your response. I am fairly new to posting on the forum and don't seem to draw as many responses as others. I thought I was doing something wrong.
It is leaking from the housing, no one place as far as I can see. The rust is pretty profound. What should I expect if the dif fluid gets too low?
Thank you for your response. I am fairly new to posting on the forum and don't seem to draw as many responses as others. I thought I was doing something wrong.
XJeepguy
Member
004Gunner
New member
If the level gets too low then you will have a build up of heat which, worst case scenario, will scorch the gears. Before you get to that point, I would expect to hear some chattering from the rear. It sounds like you need to replace the center third of the rear diff regardless, but in the mean time I would clean it up as best as possible. This will allow you to monitor the severity of the leak as well as maybe help you pinpoint the exact location. Go to a hardware store and pick up 2 cheap paint brushes, a strong degreaser, and naval jelly. Degrease using the paint brush to work it in and then rinse off the diff. Once it is dry, slop the naval jelly all over the rust with the other paint brush, you may need to apply it more than once, and rinse off the jelly. See how clean you can get it and hit the filler plug with a penetrating oil like PB blaster and it should help break it free. If the edges of the filler plug start rounding off, stop immediately and try using vise grips. Hopefully you can get the filler plug off so you can check the fluid level and refill if necessary.
Actually, the carrier bearings will probably fail first.
Wperk, is it possible for you to snap a picture of the problem and post up? It might be a simple solution. I doubt that the third member is rusted bad enough to destroy the plug.
Kmvreter
New member
Isn't the plug in the top/back of the axle housing, not the third member? Clean it off good as suggested above and then take a pic to show if the leak is at the seal or from rust through the axle housing.
Yeah, but I was assuming that his third member is just as rusted as the rest of the axle housing. Sorry for the confusing terminology...
pc_tech_ohio
New member
2001 sr5 same thing
The rear differential housing on my 2001 is rusted as all get out and has a really slow leak (unless hot then it's a drip every 10 secs). There are no boneyards withing 100's of miles of here that would have a 2001 4runner in them. I read somewhere on line one guy took all the rust off and used some type of epoxy to fill the pinholes.... I may try that but have to check gear oil level first.
The rear differential housing on my 2001 is rusted as all get out and has a really slow leak (unless hot then it's a drip every 10 secs). There are no boneyards withing 100's of miles of here that would have a 2001 4runner in them. I read somewhere on line one guy took all the rust off and used some type of epoxy to fill the pinholes.... I may try that but have to check gear oil level first.
I really dont know why you guys are so worried about the axle housings....they are not going to rust through before things like the frame and body. The third members and housings are MUCH thicker than the frame and body.
Fix your leak first. If it continues, you'll kill the bearings and destroy the gears and possibly other parts of the axle. Then you'll really need to replace the housing...
Fix your leak first. If it continues, you'll kill the bearings and destroy the gears and possibly other parts of the axle. Then you'll really need to replace the housing...
KellyJ
New member
Check this out, the same thing should apply:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1eb_5lR97Q&feature=channel_page
Start the vid at 3:50 :hunter:
This video is no longer available, I have a 96 ltd with significant rust on the rear differential as well, and was overall planning on doing a similar coating of the entire thing. Could you please let me know what this video used/did?
Wperk, how did things work out for you? I too am hesitant about pulling my plug for fear of not getting it back in.
I am going to take a crack at the pinion seal(where it is leaking) this weekend, but will need to fill with more oil at some point.
BrianSD_42
New member
I think that guy was NelsonMD. he is around, usually with a Patrick Stewart avatar.
BTW, are you sure that it isn't the rear axel seals leaking?
It would be a lot easier to help if this thread had pics.
:spider:
Nelsonmd
New member
I'm around, and so is Jean luc...
ChiRish, if I were you, I wouldn't bother with the naval jelly. I bought 2 bottles of it and I have been very disappointed with how little rust it actually removes. I ended up taking an angle grinder with a twisted wire attachment and physically removing the rust. It goes so much quicker this way.
Before you bother with any of that though, you need to make sure you have enough gear oil, so you need to get the fill plug off. Clean it up as best you can, soak it with PB-blaster or similar penetrating oil, and go at it with a 6-point socket. Mine was rusted so much that I ended up grinding it down to almost a 15/16, pounded on the 15/16 socket and hit it with a breaker bar.
Once you get it off, pull the drain plug and check the oil and plug for metal flakes. Any chunks and you already have problems with the diff, if it looks almost like metallic fluid, then you are fine. Anyway, replace the plugs and grind off all the rust from the diff cover area, which should reveal the holes, you may have multiple. Sand the area around the holes to roughen the metal, degrease, then use either traditional JB weld, or JB weld putty. I used the putty because my holes were big enough I didn't want the JB weld to flow inside the diff. Once you are all patched fill it with oil, make sure you got all the holes, then paint over the area with a good rust inhibiting paint like POR-15 (be sure to follow direction for prep).
The JB weld should last at least 8 months or so. I rode mine for a couple months, and I read of other guys running theirs for 14+ months and counting, so it may vary a bit.
Check out some of the other rust threads here, there are several options for fixing it, with different costs and advantages. Click on my build thread in my signature, I think I link to a couple of the best rust threads from there.
BTW, where in Mass are you located? I am in Watertown. I'd be happy to meet up and help you with it.
