so is it possible to replace the diff cover without dropping the pumpkin completely out? no one seems to have a decisive answer to this question. my car is on ramps in the driveway and i cant get the cover off!!
Rear differential leaking? (also getting steering clicks)
- Thread starter rideelement247
- Start date
That's because the answer is YES, but it is a colossal PITA and actually easier to just drop the IRS sub frame out.... IMHO. Or at least one end of it.
Just did see mine leaking today 
Yeah just looked in the garage and had some spots and it's coming from the diff cover. I guess I'm somewhat relieved that so many people have had this problem, but still doesn't help with $$ part lol. I got 7900 miles on it now with the mods and hp in my sig.
So LPW is a good bang for the buck? Planning on going 15-17lbs on a 2.6 KB in the future and hope to be high 500s rwhp maybe crack 600 if i'm lucky :banana:...LPW still and okay choice for that power level? I'm kind of like the OP and don't want to go the cheap route where I'll have to go back over it time and time again, but don't want too much overkill which typically comes with a lot more $$$. Thanks in advance to any answers :burnout:
OP I feel your pain!
Yeah just looked in the garage and had some spots and it's coming from the diff cover. I guess I'm somewhat relieved that so many people have had this problem, but still doesn't help with $$ part lol. I got 7900 miles on it now with the mods and hp in my sig.
So LPW is a good bang for the buck? Planning on going 15-17lbs on a 2.6 KB in the future and hope to be high 500s rwhp maybe crack 600 if i'm lucky :banana:...LPW still and okay choice for that power level? I'm kind of like the OP and don't want to go the cheap route where I'll have to go back over it time and time again, but don't want too much overkill which typically comes with a lot more $$$. Thanks in advance to any answers :burnout:
OP I feel your pain!
Thanks for the sympathy lol. Little tiny maintenance issues and things like rear diffs and tie rods break my heart. Not to mention break my bank. Too bad mechanics won't work for supermarket gift cards since I got a few for xmas being a single college student living alone and all
What tool do I need to pop the rear diff fill plug off and what size? I have all the tools and am familiar with tools so don't worry I won't unbolt the tranny or anything crazy by accident
.Car has intake and catback exhaust. I plan on doing an upper pulley and tune at the VERY most. Gotta get a filter recharge kit and clean that sucker. TI intake shouldn't be too hard to take off hopefully. I remember installing a CAI on a 335i and wanting to shoot myself on how tight of a fit it was.
Anyways guys, again merry Christmas, happy holidays, feliz navidad, etc! Going to take my car out for a spin to think some issues over and just relax and take a well deserved break from everything:burnout:. Thanks for all the advice and help and will be pondering what to do with my diff as far as just a reseal or brand new cover while I'm up there. Keep throwing ideas out there on the steering clicks and how to isolate it (by myself preferably) and I will get under the car and try things out during this week.
Not to hard to remove & makes for A better job!
As a matter of fact I just topped mine off last month.I have a leak on the front seal not the back cover. Just use a 3/8" ratchet and take the plug out on the passengerside back of the rear and fill the rear until the oil starts to spill out.Make sure your car is level . I used an oil can with a built in finger pump and flex tube that I picked up from work. Made it real easy.
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That obviously isn't a picture of my car, but just using it to tell what I found last night playing around under the hood. Right where the two pieces connect (remember not a suspension/steering/rear end guy so I don't know the tech terms) there is a bushing between them. Bushing looks like sh*t, all compressed and crumbly and flaking off rubber. Bolt through it is also extremely rusted. Could this be the cause of the click noise? The car steers fine just makes noise, which makes me think it is a tie rod making the clicking noise. Should I replace that bushing or is it a non issue? Also checked powersteering fluid levels and not only is the fluid old and in need of a good flush/change but it looks like the do-dos overfilled it.
After some spirited driving last night, the rear diff was barely wet. Will be going under the car after the holidays when I can get it on a lift and squirt in fluid myself and see how much it needs.
bump?:shrug:
So is the reason we (03/04 cobra owners) have almost all had rear diff leak is from the power these cars make that is putting additional stress on the rear covers? Or do all 8.8 rears have this problem. I have two buddies with 04 Mach 1s (both modded a bit intake, tune, exhaust) and they have both had their rear diff leak on them.
A couple of my friends have diff leaks too on their mooses and say its nothing to really worry about as long as you don't go dry. Now just need to solve my steering click problem!!!
^wow that sucks,you may have a cracked cover or leaking seal.
Jeez, my sympathy goes out to you I would be so depressed. Only thing to do is rip it out again and recheck everything.
I feel you, saw dampness on the bottom of mine. Checked it out and saw it was the halfshaft seal but never had anything on the floor. Put the BF brace on, polished the exhaust, cut the springs and slapped it back together. Plan on pulling it all out next winter for the FTBR kit. All be damned I now have a spot on my garage floor from the pumpkin leaking and I have not even drove it yet. BAHH maybe a lil JB weld or equivalent to get me by lol Wonder if something like that would work??
What fluid does the diff take?
So no one is using fluid other than stock? :shrug:
There are two metal tags, one tells you diff specs, gear ratio etc. IE: 3:L55
The L is for traction lock in the ratio number.
The other metal tag is the fluid spec, because the is very little fluid in it, it gets hot as HELL! Ford specs a full synthetic 75w140 gear lube with friction modifier for the traction lock clutches.
So far my car doesn't drop one bit of diff fluid. Car has 22k on it. Also it's been sitting in storage for over two months with zero drops on the floor. Probably just a matter of time though. Makes me nervous to install lpw cover and bushings. I'm doing that as a precaution, I don't want a cracked diff cover.
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