I just noticed my rear end is dripping on the driveway. I think it is comming from the front of the carrier becuse the oil has been slung all over the gas tank and the muffler. It has been getting worse too. What is the most likely cause??? the pinion seal??

 

its pinion seal, most likely due to a bad or clogged breather vent... when there is too much pressure in the case, and hte breather tube cant vent, it vents itself out of the pinion seal

 

Where is the breather tube on the case? i think my front is doing the same thing.

 

breather is on top of the axle housing, should have a little cap on it.

 

The breather may or may not be clogged, it could also be a loose pinion nut or just simply a worn out seal.

 

just dont mess up your pinion depth with you replace your seal. make note how far the nut is tightened on the pinion and dont over tighten it..i did that and tore half the teef off my pinion

 

I didn't know a clogged breather would do that. Once the seal has leaked if you unclog the breather will it stop? Mine started leaking after I had my gears done and I attributed it to the mechanic dorking up the seal but I noticed the other day when I checked the fluid level in the diff when I turned the fill plug out the last few turns it made the sound of air escaping like when you take your gas cap off on a hot day. That doesn't seem normal now that I think about it.

 

it may stop if that's what is causing the problem. the good thing is that there's no grease to wash out of the pinion like there is in the wheel bearings, if those leak it's a good idea to replace them, unless you have a set of dentist's tools to pop the seal out and refill them with grease

 

If it's not just the breather then you can have the seal replaced by a differential shop pretty cheap. I think it cost me $30? I can't remember now.