possible blown detroit???

[88k5blazin]

I went to the trails the other night and i seemed like everything was going great, next morning i go out side and see gear oil everywhere all over the back of gas tank all over the axle housing shocks, some even made it to the hitch. Everything seemed like it was fine and wasn't making noise while i was driving it. pulled cover and oil was a little brown but not metal shavings or sand. but there seemed to be some slop in the detroit locker. the mesh on the ring and pinion seemed normal but there is about a quarter turn before it catches the axle shafts. at this point i have no idea...........by the way its a 14 bolt with 4.56's and a detroit locker.the axles out of the military trucks. thanks for any help

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Detroits have that slop built into them, its totally normal and its not broken.

 

[thatK30guy]

Thats normal for the DL.

 

[88k5blazin]

that is wonderful news to hear. any idea why or where gear oil was getting spewed from the only think i can think of is the pinion seal cause the wheel seals and the diff seal were dry

 

[onetonbb74]

overfilled? if the oil gets too hot, it will puke out the vent tube and make a mess. Mine did that once.

 

[BGKYK5]

I'm gonna say x2 on the vent tube.

 

[Clod_King]

I'll go x3 on the vent tube.

 

[88k5blazin]

it does take more gear oil than normal cause the rear is tilted up and it goes into the axle tubes. i have the vent hose up and over the gas tank and there was a little on the underside of the floorpan but most of it was all over the diff housing and everything around it

 

[Randy92782]

it does take more gear oil than normal cause the rear is tilted up and it goes into the axle tubes. i have the vent hose up and over the gas tank and there was a little on the underside of the floorpan but most of it was all over the diff housing and everything around it

I don't think the gear oil should go into the axle tubes. Maybe that's where the gear oil is coming from?? The ends of the tubes??

 

[onetonbb74]

I don't think the gear oil should go into the axle tubes. Maybe that's where the gear oil is coming from?? The ends of the tubes??

14bolt ff axles lube the wheel bearings with gear oil down the axle tubes. The fill hole should be slightly higher then the bottom of the axle tubes. If you rotate the pinion up, this would put the fill hole higher and cause most people to over fill the axle.

 

[Smitty]

Put an inline fuel filter in the end of the vent hose. It will let you know if there is gear oil coming out the tube and will help keep the water/critters out of the differential.

 

[westn11]

So how many quarts on gear oil are you guys putting in yours? I'm going to fill mine for the first time today and I think I have heard that they take roughly 4 quarts. Mine is rotated up and I don't want to overfill it.

 

[Smitty]

So how many quarts on gear oil are you guys putting in yours? I'm going to fill mine for the first time today and I think I have heard that they take roughly 4 quarts. Mine is rotated up and I don't want to overfill it.

I just checked my lube chart and it lists 5.4 pints, but I'd swear that I put over 4 quarts in mine...

 

[big dan]

a book we have at work says they take 4 quarts but the other day I changed the gear oil in mine and it only took 3 with a stock pinion angle.

 

[BGKYK5]

It seems like I put most of a gallon in mine with the stock pinion angle, but with a bigger diff cover.

 

[chulisohombre]

It seems like I put most of a gallon in mine with the stock pinion angle, but with a bigger diff cover.

i also filled mine with close to a gallon.i think about 3.5 then tilled the axle to both sides and rechecked.put in anether quarter quart.