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| | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 35 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 35 | I have a 54 Chevy 3/4 ton truck and the rear end is leaking from the differential carrier gasket. Can I take off the differential carrier and replace the gasket and then put it back without having to do anything else to the differential? Also the shop manual says to pull the axle shafts out first. Has anyone one done this?
Brimmer | | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 413 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 413 | Hi brimmer, yes you have to pull the axle shafts out first, because they go into the carrier. Once the shafts are out, unbolt the carrier and it should come right out.
Get a couple of cans of brake cleaner and spray everything down once it's apart. Make sure everything is clean & dry. if everything looks good inside, put it all back together & refil with oil, & you should be good to go. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,787 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,787 | Be aware that the carrier assembly is HEAVY! It's also awkward to hold in the right position to reinstall it without damaging the gasket. I've seen some shops that had a fixture fabricated to use a transmission jack to support differential assemblies, but for a one-time job it might not be worth the effort to do that. Just be careful, and have a helper handy to manhandle the carrier with you if necessary. The time to realize it's too heavy for one person to manage is definitely not while it's trying to fall out of the axle housing on top of you!
Jerry
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| | | | | Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,038 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,038 | Brimmer,
I removed and replaced the differential carrier on my COE by myself with relative ease. It is a 2 speed so it is larger and heavier than yours. First I made 2 guide pins to replace the top two bolts (longer bolts with the heads cut off, slot filed in the end so you can screw them in). This is the same technique one uses to R&R a transmission.
I used a floor jack to support the carrier. Mine had a flat spot on the bottom and the carrier balanced well. Yours will, no doubt, be different but perhaps a wood block between the jack and carrier bottom could be fashioned to work. With the guide pins in place it was pretty easy and safe to slide the carrier forward out of the axle housing.
I could not find a gasket, so I used the Permatex product "Right Stuff" which is a rubber based, not silicone, gasket maker. One year and 500 road miles later there is not even a seep of gear oil.
When replacing, be sure to use the guide pins to help you align the carrier back into the axle housing.
Kent | | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 35 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 35 | Hey you guys are great. This is exactly what I was looking for. I will let you know how it goes.
Brimmer | | |
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