frequency differential fluid change ?

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:28 pm

LibertyCRD wrote:

There is very little room between the inspection cover and the fuel tank as it is. A spacer of any kind would be a bad idea IMO. I want a replacement cover with a drain plug.

Ditto... Maybe a local machine shop can tap our current cover and put a plug in it for us.

grywlfbg · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:13 pm

oldnavy wrote:

It already has a fill plug man, how else would you get fluid in the thing. :wink:

Heh. Right. But I recall someone (possibly you) saying that the fill plug is a crappy rubber thing that falls apart after little use?

oldnavy · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:41 pm

grywlfbg wrote:

oldnavy wrote:

It already has a fill plug man, how else would you get fluid in the thing. :wink:

Heh. Right. But I recall someone (possibly you) saying that the fill plug is a crappy rubber thing that falls apart after little use?

Not me, I have yet to even look at the thing, only got a shade over 4000 miles on it now.

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:45 pm

According to Amsoil, if you use the Extreme gear oil you put it in and forget it. They say you only have to use the LSD additive if you feel a lack of smoothness. They also say they rarely have to sell any to anyone.
Pretty much all the info is on their site already.

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:57 pm

Forgot to mention I put Amsoil in everything on my Dodge D 50. Changed the lube oil every 100,000 miles and never touched the rest of it. Sold it a 277,000 miles. Pulled a boat to Mich. for a year and a half and back to Oregon. Pulled the same boat to Florida for 2 years and back. Both times the rig and the boat were loaded.

greiswig · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:02 pm

spoonplugger1 wrote:

(SNIP)Pulled a boat to Mich. for a year and a half and back to Oregon. Pulled the same boat to Florida for 2 years and back. Both times the rig and the boat were loaded.

You must drive more slowly than most if it took you that long to get across the country. :wink:

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:41 pm

Well it was me that said the stock fill plug is a rubber plug and it's a piece of crap. Those things are notorious for leaking after they've been removed. Go look at any Dodge truck or Jeep made in the last 10-15 years and I'll bet you'll see a wet streak running down the inspection cover. That rubber fill plug is worthless. You have to be VERY careful with it when you remove it not to cut it or stretch it.

The best thing to do is take the inspection cover off, and THEN push the rubber fill plug out from the inside. That way you can get it out without damaging it. Then when you reseal and replace the cover you can fill the diff. and pop the plug back in.

HERE is what I'm thinking about doing: I'm going to get a drain plug for an oil pan from my local auto parts store. Then I'm going to drill a hole in the bottom of my inspection cover, weld a nut to the inside of the cover for the plug to thread into, and then screw the drain plug into the new hole to serve as a drain plug for future diff. fluid changes. Anybody think this will work?? It ought to.

grywlfbg · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:41 pm

Sounds like a great idea. Just have to be careful w/ the depth of the nut/plug that it doesn't hit anything when closed up.

Though after looking on Amsoil's site, I'm thinking the Severe Gear lube is the way to go. I could deal w/ removing the diff cover if I had 100k change intervals. I don't have the Trac-Loc rear end of no worries about slippage.

Thanks for the tip about pushing the plug out from the inside.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:36 am

That Amsoil looks like good stuff. $12.55 per quart is a good price too. Other brands are going for close to $20/qt. around here. I think I may use Amsoil and leave it in there for 50,000 miles myself.

KJ79 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:40 am

I was too busy to have a real good look under the Lib, but on the parking lot at work I had a quick look at the space between the diff cover and the fuel tank and it looks like we have a couple of inches. I'm not sure if the fuel tank skid will make a lot of difference. However the spacer idea I have in mind would only add the most 3/4" to the diff. The link posted to a very nice looking aluminum cover with drain looked to be a problem as it was quite deep, perhaps as much as 2 inches - would not fit - I agree. The price was not something I would agree with necessarily.

Another dilemma is: would DC validate warranty when going with the 50,000 mile Amsoil solution? If that would be a viable solution a mod to the diff cover is not worth it. But at every second engine oil change it would be nice to be able to simply drain the diff. The messing about with silicone sealant is not something I would want to do all the time.

The idea about the modification of the existing cover is another solution. Yet, the welding and tapping etc. could be a challenge and what if the positioning is slightly off and the carrier hits the nut??? Ouch!!
I was thinking that the spacer idea is more of a universal approach to this problem and is something most of us will be able to undertake succesfully .

grywlfbg · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:56 am

Well, in theory, DC would have to prove that it was the oil and/or extended drain interval that caused whatever failure it is you're asking them to repair under warranty. If DC could prove this, Amsoil constantly claims that they'll cover any repair costs related to their products. So on the face of it you're covered. Amsoil states for the sever gear lube that the interval for normal use is 100k or your owner's manual interval whichever is LONGER. Severe service is 50k. Since I'm towing I may go w/ 50k but that's still less work (and possibly cheaper) in the long run.

However, I've never had to make a claim against Amsoil so I don't know how difficult this would be. My distributor has told me that Amsoil would help negotiate w/ the service rep and that either the rep would win and Amsoil would pay or Amsoilw ould win and it'd be covered under warranty. But of course this guy's job is to sell oil so YMMV.

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:39 pm

I changed my buddy's Chevy truck over to Amsoil, back in the 80's and about 2 months later the transmission failed and it was found that the pump failed. When the service manager told him that the tranny wouldn't be warranted because he had put synthetic oil in the rig. He called me. I called Amsoil, the CEO himself called the dealership and advised them that his legal people were already on the case and that they were going to require the dealer to send them the tranny for failure analysis, and that if they got the results he expected he was going to sue everyone from the top to the bottom to get this guy his new tranny.
He than called my buddy and told him that he thinks he'd get his new tranny now with no problems.
He than shipped him the replacement Amsoil necessary for the new tranny.
He also refused to take delivery on a huge new RV he had custom built when he showed up with the Amsoil for it and the service rep told him he wouldn't recommend putting "that" in his new rig.

Oberkanone · **Joined:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:34 pm **Posts:** 26

I have trac-lok rear axle and tow package on my 05 Limited.
Amsoil application guide lists -

Differential, Front .....GL-5[3]
80W-90
Severe Gear 75W-90
SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube
SAE 80W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube
Controlled Slip Differential, Rear 8 1/4.....GL-5*[4][5]
75W-90
Severe Gear 75W-90
Standard Differential, Rear 8 1/4.....GL-5[5]
75W-90
Severe Gear 75W-90
SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube
Standard Differential, Rear W/ Towing package.....GL-5[6]
75W-140
Severe Gear 75W-140
SAE 80W-140 Synthetic Gear Lube

Would I be OK using SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube in both the front and rear differentials even though I have the trac-lok?

KJ79 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 14, 2006 12:49 am

I understand that you can't use the same in the rear diff if you have a Trac-Loc you need at least the so-called "friction modifier" additive - which is stuff the Trac-Loc depends on in order to operate. I doubt this stuff is compatable with the Amsoil Synth diff fluid - but who knows.
If I were you I would drop an email to Amsoil and get their advice.
This is my non-expert advice.

grywlfbg · **Posted:** Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:31 pm

Amsoil sells the "friction modifier" separately so you could buy the Severe Gear 75W-90 for both but you'll add the "slip-lock" additive for the rear diff.

https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/svg.aspx
https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/ada.aspx

I would add the slip-lock just to be safe.

tired_old_dave · **Joined:** Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:45 pm **Posts:** 79

When I changed mine a long time ago, I gagged at the price of the jeep grease remembering how cheap mobil 1 was for our previa a long time ago. Going back the second day after getting up to speed on syn grease, a computer glitch at the dealer gave me a very nice discount. 75w140 syn grease(mopar) front and rear (if towing package) and two bottles of the new limited slip friction modifier if so equipped. The parts department stated a mechanic back from training learned this. Supposedly the additive is a new thinner product. Supposedly back then the parts department said non syn grease was being phased out and that the dealerships would have to eat it.

Taking the cover off the first time allows you to check the gear lash by the wear on the teeth. Mine had a lot of something plus plain grease and the teeth were meshing well. This allows you also to clean out the metal fragments. There was less metal than our previa had when I went synthethic with it at 25k miles, but it did have a magnetic drain plug.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:58 pm

Another thread I'll jump on if you all don't mind.

SEVERE GEAR™ Synthetic Extreme Pressure (EP) Lubricant 75W-90 (SVG)

SEVERE GEAR™ Synthetic Extreme Pressure (EP) Lubricant 75W-140 (SVO)

Slip-Lock™ Differential Additive

Please PM me for details of the L.O.S.T. Preferred Customer Program.

Thanks, John

retmil46 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:00 pm

I actually got a chance to look under my CRD and see how much room there is for an aftermarket diff cover. Best I can read the drawings at PML's website, their cover is 3 1/4" deep from the gasket surface on the diff itself to the back side of the cover. Even with the fuel tank skid plate on mine, looks like their should be room to spare for getting one on.

I sent PML an e-mail, asking them to confirm the depth measurement, and also asking if the fill level is the same on theirs - ie, 1/2" below the hole or up to the hole?

As oldnavy said, I must have too much time and money on my hands, although my relatives keep trying to help me with the money part. :roll:

frequency differential fluid change ?

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