Differential leak

1362 Views 9 Replies 4 Participants Last post by dumbestone, May 9, 2011

Sidney5101

Discussion Starter · Apr 24, 2011

Hi Guys.. 93 N/A convertible, 134k miles.. (just got it back from my mother (4 k miles in just over a month!!!!

( ) Any way.. Took the Z out for a nice long drive today, everything is finally running correctly again.. and on the way home I started to feel a shuttering feeling it from the passenger rear wheels kinda feels like every 5 or 6 feet I'd hit a small Bump (not the case).. I pulled into my space and crawled under to check it out, my differential is nice and wet looking (i know i didn't hit any puddles) traced the fluid up the side of the Diff to the Passenger side.. So.. I have a leak...

So i figure that the seal on that side is bad.. I'm going to order the seal this week hopefully in time to have it next weekend..

My question.. Should i just remove the axle and replace the passenger side like it says in the FSM? or should i remove the Diff and replace it that way?

And if I remove it to replace the Passenger side should I just replace the drivers side as well?

This is all assuming that that is all i need to replace (and the oil)..

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mrpulldown

· #2 · Apr 29, 2011

If you can replace the seal without pulling the diff then do it. IT is aPITA to get the diff back in.

But if you have to pull the diff, it is a good time to do the diff mount bushings. THe front seal is easy to jsut hammer in once you pull the input flange. I am not sure about the sides.

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Sidney5101

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 30, 2011

I'm in the process of separating the half shafts.. holy crap! 3 hours to remove 9 bolts.. using PB blaster too! Far too dark to do anymore tonight.. According to a write up i found the Sides are the easy ones, the front seal is supposed to be the hard one requiring some kinda special tool to Separate the flange.. Just trying to get the flanges off the side it hard.. Have any ideas?

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Sidney5101

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 30, 2011

Replaced the seals.. trying to put the flanges back in... Not budging -_- from what i can tell the passage is free of debris.. its just not going in.. Any ideas?

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dumbestone

· #5 · May 1, 2011

Of course I've never seen one of these apart, let alone repair one.
Are you talking about the flange with the spline teeth on it? And how far do you get it in?
Nice they don't show any of the internals of the diff in the FSM.
Guesses are: oil or grease needed on the seal lip in case dry rubber is dragging trying to get over the shoulder edge to the seal area.
need to spin the opposite side flange to help line up the splines (tho' you;ve probably rotated the pulled flange/shaft); if the
straight splines are in, they may be into internal spider gears or limited slip clutch pack and beveled splines need to be lined up by
spinnng the opposite flange.
But Doh is me on this one.

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Sidney5101

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 1, 2011

It's the passenger side flange (the thing with the teeth go into the diff) that is giving me the issue.. the driver side went in no problems.. I've gotten it past the replaced oil seal (should probably mention that i decided against removing the Diff at this point and just did it all in car (and i guess i can boast i got this far without removing the exhaust!) So i'm just gonna collect ideas here and try it next weekend.. Finals all week to come -_-

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vigman

· #7 · May 2, 2011

http://www.300zx-twinturbo.com/cgi-...=0&cycle=off&slide=14&design=default&total=43

So in the LSD you have to line up the splines on the output shaft with the internals before you can get the output flange home... which means putting the shaft in & turning the diff ( either via turning the input shaft or the output shaft in your hand ) SLOWLY to feel it line up.... Think safe cracker....

Mike

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Sidney5101

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 8, 2011

So once it's all nice and lined up it should just slip right in? Cause as of yet it's really not lining up for me at all...

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Sidney5101

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 8, 2011

Scratch that.. Gave up, Decided to try one more time and it went right in! Now time To put the tools away before the mother kills me (it bein mother's day and all) Next step is to replace the fluid.. just 3 words describe the condition of it.. Black and Horrible stench...

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dumbestone

· #10 · May 9, 2011

Old time diff gear fluid smells rotten to begin with. Could be the high sulfur (actually somewhat of a lubricating aid) and mercaptan (rotten eggy-like smell) from the tail end of the oil refinery processing.

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