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Yeah, I've done it in my Jeep before and that is how I remember the whole experience. Bad smelling.
The gear oil stinks, it is the XL3 that is the worst smelling stuff. It is gear oil x 10.
Also, I have never used a gasket, I just use RTV gasket maker (they make one specifically for differentials). 20+ diffs done over the years and never had one leak.
The gear oil stinks, it is the XL3 that is the worst smelling stuff. It is gear oil x 10.
Also, I have never used a gasket, I just use RTV gasket maker (they make one specifically for differentials). 20+ diffs done over the years and never had one leak.
Yeah, this will be my first experience with the XL3 so we'll see. I used friction modifier twice before on our Jeeps but I don't recall any particular smell from them specifically. Just the overall smell of the job was pretty bad. XL3 comes on Monday along with
the LubeLocker gasket. I used a LubeLocker on the Dana 44 on our 2001 Grand Cherokee and liked it so I thought I'd try it again on the F150. Hopefully I can get to it this next week sometime. It's been raining quite a bit lately. Wife picked up some Royal Purple gear oil on the way home from work on Friday because "it was pretty" so hopefully the differential likes it.
This was actually the first time I changed my rear diff fluid (changed it a 2nd time when I had to pull an axle).
I had it drained, cleaned and RTV gasket put on, then it started pouring. It actually worked out OK since I had to wait for the RTV to skin over before installing.
I have used several friction modifiers before, and none have smelled like the XL3.
Just to finish this up. I finally got around to changing the oil. Used 75W/140 Royal Purple. It had the limited slip additive in it already so I haven't used the XL3 yet. Seems to be working fine without it so far so we'll see if I need to add any.
Used the Lubelocker gasket and it seems to be working fine. No leaks. I started to clean all the rust off of it but my hands just got too tired so I sprayed it with some rust destroyer stuff, let it dry, threw some black engine paint on it. You can still see the pits on it but
at least it looks better than it did. Maybe next time (if the truck last long enough to be a next time) I'll grind it down and get rid of all the rust. I just didn't really see the point in doing all the work as I found a new painted one online for super cheap so maybe I'll just buy a new
one next time. As for how much gear oil it took...it seemed to have taken 2 quarts exactly. I was getting worried I was going to have to go get another one and as I was pumping in the last few pumps and sucking air it started coming out the hole.
Since this truck is new to me I have been wondering how well the previous owner took care of it. He was a Marine and it seems like he was very good with the maintenance. He wrote when he changed spark plugs and fluids with a grease pen on the fan shroud.
I found black and blue sealant on the rear differential and whoever did it last used a paper gasket so it looks like it's been changed at least 3 times previously.
That diff. cover looks great compared to how it appeared in the original picture. I note from my owner's manual at page 216: "Your vehicle’s rear axle is filled with a synthetic rear axle lubricant and is considered lubricated for life. These lubricants do not need to be checked or changed unless a leak is suspected, service is required or the axle assembly has been submerged in water. The axle lubricant should be changed any time the rear axle has been submerged in water." Unless you off-road in wet areas, I expect you should be good for as long as you own the truck!
That diff. cover looks great compared to how it appeared in the original picture. I note from my owner's manual at page 216: "Your vehicle’s rear axle is filled with a synthetic rear axle lubricant and is considered lubricated for life. These lubricants do not need to be checked or changed unless a leak is suspected, service is required or the axle assembly has been submerged in water. The axle lubricant should be changed any time the rear axle has been submerged in water." Unless you off-road in wet areas, I expect you should be good for as long as you own the truck!
Yeah, I saw/read the lubricated for life thing but there are two reasons I wanted to change it. 1. The truck is new to me so I'm changing all the fluids so I know what's in there and I know when it was done last and 2. There was a little bit of chatter/skipping when things got warmed up coming from a dead stop while turning. One of my Jeeps did this after I had some work done on the axle and they didn't put the friction modifier in there or they didn't put enough. I ended up changing the fluid and adding the proper amount of friction modifier and that fixed the issue so I thought I'd try it with this truck and it seems to have taken care of it.
That diff. cover looks great compared to how it appeared in the original picture. I note from my owner's manual at page 216: "Your vehicle’s rear axle is filled with a synthetic rear axle lubricant and is considered lubricated for life. These lubricants do not need to be checked or changed unless a leak is suspected, service is required or the axle assembly has been submerged in water. The axle lubricant should be changed any time the rear axle has been submerged in water." Unless you off-road in wet areas, I expect you should be good for as long as you own the truck!
Serious BS, - lubricated for a very short life is more like it. So nope, untrue as all rear gear oil breaks down eventually and needs servicing. If you ignore it, these trucks will eventually shake severely at highway speeds making it a safety hazard for every around you, yourself included. Synthetic rear gear oil begins breaking down after 65,000 miles with these truck.
I would still add the XL3, these LS are known to be very picky if not enough or wrong type is used.
the second time I did mine I also started to clean the cover, but as you found it takes a long time. after like 5 minutes and no progress, I just put it back on as is.
As for "lifetime" fluid, lifetime has many meanings. Warranty lifetime, lifetime ends when it fails?
Yes the synthetic 75w-140 will last for a long time, longer than conventional oils.
100,000 to 150,000 miles is a good time frame to change IMO. It will not harm anything to do it, and could potentially cause harm if you don't.
For the $30-50 or so it costs to do it yourself, not a bad thing to do.
I would still add the XL3, these LS are known to be very picky if not enough or wrong type is used.
the second time I did mine I also started to clean the cover, but as you found it takes a long time. after like 5 minutes and no progress, I just put it back on as is.
As for "lifetime" fluid, lifetime has many meanings. Warranty lifetime, lifetime ends when it fails?
Yes the synthetic 75w-140 will last for a long time, longer than conventional oils.
100,000 to 150,000 miles is a good time frame to change IMO. It will not harm anything to do it, and could potentially cause harm if you don't.
For the $30-50 or so it costs to do it yourself, not a bad thing to do.
Yeah, it was a lot more work than I wanted to do if I was going to get it down to clean/bare metal. Especially since a new one is so cheap. The work didn't justify the cost of replacing it so I just sprayed it with the rust destroyer and gave it a good coat of paint and called it good.
I was thinking maybe I'll put half the XL3 in there since I have it. It hasn't been slipping at all so I've been hesitant to add it. I was afraid mixing the two modifiers might be bad.
I am glad I changed it because it looked like what I would call spent oil. It didn't look new in any way. I didn't see much metal in it if any at all though and there didn't seem to be much or any on the magnet/plug either so that's good in my book.
I'm going to do the transmission fluid next and then the front differential.
Added the XL3 this morning. You guys are right. That stuff smelled like liquid death. It was in a bag and I could smell it outside the bag a little but when I opened it. WOW! Then I opened the bottle and it was tons worse.
I went ahead and did the front axle while I was under there. It was much easier since it had a drain plug. The oil in there wasn't nearly as bad as the back. It was still transparent unlike the rear oil. I went with Mobil1 75W/90 on the 8.8 front axle.
Advance Auto has 20% off this weekend (Memorial Day) so it only was about $20 to do it and it took just under 2 quarts.
I'm assuming the front 8.8 doesn't need the XL3 right?
05-19-2019, 11:15 AM
