So I originally thought it was my pinion seal. Was changing it out today and I come to believe my diff carrier gasket is leaking. I haven’t found to many if at all write-ups on this. Sucks. I really don’t feel like taking the back end apart but I’m tired of leaking everywhere I go. My question is to whom has done this before. Which gasket is mostly highly rated? I’m also seeing gasket maker being used on some YouTube videos. Who has done what in this situation and thanks in advance.

 

If I remember correctly I was never able to find a gasket for the rear diff. I used gasket maker. It works great.

The first time I did it I ended up with a small leak, it ws a rush job. Clean it thoroughly and tighten the nuts properly with correct torque! Will work.

 

It's 4 bolts per axle plus the brake lines.
Pull.
12 bolts of diff carrier.
Pull.

Decisions:
Remove diff oil?

Only do the outside axle seals, or break your hands doing bearings and inner seals?
I mean, while your at it?

Could do the brakes.

Well anyhow. Insert new gasket and torque to spec. It's not a lot!

 

Think it is 42181-60020

 

Clean, degreased surfaces, and Permatex Ultra-gray sealant. No gasket necessary.

Modern form in place gasket sealants have made many gaskets obsolete.

 

 

the oem gasket is only a couple of dollars even at a dealer. that being said, ive swapped 3rds many many times and only shot some rtv on the mating flange and never had an issue. I guess its personal preference and how detailed your truck is. on my trail trucks with welded 3rds, rtv. on my restomod that I aim for oem quality, id buy the gasket. can be done in about an hour pretty easily.

 

Had this problem too. From the back and also from the pinion seal. Key for me was to clean out the vent baffle real good. It was caked and gummed up. After doing that, never leaked again. Didnt use a gasket just sealant.

 

Guess I'm the only one using Google today. Found in 60 seconds. Toyota Part # 4218160020, Retail Price $3.96 US. Any dealership should have this in stock, as it fits 1985 to 2006 trucks.

 

And note that RockAuto has different sizes, based on the ring gear size. I don't know how to determine the correct size.

This dealer site https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/sho...rimLevel=18292 also lists two different part numbers for the gasket. They appear to differentiate them based on tire size, but that's probably a stand-in for the size of the ring-gear that accompanies that tire size.

 

If it were me, I would just use a Genuine Toyota gasket.

Sure, modern RTV sealants have made many older gasket sealing designs obsolete, but newer Trucks have made our old Trucks obsolete....

Old Trucks call for old solutions!

In all seriousness though, you can go with either the Genuine Toyota gasket or an RTV gasket maker and both should seal very nicely. If you use an RTV gasket maker, just make sure you don't use so much that excess chunks are going to fall into the differential housing.

 

As if this thread hasn't been expanded on already! There is something to be said for ease of removal with a gasket. But if sealant is your forte then read on:

The gasket maker of choice is Right-Stuff in a cheese wiz sized can with nozzle and dispensing leaver. A right pain after the first use to remove dried sealant from the nozzle but it is the best RTV out there in my opinion. Use brake cleaner or carb cleaner to get rid of any gear oil residue and then make sure all the old gasket or sealant is scrapped away with no bumps in the steel anywhere. If its been cracked open before by a PO you never know what might have been done to pry it off before hand which might be why it is leaking again. Be sure to get the sealant smoothly applied to the third member or the axle housing. The key is to make sure the inside surface area where the studs are gets an even layer or else the gear oil will be leaking out from under the split washer and nut regardless of weather it is low down beneath the gear oil level or not. Drawing the tension up on the nuts and studs in a nice criss-cross manner to the proper torque for M6's is like 12 to 15 ft-lbs.

When right stuff is applied in a good accord it can be quite a chore to bust the diff housing away from the axle after it has cured fully. I leave three or four nuts in place but backed off several threads to provide a gap and smack the third member with a rubberized dead blow to pop it loose. Then I can remove the nuts and try not to drop the dam thing on the garage floor!

 

This is certainly true, and should be considered if removal is likely again in the near future. Cleaning/surface prep is a pain after sealant has been used, for sure.

I guess that's the tradeoff for near certainty that there will be no leaks

. Many times though, I find that both a gasket and sealer have been applied, so that the easy removal advantage is lost.

Occasionally, I'll use a gasket with sealer applied on just one side.

Additionally, when there is sealant, or corrosion on the studs, running a tap over them will assure that the nuts will pull down evenly.

 

A number of years back I had the rear differential rebuilt on my 94, @ approx 250,000 miles. It had a gasket on it originally so I used a toyota gasket with hylomar gasket dressing (a little bit goes a long way) when putting it all back together. No issues with leaks so far. One thing I am a firm believer in is the hylomar gasket dressing especially for paper style gaskets, which the toyota differential gasket is, it makes gasket removal sooo easy. Gaskets just pull off in one piece and clean up is minimal. Not sure what type of products are in the hylomar line today.

 

I have never had the pleasure of using any of the Hylomar stuff. Top shelf they say. licensed from Rolls Royce.

 

I concur on the use of Hylomar sealant. It is the very best stuff for sealing up the plenum to the intake and the TB to the plenum without any gaskets used. But those aluminum castings can be lapped nice and flat to get a very uniform joint thickness. Sometimes the cast third member and the axle housing need a bit more help due to the axle housing taking impacts on the trail.

The Hylomar is a non hardening urethane sealant. I have used it on the 3VZ-E heads were the cam cover seal comes in contact with the aluminum. The silicon gasket seal is the only way to go in the covers and then liberal amounts of Hylomar on the heads sealing surfaces i.e. cam bearing covers and the corners where they say to use RTV I just apply the Hylomar. I made the mistake of doing this with the rubberized steel cam bearing caps at the back of the heads and this didn't work at all. But the cam covers are still dry at 5k miles. Right stuff was applied to the cam bearing covers and that fixed the leaking.

Another gem of a gasket eliminator is Loctite 515 (Red Stuff) flange sealant. I use this on the intake to idler bearing for the timing belt pulley and on the small manifold at the back of the intake as well as the casting that the radiator hose joins with on the idler pulley. Also this stuff is excellent for sealing up the cam bearing caps at the ends of the heads. Water pump to the block and the hylomar on a reused thermostat o-ring and no paper gaskets anywhere. Use this 515 on the oil pump casting to the block and the rear main seal carrier to the block. Right Stufff for the oil pan and windage tray seams.