This problem seems simple enough, but it has me scratching my head. Last week I re-assembled the differential and rear axle on my '49 Chevy 1/2-ton truck. Specs call for 4-1/2 pints of gear oil in the back end. The first four pints went in just fine, but I was surprised when the last 1/2-pint spilled out the drain plug hole, all over the garage floor! The shop manual says the oil level should be 1/2-inch below the drain plug when the oil is cold, and full to the drain plug when the oil is hot. I'm sure everything was re-assembled the way it came apart. The ring gear is slightly off-center toward the driver side, and the drain plug is slightly below center on the back cover. Why is my capacity only 4 pints?? Do I need to fill slowly, and add the last pint on the second day?
My second question is more important than the first. How does oil in the diff lubricate the rear wheel bearings? Using a tape measure, I can tell that the drain plug on the diff cover is lower than the bottom of the axle housing. Therefore, when oil spills out the drain plug, the oil level is not high enough to fill the axle shaft and reach the rear wheel bearings. I'm afraid that no oil is contacting the bearings and I'll burn them up the first time around the block. Can somebody help me understand this??
:confused:
