Weeping gear oil (rear diff)

Still no answer to the question of why does gear oil travel up the vent tube, and leak all over the garage floor. The level in the diff housing is quarter inch below fill hole. Bad oil? bad rear end? pressure? heat? abscense of gravity in that region?

Greg

It was just changed three weeks ago, could it be that bad??

Thanks guys,

Greg Earle Hort> That's what I'm thinking too. The fix is to remove the cover, clean the

That's what I'm thinking too. The fix is to remove the cover, clean the contaminated fluid out, and put fresh fluid of the correct type in there. Removing all of the contaminated fluid can be a problem, depending on what is actually in it. I think the real question is, "What did the local quick lube place do to this poor fellow's vehicle?"

It's messy to change your own fluids, but then again this sort of thing hardly ever happens when you do.

Earle

Heh, I am thinking that there is a chance they put engine oil in there by mistake. I think you want to calmly explain to the lube shop service manager what you told us, and that it started when you had them service the vehicle. Then maybe he can figure something out.

Earle

I think what everyone is trying to tell you is either take it back to quickie lube and have them do it correctly with gear lube that isn't derived from Red Chinese recycled waste tractor oil or buy some American made gear lube and do it correctly yourself.

In either case you need to actually have the differential open. To do that you have to remove the 10 bolts that hold the cover on so you can look inside and see what is going on. You do not want to just drain and refill through the fill hole.

All you need is a wrench and a tube of RTV.

If you do go to quickie lube take your lawn chair open it up and watch as the tech works.... better yet take a video camera and film everything he does and get close-ups of the labels on all the containers they use....

This is how the Quickie Lubes do business. Unfortunately this behavior is not the exception, it is the norm.....

Wrong stuff leaking?

Mike

Hmmm. Let me see if I heard this all straight:

1. Skippy Lube puts incorrect/cheap lube in differential case without performing the service properly, and most likely just did a 'pump-n-dump' with a suction gun.
2. You discover that they used incorrect/cheap lube when it all comes foaming out the overflow tube.
3. You then take it BACK to Skippy Lube.
4. After hearing the complaint, Skippy Lube Illiterates tell you they will:

a. Not remove the housing cover, clean, inspect and reseal.

b. Replace the incorrect/cheap lube with MORE incorrect/cheap lube.

c. Send you on your way, presumably fixing the problem.

Interesting. I would bet you a week's-pay that they also underfilled it this time around so that the incorrect/cheap lube won't find its way out of the overflow so easiliy, fooling you into thinking they suddendly grew a conscience and were regretful at having performed such deficient service.

My advice mirror's others here: do it yourself if you want it done right. It takes about an hour of your time to slide under, disassemble, clean, seal and fill a differential. I would * NEVER * trust Skippy Lube morons with any of my equipment.

Just out of curiosity .... what do these places charge?

Oh, they actually popped the cover and cleaned everything up first? Good deal. I doubt they do this unless you're watching AND complain when they do a typical pump-n-dump.

True story: my late Father-in-law watched a Skippy Lube outfit change the oil filter then add one quart of oil to top off. THAT is what they consider an "Oil Change" around here. I've seen worse. Much worse. You'd do well to avoid them altogether.

All he has to do is smell it. Engine oil and gear oil smell differently. And good gear oil has a strong odor.

Dan

There probably isn't one he could see-they probably buy it in bulk, in barrels, and pump it in through a tube.

Dan