Rear diff. cover and oil?

[JJMaine]

Hey guys something else I noticed probably being overly sensitive to every little noise because its a new to me vehicle. The engine is very quiet and sounds great but when I put it into drive (with my foot still on the brake) I can hear a slight knocking sound. It goes away when I put it back into park so Im guessing this is something to do with the transfer case, drive shaft or u joint?

Maybe its normal drive line noise as it isn't loud or “offensive” at all. Driving down the road its fine with just a bit of tire noise. My first rear wheel drive truck so Im not sure whats normal and what isn't. If the noise is indicative of something Id like to check it and have it fixed before it causes an issue.

 

[19Walt93]

I would drill out the broken bolt because I'd never leave out one fastener. If you decide to drill it, make sure there aren't any metal chips in it afterwards.
Thoroughly cleaning the gasket surface with brake cleaner and then resealing it, odds are it would never leak.

 

[JJMaine]

If I try, I'll do it before I remove the old cover to make sure nothing gets in. By the look of it, nobody ever tried they just left it. Maybe a few good whacks with a center punch, some PB blaster and a bolt extractor bit will allow me to get it right out?

 

[JJMaine]

Broken bolt came right out. I didnt even get a chance to try the easy out spiral bit. Just drilling it with the harbor freight left hand drill bit started backing it out. Thankfully it wasn't corroded in place.

 

[JJMaine]

I have been reading NOT to torque these Spicer/Dana bolts up to factory specs and to only use 20ft lbs would this be okay? I also have a Lube Locker gasket.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I don’t think I’ve ever actually used a torque wrench on the cover bolts except my green Ranger when I put the current cover on that has the support for the main caps. Usually I just snug them down. Never used a gasket either, just run a bead of Ultra Black or the newer green gear oil RTV around and zig-zag my way around the bolts to get them evenly snugged.

80/90 or 75/90 regular gear oil is fine for these. No need for 75/140 unless it’s a race application or heavy hauler (a Ranger isn’t built to be a heavy hauler). No need for synthetic oil either, but that is entirely user preference. Open rear, no need for friction modifier. You can put it in (and some gear oils have it in the oil already), but it doesn’t help or hurt. Limited slip rear it’s “recommended” to add the modifier to smooth out the action of the clutches, but not adding it will allow the clutches to grab harder. Oh, and if it’s an aftermarket gear driven limited slip, the modifier once again does nothing.

 

[JJMaine]

Excellent thanks! I like the idea of not using a torque wrench on these and just going by feel to snug them down.

 

[sgtsandman]

I torque mine and never had a problem. Though, people have been installing their differential covers and other parts without a torque wrench for a very long time.

 

[JJMaine]

Finally got it on with the Lube Locker gaskets. No leaks so far and I opted not to torque the bolts. I just tightened them little by little until I could feel the bolts "stretching" (not sure if they actually are but that's how it feels) and marked them with a paint pen to make sure they aren't coming loose.

I filled it up using the lower port which I think is correct? The diff is at a slight angle but not enough to make a huge difference in oil level.

I also had to trim the bracket because it wouldn't fit with the new cover.

 

[sgtsandman]

Finally got it on with the Lube Locker gaskets. No leaks so far and I opted not to torque the bolts. I just tightened them little by little until I could feel the bolts "stretching" (not sure if they actually are but that's how it feels) and marked them with a paint pen to make sure they aren't coming loose.

I filled it up using the lower port which I think is correct? The diff is at a slight angle but not enough to make a huge difference in oil level.

I also had to trim the bracket because it wouldn't fit with the new cover.
View attachment 116134

I still use the front fill port on the differential since it takes the guess work out of it. Technically, I could use the dipstick hole in the ARB cover I got but access is easier from the front of the diff and not having the spare in the way. The dip stick is just there to make sure the fluid isn't low that way.

For yours, I would fill from the front. Then pull the top fill plug to see where the fluid is at. If it's below the plug, try the lower and hope it doesn't make a mess. That will answer if either of the two plugs are reliable to filling the differential to the correct level.

 

[JJMaine]

I still use the front fill port on the differential since it takes the guess work out of it. Technically, I could use the dipstick hole in the ARB cover I got but access is easier from the front of the diff and not having the spare in the way. The dip stick is just there to make sure the fluid isn't low that way.

For yours, I would fill from the front. Then pull the top fill plug to see where the fluid is at. If it's below the plug, try the lower and hope it doesn't make a mess. That will answer if either of the two plugs are reliable to filling the differential to the correct level.

Thanks, I will double check it with the front fill port. I assumed that the bottom port on the cover was the same but it doest hurt to check!

 

[superj]

i used the front factory fill port on my 8.8 because the one on the cover had a quart to much fluid in the diff, when i changed to my motor sport clone

 

[JJMaine]

On mine the lower fill plug looks like it would be just in line with the factory port IF the diff sat level front to back on the truck. The rear of the diff is angled down slightly so I should have slightly less than if I had filled from the factory port.

 

[sgtsandman]

On mine the lower fill plug looks like it would be just in line with the factory port IF the diff sat level front to back on the truck. The rear of the diff is angled down slightly so I should have slightly less than if I had filled from the factory port.

As long as there is enough to get everything lubricated. The ring gear fligs gear oil to the pinion bearings and the back wash goes into the tubes to lubricate the outer bearings. Too much fluid inhibits the splash and fling and will eventually work it's way out the vent tube. I had that happen once. I might have had the front of the truck up on ramps at the time and over filled the differential as a result but I don't remember the cause. The vent was spitting out gear oil for a little while until the level got down to where it is supposed to be. On the plus side, I know the breather tube isn't blocked.

 

[JJMaine]

You were right though, I parked on a flat parking lot and took the front fill plugs out and it was low. I brought a bottle of gear oil with me and filled it the rest of the way. It took maybe 1/3 quart. At least I know unit is right where it should be now.

I will just fill it from there as it was easier to tip the bottles up to squeeze the oil in without the spare tire in the way