omg did that really happen

T

tjschmidt

New member
ok so I went to change the oil in my rear differential last night, (98, v6, manual trans,) The gear oil I used wasnt quite long enough for me to tip it up and get all of it out so I had a brilliant idea, get a rubber hose and shove it on the end. Well right when it gets full I pull it out and as you probably guessed the dam hose fell into the fill hole. Now I've been doing my own mechanics for many years, had my share of knuckle busters, stripped bolts, head scratchers, etc, etc, but this has gotta be the biggest WTF moment. I tried getting it out with a wire but I cant even feel it. Tried draining it all back out hoping it would work itself out the drain hole, then adding more to I guess flush it out but nothing. I cant even see it with a light.
I guess what im asking is, what will happen if i dont get it out and drive it? I know it was stupid so if ya please, I dont need to hear you tell me that. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
 
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Personally I wouldn't take any chance of it getting ground up by the gears. I would pull the diff cover, and just remove it.

:worthless
 
Hyde802 said:
No diff cover on toyotas.... Gotta pull the 3rd.
Click to expand...

Thanks Hyde802 - I had a blond moment. Not enough coffee I guess.

I just had a brain storm. The OP could buy/rent/borrow a bore scope (has an attachment for snagging lost parts), and grab it.

1596_wireless_handheld_borescope2.jpg


:bravo:
 
Sounds like you might get to experience what pulling a 3rd is like.. Do not drive with it in there, catastrophic failure will be in your future if you do. Try what the guy above me said and find it with a scoping device through the fill plug hole. Then take a hanger in through the drain plug hole and play doctor. Best advice I can give ya, aside from pulling the 3rd. Good luck!

-J
 
Wait - what kind of rubber are we talking about? If it's surgical tubing or something similarly flimsy, I'd put the back on jackstands, put the truck in gear, and let the gears chew it up. Run it for a couple minutes like that, flush it out and refill, and Bobs your uncle.

Anything sturdier than that though, and I'd pull the third and take it out.
 
that's true no cover or it would have been off, thanx for the input tho. The camera is great idea I'll have to do some searching on prices or see if I can rent one. I can't imagine those things are reasonably priced. I've been at it all morning and still can't even feel it yet. I do have some more useless modded tools though, (ugh) I'll let y know how it turns out
 
tjschmidt said:
that's true no cover or it would have been off, thanx for the input tho. The camera is great idea I'll have to do some searching on prices or see if I can rent one. I can't imagine those things are reasonably priced. I've been at it all morning and still can't even feel it yet. I do have some more useless modded tools though, (ugh) I'll let y know how it turns out
Click to expand...

Wireless Inspection Camera - Great Deals on Wireless Inspection Cameras at Harbor Freight

It may be absolute crap, but you only need it once :)
 
Take some duct tape and roll it backwards onto a flexible rod and fish it in. Make contact with something, apply a little pressure and remove it slowly. Might have the change the tape a few times to keep it sticky with the oil being on it.

Worse case you loose the tape and have to remove..........but that might be happening anyway.
 
Ok here's the latest. I ended up picking up one of those bore scope cameras at harbor freight. Looks very similar to the one in riffs post "EXCEPT" the one I got had a little bit bigger camera head on it. So after a couple hours or better fishing it around trying to get it into where I could see anything, even tried rolling the rig a little while I was looking inside I still saw nothing. It wouldnt fit in the drain hole but with the little mirror attachment it came with I think I saw it. Im not sure but if it was, its in the gears. Rolling it probably wasnt the smartest thing but it sounded good at the time. So I tried again rolling it while watching what I think is it but its not moving. aaahhhhh......... yes I no. Its time.
I tell ya this has gotta be my most expensive, time consuming and labor intensive rear end oil change. I guess i better get to pulling some axels :redbrick:
 
Excuse my ignorance guys, but I just gotta ask. When you say "pull the 3rd". What is the third?. I realize the rear end doesn't have an axle cover and to get to the into the diff you would have to drop the driveshaft but I'm just unfamiliar with what exactly "the third" is.

It might be a stupid question but be easy on me, my 4runner is my first vehicle with a rear diff.
 
heres my opinion: the third member is the assembly bolted to the front of the differential housing. theres the pinion shaft, ring and pinion gears, the drive shaft yolk and bearings are all in there. the axles go into it. And unlike the typical chevy rear where the carrier is part of the axle housing the 3rd member is removable.
If im wrong please feel free to correct me, thats just how I know it
 
I would think if the tube was just plain rubber or silicone tube you could just run the truck for a few miles and then drain and refill. The rubber will not be hard enough to hurt your gears, and once it is chewed up a bit it should drain out. My guess is it may get split into a couple chunks and fall to the bottom of the housing.

We have built and wheeled several rock buggies, and when you are running a 14 bolt GM axle with no fill plug you have to get creative when you need to pull the diff cover to replace a broken axle. One very common method is to fill a balloon or zip lock bag with gear oil and cram it in the housing. after you bolt the cover back on, the balloon or bag bursts and you are good to go. The small plastics or rubber are shredded and never cause a single problem.

Just my to cents, I only took the time to post this because I fell bad for ya. I know how bad that moment is when you just sit and stare, trying to come to terms with what just went down.

Good Luck.
 
That I don't know. I guess maybe its a better design. I do know that Toyota is not the only ones that use a 3rd, a lot of manufacturers go this way on at least some of there models.
 
lol, I'm still in shock. I keep wanting to think that too but the hose is a bit stiffer than normal tubing. It was an old gas line from a quad. still a rubber hose it wasn't braided or anything. You still think it won't screw anything up then? I just got home and was heading out to rip into the ***** now. Dragging my feet a lot too cause I really don't wanna, but can't afford to replace it either.
 
Maybe jack up the rear end and spin the tires by hand? The hose may move up to where you can reach it, or you can see how it reacts with the gears
 
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