leaking rear diff
 

EDIT: A while back i noticed the leak but after clearing out the breather it stopped leaking. Today, i noticed a few drops every time I park. this time it's not from the rear diff housing but from the drive shaft going into the rear diff. Can anyone shine some light as to what needs to be replaced? what parts would i need (Sorry i'm new at this stuff).


I have a 92 4runner V6 5speed 4wd with 215k on the clock. A few months back i noticed the 12mm bolts that's around the front of the diff being a little moist and very recently i noticed 4 to 5 drops every time i park the car over night. I tried to tighten the bolts (which were a little lose) but still notice a leak.

Here's what i read:
Check to see if the breather is clogged. Will do that tomorrow.
Question: how do i take off the breather? does it simply screw off? and how do i check to see if it's clogged? should it move freely?

If this isn't the problem, does that mean i would need to pull apart the diff? if so what's involved and what kind of gasket do i need to buy? People are saying that there's no gasket and simply a liquid gasket is this true?

Thanks for any input!

I posted a little too early and found this post: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/9...eaking-156414/

I seem to have the exact problem. One of the post did an excellent write up but without picture i'm afraid to tackle it myself. can anyone pitch in?

Finally, would this be a good time to do a lock rite?

thanks

To fix the leak you need to pull the axles to get the third member out to reseal it, so while its out it would be a good time to install the lock rite, otherwise you would need to pull it all a part again at a later time to do the lock rite install.

The breather just pulls off.
Might have to pry it off with a screwdriver.

The 3rd member is sealed with a gasket made of RTV, though fel-pro makes a gasket too.

What the exact model of Lock Right that i need? http://www.my4by.com/powertrax-lockr...ne-p-2924.html

is that correct? and where do most people get their lock right from? and is 250 the best price? sorry for such newbie questions. I'm more of a subaru guy and this 4 wheeling is still very new to me :)

If you talking about the breather on the rear axle, it doesn`t pull off and don`t pry it off either, you will break it. Use a wrench to unscrew it.

hey thanks for the input! would you by chance know if this is what i need? http://www.my4by.com/powertrax-lockr...ne-p-2924.html

also is this price fair?

thanks

That looks right to me. I checked over at marlin crawler at there price on the Lock Right and they want 300 dollars for one, so 250 seems like a good price to me.

Give WabFab a call. Good people to deal with, and can get about anything you want. And tech assist when you buy from him is good also.

Yeah, I just had to take it off last night. It requires a 14mm wrench.

bump for the edit

The breather just unsccrews with a wrench. I used brake cleaner on mine to "flush" it out, and now it's nice a shiny ;)

I did a write up on how to replace the gasket in the 3rd - it's in my signature with a link. It's not that hard, if you have the time and go slow like I did. Having a helper to lower/raise the third when you detach/attach it is a good idea....

Good luck - take lots of photos and show us your work, especially if you install the locker!

Thanks for the reply Phibert, any idea where I can find all of the parts that i would need?
thanks again

Sorry, the link in my signature was linking to my other DIY...I'll fix it now.

Here's my DIY for the diff - you just need regular tools, the new gasket, gasket sealer/maker, gear oil (GL5), and brake fluid:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...e-pics-205316/

very nice writeup man!
i wonder how different your setup is compared to my 92. Finally, did you have to replace your pinion seal? mine looks to be leaking right there too (where the drive shaft connects to the rear diff).

I think the diffs are the same on yours and mine but will defer to the more knowledgeable guys here to confirm/deny that.

I didn't do the pinion seal since it wasn't leaking there. But, that looks to be an easy repair and doesn't require pulling the diff:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...eal/index.html

I may do this soon on my front diff since it's leaking from that general area :)

... uhh...
The little metal cap pops off the actual breather itself.
I know, because on 3 of the axles i have the little metal cap has popped off and i had to bend it back into place to pop it back on.