Diff oil change???

[murcod]

Can anybody help with suggestions on how to change the diff oil? There doesn't appear to be a drain plug or am I blind?

A search didn't help much apart from finding other posts mentioning the lack of a drain. I really want to change all the oil, but don't want to have to pull the diff housing apart to do it!

(I'm almost tempted to drill/ tap my own drain hole.......)

[Andy G]

The only way to do it in situ is to suck it out unfortunately.

[kevinw]

there's a topic about 6 months old on the same or similar subject whihc ended up with me asking for advice on how to remove old EP oil from my hair as a result of draining my diff. The only way I could find to do it, short of removing the diff, was to use one of those large syringe suckers that most of the large tool suupliers sell and to use this to suck out as much of the old oil as possible. I think mine may have been in from new as it was quite foul. I think that gearbox diff oil is the most horrible smelling stuff. When it gets old, it doesn't improve.

Kevin

[murcod]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I'll be sucking it out (with a large syringe + tubing?) - or else sussing out the feasibility of tapping a (small) drain hole somewhere in the housing.

[Mike Stevens]

Without a lot of effort, you could remove one drive shaft from the diff and then the driving flange. I guess the RHS one would be easier as the exhaust wouldn't get in the way! You'd get some of the oil out that way but not all.

I would be wary of drilling and tapping a hole in the diff in situ - although there is an obvious place to do it. You don't really want the swarf to get inside, but when you break through the rush of old oil should flush it out!

Actually, I quite like the smell of gear oil! I guess driving a 1949 LandRover gets you very used to it.

Cheers,
Mike.

[kevinw]

Actually, I quite like the smell of gear oil! I guess driving a 1949 LandRover gets you very used to it.

Cheers,
Mike.

oh, well - each to their own, I suppose..........

Kevin

[Mike Stevens]

each to their own, I suppose

Absolutely Kevin. I meant to say that yesterday!

Cheers,
Mike.

[Steve Knight]

Why not fit a drain plug as BL should have done in the first place. Ideal to drill a hole while its full of oil so the swarf will drain out. Its all going to be a bit messy as you must tap the hole / say 7/16 UNF, while the old oil is still draining. File a perfect flat on the underside of the diff and screw in a short bolt with a copper washer.

[murcod]

I'm proceeding down the path of making my own drain hole. I've just got hold of a "recoil" kit - which will enable me to insert a proper metal thread into the tapped hole. It goes up to 7/16 UNF so should be big enough.

Now, where would be the best/ safest location to drill a hole? Underneath on the section that looks like it should have had a drain hole in it- or low on the rear cover? (Obviously I need to be very careful of the diff internals.)

[wrighty]

each to their own, I suppose

Absolutely Kevin. I meant to say that yesterday!

Cheers,
Mike.

I did alot of diff changes and clutch changed throughout the drift series

And the smell of diff and gearbox oil as my girlfriend likes to remind me smells like cat piss

You sir surely could not the smell of cat wee