Giant rear-end.... problem?

[Kadarom Douhrek]

How do you get 6 pints of gear oil in a Ford 8.8 3.73LS differential and not be full?

That's what is in it right now.
No visible leaking.
Still not even close to the fill hole.
Drained what looked to be about 2-3 quarts when I pulled the cover.


Where could it be going? Axles?
What kind of damage, and how fast could it occur?

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Yes- a bone dry 8.8 takes quite a bit of oil. The axle tubes hold oil as well.

Do you have any way to measure what you drained?

 

[Kadarom Douhrek]

Just poured the drain pan into the empty bottles.
There was 3.5 quarts, but a little of that was water from somewhere.
Definitely wasn't brown coming out of the truck.

It's been about 40,000 miles since I last did this.
Don't remember how much I put in then, but the gears still look factory new.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Did you happen to check the oil level before you drained it?

 

[Rustang©]

Just did mine, i also poured about 8 pints in mine!!!

God knows why, but it worked!

And yea, i'd check your axel seals(by the tires) for leaks.

 

[Kadarom Douhrek]

Didn't think to check before.

Nope, no leaks at the axles, gasket, pinion seal, fill port.
Oil was a little dark but not black or burnt smelling.


So, keep adding till it's just below the hole, scrub everything till it shines and watch for leaks?

 

[Blee1099]

Should take about 6 pints.. or about 3 quarts or so..

 

[Rustang©]

make sure that when you remove the cover, scrape both the cover and the housing with a razor blade and remove the old seal/gasket. Then use carb/brake/metal cleaner to remove and residue or grease from the mating surfaces.

Then take some black RTV and squeeze a decent size in the gasket hole and around all of the bolts, just don't use to much!

Good Luck and if you didn't notice a burnt smell, you should be in the clear, just check to see how much play you have and be careful not to "shock" the rear by gunning it and neutral-dropping it!

 

[Kadarom Douhrek]

Pulled it back and forth a little in the driveway this morning.
When I opened the fill hole it drained out a little and everythings fine.

Was filling it through the ABS sensor hole (just enough room to turn a quart bottle straight up) like last time.
Maybe got a weird air bubble or something.

And doh, realized I said quarts both times in my first post.