Differential seal question

[Brock]

On my tri drive, my middle diff is leaking at the bottom where the pumpkin bolts to the banjo housing so I need to slide the diff forward a bit and re silicone it.... Question is there any leeway without removing the axle shafts? Can the pumpkin slide out even a half inch, enough to get a silicone tip in there?

Today I did a bad wheel seal on the same axle and it took a very very long time to get the axle out the one side as the cones in the axle studs were seized in there solid! Had to fight to remove some and fight even harder to remove the stud on others...... If I could get away with not opening the other side, they would be great ...,.... But I doubt it.

[Chamberpains]

You may find that you can do what you say by a little bit with some pry bars. Your problem is going to be the oil coming out of the rear is going to constantly be on the seal surface and not getting enough of a gap to get sealant up high enough. It may be an exercise in futility to even try. Cleaning it real well, retorquing all the bolts and sealing from the outside may be a better route.

But if your headstrong on trying, your best bet is to drain the oil out real close to a very Steep Hill. After the oil is out drive it up the incline and let it sit for a long time. That keeps the oil left in at the back of the pumpkin housing.

I suspect that either 1 of these ideas are temporary so your time may be better spent doing it the right way the 1st time, biting the bullet and not having to worry about it after.

[Rawze]

I wonder what caused the leak to start with?.
Abuse?
Age?
overheat?
road debris?

that is what would concern me first.

[Brock]

(05-26-2018 )Rawze Wrote:  I wonder what caused the leak to start with?.
Abuse?
Age?
overheat?
road debris?

that is what would concern me first.

Abuse I am sure, these are 69,000lbs axles on a monster of a truck and this thing gets beat up pretty bad. It is often pulling hard out of mud holes with 6 way lockers engaged or in winter locked up climbing hills at high speeds.

Trucks a 06 and I've owned it for a year with no prior history so I am not sure on the age of the diff or seal but it's just the cost of doing business out here.

[Hammerhead]

(05-26-2018 )Rawze Wrote:  I wonder what caused the leak to start with?.
Abuse?
Age?
overheat?
road debris?

that is what would concern me first.

(05-26-2018 )Brock Wrote:  Abuse I am sure, these are 69,000lbs axles on a monster of a truck and this thing gets beat up pretty bad. It is often pulling hard out of mud holes with 6 way lockers engaged or in winter locked up climbing hills at high speeds.

Trucks a 06 and I've owned it for a year with no prior history so I am not sure on the age of the diff or seal but it's just the cost of doing business out here.

That's just tri-drive life Rawze. The things some of these off road work guys do would make most guys heads spin.
It's also a product of torque load time, my front one is starting to do the same thing.
Hard work realities.

Drain the oil Brock, and you have no choice but to pull the axles. Loosen but don't completely undo the banjo bolts, and the rear yoke, slide the diff forward on the studs and use the old farmers trick...
Plastic baler twine.
Yup, you read that right!
Two or three wraps around the opening and have the ends begin and end at the top. On one of the wraps go around each bolt, I do it on the first wrap. The plastic crushes into place, and after a good heat cycle, when it cools down overnight the plastic melts into the imperfections of the metal mating surface and become a plastic gasket.

[kryten]

(05-26-2018 )Brock Wrote:  it took a very very long time to get the axle out the one side as the cones in the axle studs were seized in there solid! Had to fight to remove some and fight even harder to remove the stud on others

Been there, done that. Last year when my rear axle seals let go. I was coming up with all sorts of new ways to string bad words together.

Last month when my truck was at the shop, things were a bit slower during the night and I was able to talk to one of the "Mack Masters" a bit and I asked him what the best way to remove those f(*^*&^&(^g cones was. He replied "that's what apprentices are for".

[JMBT]

The cones do suck! But when you get them out again run them on the wire wheel to clean off all the rust and burrs, then anti seize the hell out of them before you put them back in. That’s what I do and it works great. You will still have to pop the center of the axle with a sledge when you go to remove them again after the anti seize. But they will actually come out.

[Brock]

I just pulled all studs and replaced with new ones as the cones in the other side were all seized real bad! New cones as well and I anti siezed them when reinstalling.

I just pulled the pumpkin out what the bolts would allow and used permatex black rtv. Apparently permatex makes one specifically for diffs.... Gonna have to order some.

https://www.permatex.com/products/gasket...ket-maker/

[Tanker]

Normally always get laughed at/argument started but I always seal diffs with loctite 515 (there is a permatex equivalent but cant remember the number). Works fkn mint and cant say ive ever had one leak (tri drives included).
Are your cones solid or do they have a slit in them? Multi grips, small hammer and small flat blade screw driver make getting the ones with slits out easier.. I slam the axle with a sledge hammer to pop it out a little/break the seal first. Once its out a bit it makes getting the cones out alot easier. Also if its a available, an oxy.. never underestimate what a little bit of heat can do to seized parts.