The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Differential Draining

How do you drain the rear end on a 50 chassis with the torque tube? I see a fill plug but no drain plug. The shop manual doesn't explain how to do this, it just says drain the differential.

Just did my 46. The bottom bolt in the rear cover drains mine. I assume yours would be the same.

Good! I thought I was going to have to take it out and tip it upside down.

While some gear oil will drain it is really a fill plug. In other words you fill the rear to it just runs out the hole. Jack up the front of your truck to facilitate draining and consider using a siphon. I use an old anti-freeze tester, bulb type, to siphon the old oil.

I have a 50 with the torque tube, and drained mine by removing the bottom bolt in the cover as 641 Workmaster said.

I have a 50 with the torque tube, and drained mine by removing the bottom bolt in the cover as 641 Workmaster said.

I have a 50 with the torque tube, and drained mine by removing the bottom bolt in the cover as 641 Workmaster said.

If the fluid has been in there for a long time, I would consider loosening all the bolts, cracking the gasket from the surfaces and let it drain from the bottom. Then take off the cover and do a visual inspection of everything in the rear end. That way, you can make sure that there are no metal shavings in there and wipe the insides squeaky clean. It's worth the price of a new gasket and a little bit of your time. Most NAPA stores will have or can get the gasket for you in a day.

I,m with Geezer. Remove the cover & check the insides. You can clean & paint the cover while it,s off.

Would you need a gasket for this or could you use some of that new 'gasket maker' stuff that's availble?

I'm with the old geezer and bender, I don’t know why this is appearing so difficult, it’s pretty straight forward and probably no more than a 15 or 20 min job to pull the 10 bolts and rear cover, drain and wipe out the housing, check the gears while your in there and bolt it back together.
Like they said, The gasket is only a couple of bucks and so common that they probably stock them at Wal-Mart and they were the same for all the rear-ends from 1937 to 1959 all models 3100, 3600, 3800.
And no blu, just a new gasket, no blue goop needed, not a high-pressure area or anything like that you know. Seal it up and the next time someone will have to use a hammer and chisel to get the cover off!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

You all make a good argument for removing the cover, cleaning it all out, and starting with fresh gear lube, and that's what I'll do. I read somewhere that it was common for the gear lube to leak past the cover bolts and a fix for this was to put a thin copper washer under the bolt heads. does anyone have a Felpro part number for the gasket? Denny, I sent you an email about Rochester carbs.