Worst experience to date:

dec322 · Apr 11, 2006

Rear Differential Fluid Change.

Everything was fine until I tried to fill it back up. What a PAIN!! The hose I bought was too long and the bottles are way to big. I ended up getting a smaller bottle and used it to fill the it up. Here is my tech question:
I would "fill it up" and when I pulled the bottle out fluid would begin to pour out....I guess it was coming from the fill hole but I couldn't tell (I was soaked at this point). I know I was making it in the hole but when I put my finger in I can't really feel any fluid. I used around 2 1/2 to 3 bottles. Alot was pouring out on the ground. Now here is my question for real: How much fluid do yall use? Does this experience sound normal? Any guideance?

dragnazz5.0 · Apr 11, 2006

sounds about right. i think you should be good depending on how much fluid is actually on the ground. if you got 2 1/2 bottles in there thats cool...but if you used 2 1/2 bottles and 2 of those bottles are on the ground than thats not good.

dec322 · Apr 11, 2006

Well, I used close to three and I'd say that about a quarter is still on my driveway.

What is up with the smell. It could be the nastiest thing thats ever entered my nose. I got the fluid all over me and every time I move I smell it again. Is that normal?

JBeezy53 · Apr 11, 2006

Sounds pretty normal to me. That smell just lingers and is a pain to get rid of.

stang8urimport · Apr 11, 2006

LOL, yes... Diff fluid has the worst smell ever.. If you got it on your clothes... don't even wash them... Throw them away... The smell will never come out.

Roland69 · Apr 11, 2006

you should have used a fluid transfer pump lol.

HISSIN50 · Apr 12, 2006

Dry your finger off and dip it into the hole (I have to contort to get my pinky to fit and bend downward). If you dip the pinky tip (try not to let it touch the case) and it comes up with fluid all around it (I say all around in case one side of your finger touches the case), chances are that it's pretty full.

Shakerhood · Apr 12, 2006

You can always fill through the vent plug hole and when it runs out the fill plug its full, will save you aggrivation. I use a Girdle out back and it has a fill plug on it so it a piece of cake!

HISSIN50 · Apr 12, 2006

Shakerhood said:
You can always fill through the vent plug hole and when it runs out the fill plug its full, will save you aggrivation. I use a Girdle out back and it has a fill plug on it so it a piece of cake!

Show off.

I'm just jealous.

Oh, we wont discuss your Ford spring compressors.

stang8urimport · Apr 12, 2006

I have a girdle on my car JUST FOR THAT REASON!

squeeeg · Apr 12, 2006

Roland69 said:
you should have used a fluid transfer pump lol.

That was the best $3.99 I have ever spent on my car. I ended up giving it to a friend for his shop. He originaly thought he would never use it and they would just throw it out eventually. He called about a week later thanking me for it. I still see it around there all the time. Moral of the story. Buy a cheap fluid pump.

dec322 · Apr 12, 2006

squeeeg said:
That was the best $3.99 I have ever spent on my car. I ended up giving it to a friend for his shop. He originaly thought he would never use it and they would just throw it out eventually. He called about a week later thanking me for it. I still see it around there all the time. Moral of the story. Buy a cheap fluid pump.

I thought I bought one. The thing I bought screwed onto the top of the bottle and a hose would go into the fill hole. The sucky part is that I still had to hold the bottle up high in order to get the fluid to flow. The hose was too long and I had to cut about 6 inches off in order to get it to kinda work.

I want to get under the car and check to see if I filled it up but at this point I'm scared of the smell. I took two showers after washing my hands about 10 times. I just got up this morning and I'm scared to go to work b/c someone might be able to smell it.

TRWXXA · Apr 12, 2006

Unless you have a differential cover that increases the oil capapcity, it should take about 2 quarts of lube and 4 ounces of friction modifer to bring the level up to the point where it starts to spill out of the fill hole (a little less if the vehicle is jacked up at the rear only).

I like the smell of gear lube. It's the friction modifer that'll curl your nosehair. And, the smell never goes away.

dec322 · Apr 12, 2006

TRWXXA said:
Unless you have a differential cover that increases the oil capapcity, it should take about 2 quarts of lube and 4 ounces of friction modifer to bring the level up to the point where it starts to spill out of the fill hole (a little less if the vehicle is jacked up at the rear only).

I like the smell of gear lube. It's the friction modifer that'll curl your nosehair. And, the smell never goes away.

I didn't add any friction modifier b/c the stuff I used didn't require it. Maybe the stink was from the old stuff....maybe the previous owner used it.

The Shape · Apr 12, 2006

I know this is bad, but I have never changed my diff. oil. How often should it be changed anyway. I did check it about six months ago and it was full, but that is as for as I went.

TRWXXA · Apr 12, 2006

dec322 said:
I didn't add any friction modifier b/c the stuff I used didn't require it. Maybe the stink was from the old stuff....maybe the previous owner used it.

If you think the stuff stinks after it's mixed into the gear oil, you should smell it on its own. Powerful stuff.

I think Ford calls for 2 quarts of gear lube, but it takes just a little more than that to get it to the bottom of the fill hole. Not sure what the recommended change interval is, but it's a pretty easy job, so I do it once a year -- 12K - 15K miles. I'm sure the recommended interval is higher than that.

HISSIN50 · Apr 13, 2006

Most of the time, the rear end lube has no useful service life. If running a synthetic on a not too abused machine, I could seriously see going 75-100K miles on a change.

The Shape · Apr 13, 2006

HISSIN50 said:
Most of the time, the rear end lube has no useful service life. If running a synthetic on a not too abused machine, I could seriously see going 75-100K miles on a change.

JT what did you mean by usefull service life?? You mean there isn't a recommended mileage/age to change the fluid just depends on conditions or.......?????

HISSIN50 · Apr 13, 2006

Yep, there isnt a set maintenance interval, and the fluid is good for quite some time (I think back at that time, per the owners manual they were considering the rear-end fluid to be like Manual trans fluid, and saying it was basically never needing to be changed).
Now we all know better, but gear oil is gear oil - it can last for a good bit of time given its nature and the conditions in which it works.

The Shape · Apr 13, 2006

Ok Gotcha

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