Could use a little help!! 2013 Platinum 4x4 used fairly hard when driven. 65K and now out of warranty. Time to put Amsoil in every hole. Saw that it would be tight, but now that I have the front diff drained of the grey goo, I cant get the cover off! Been thinking of grinding the aluminum electric power steering harness tabs off the steering assembly, but not sure it that will give me enough room. Have seen a vague post that you can loosen front diff mounting bolts, support diff with jack and lower diff "enough" to get cover off, clean, and replace. Any thoughts? This thing is dead in the driveway but luckily I have a 200k mile 3rd gen 4Runner that has drain plugs from the factory to get me around while I try to figure this out. Thanks in advance.

MAJ Stew Brown

 

So....I went to talk to a Ford tech today at the local dealership and he indicated I would need to drop the diff and potentially drop the electric steering assembly as well in order to change the front diff fluid. That's what I'm doing tomorrow. Funny that there were no takers on here with the above post...not even to call me an idiot for trying to change "lifetime" fluid.

 

How about getting a cover with a drain plug first, and then schedule the work for a date after the part arrives. There is a company called Purple Cranium that makes them. It's a Ford 8.8" .

http://purplecranium.com/i-63199-for...o-mustang.html

Looks like $43 plus shipping, just be sure to click on the "add a drain plug" option.

 

I agree, this isn[t like old times.
Nobody's under the truck anymore.

Lifetime fluid is a funny name for what's happening. It's "plausible enough" that nobody questions it.

It implies that the fluid is good for a "lifetime".
It depends what you think "lifetime" means.
It means the "vehicle's lifetime", which will be pretty long, like 150k+, but the diff sustains damage from running 150k in its contaminated "bedding in" trash.
It ensures that the diff "has a lifetime", as opposed to "lasting forever".
As it would if you dumped out the bedding in trash at 5k miles, and then changed it every 30 or so after.
If you simply dumped out the bedding in trash at ~10k and then ran the whole 150k it would be much better condition at 160k.

Ford needs to satisfy the original purchaser, then get that dang truck off the road, so they can sell another truck.
If people changed the diff oil, the diff would last forever, and that's not good because they have already satisfied the original purchaser, and don't need to do any favors for the subsequent owners.

That's a good suggestion about getting the cover with the drain.
But I just sucked the oil out thru the filler and it was pretty darn easy.
You don't get all the oil out, and you can't wipe it clean, but you can just change the oil more often.
'Cuz it's easy.

Not as easy as a Toyota, which has a drain.