How to Change Rear Differential Fluid 2002-08 Dodge Ram 1500
Created on: 2016-05-13
Find out how to remove the differential cover and drain the differential fluid, properly clean the mating surface, and refill it with the right fluid
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step 1 :Removing the Differential Cover
- Have a drain pan ready
- Remove the bottom 13mm bolts from the differential cover
- Loosen the top 13mm bolts from the differential cover
- Pry out the differential cover
- Allow the fluid to drain
- Inspect the fluid for debris
- Remove the top bolts from the differential
- Pull off the differential cover
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step 2 :Cleaning the Differential
- Scrape the gasket residue off the differential and cover with a razor blade or gasket scraper
- Remove any remaining residue with a wire brush
- Clean the bolt holes with a pick
- Clean the bolts with a wire brush
- Clean the differential surface with brake cleaner and a paper towel
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step 3 :Installing the Differential Cover
- Apply sealant to the differential cover
- Spread the sealant evenly
- Put the differential cover into place, with the bump over the ring gear
- Start the differential bolts in by hand
- Allow the sealant to set
- Tighten the bolts to 30 foot-pounds of torque in a crossing pattern
- Allow the sealant to dry completely
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step 4 :Refilling the Differential Fluid
- Pry the rubber plug out of the differential cover with a flat blade screwdriver
- Add limited slip differential additive if necessary
- Add the manufacturer's recommended differential fluid to the differential
- Add fluid until it begins to drip out
- Push the rubber plug into the differential cover
- Wipe the differential cover clean
Tools needed
-
Razor Blade / Gasket Scraper
13mm Socket
Torque Wrench
Pry Bar
Brake Parts Cleaner
Pick
Gear Oil
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Paper Towels
RTV
Drain Pan
Plastic Tube
Ratchet
Wire Brush
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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to move the differential cover and remove all the fluid and change it. This is a 2008 Dodge Ram, but this procedure is the same for many, many vehicles. You'll need a drain pan, 13 mm socket and ratchet for this, small pry bar, razor blade or scraper tool, wire brush, pick, brake cleaner or some other solvent, gasket maker or sealer, torque wrench, flat blade screwdriver, and new differential fluid appropriate for your vehicle.
Your rear differential is located in the center of the rear axle under the truck. Remove these 13mm bolts to take off the diff cover. You can do this with a 3/8"? ratchet, but we are going to use an air gun. Loosen the top bolts without removing. Pry back the bottom of the cover and let the fluid drain out.
It's always a good idea to inspect the fluid. Make sure there is no type of grit or any signs of metallic shavings or metal pieces in it. When the fluid is done draining finish removing your upper bolts and take the cover off.
Scrape down all the old gasket material from both the axle side and the back of the differential cover. You can use a razor blade by itself or one of these scrapers. They make specific gasket scrapers, or basically anything that will remove this gunk without scouring the metal face.
Once you've removed the bulk of your gasket with a razor blade you can use a wire brush to remove the remainder of the gasket. If gasket sealer has built up in any of the thread holes you can use a paper clip or a straight pick to clean them out. Remove any remaining gasket sealer from the threads of your bolts with a small wire brush. You can see they don't have to be perfectly clean as long as you get the majority of the old sealer off. Make sure that the threads go in nice and smooth.
Prep the mating surface with some brake cleaner and a clean paper towel. You don't want to use a rag or an old t-shirt for this job, because the fibers can get stuck and create imperfections in the seal. Be sure the surface is completely free of oils and greases before trying to seal.
When the diff cover has been cleared of all oils, greases, and the remains of gasket sealer the same way we removed it from our differential on the axle, go ahead and use your favorite gear oil approved sealant to make a gasket on your differential cover. Be sure not to use too much, otherwise you risk letting it go over inside of the gear housing. Spread it out evenly across the surface with the tip of your finger and the glove, being sure to get it over both sides of each bolt hole without actually covering the hole completely. This will ensure that we don't force too much of the gasket out on either side and make it look nice and clean when it goes back on.
Make one last quick check that your differential on the axle is free of greases and oils, install the bump on the cover over your ring gear. Get a couple of bolts installed around the cover by hand and bring them right down finger tight so it doesn't move. Time is a factor with make-your-own gasket or a liquid gasket like this. You want to ensure that all your bolts are in before the gasket dries, otherwise you risk it gumming up the threads and not letting a bolt in.
Once all your bolts are in finger tight, refer to the directions to the gasket sealer you used and allow the required amount of time for the gasket to set up before tightening. After you've allowed a few minutes for your gasket sealer to set up you want to torque all your differential cover bolts to 30 foot-pounds. You want to use some kind of cross pattern. It is not too specific, just make sure you don't clamp down one side at a time and risk pinching the gasket.
One more loop around to make sure you didn't miss any bolts. Allow the gasket sealant to dry completely before filling your fluid. For most sealants, this is about 15 to 20 minutes, but be sure to read the directions on your specific bottle.
Remove the check/fill plug on the back of the differential cover by hand or by carefully prying out with a small flat blade screwdriver. This plug is used to both check the fluid level and to fill. This differential is a limited slip, meaning it has clutches that keep the wheels driving together under load. You will need to add a special limited slip differential additive before putting your fluid in. In this case, ours uses about 4 ounces, about half this bottle we have here. Fill the differential with the specific fluid recommended by your manufacturer. Ours is 75W140 full synthetic oil. To make filling faster and easier, get a hose with the same size as the nozzle on your bottle, so you can hold the bottle completely upside down. Our differential takes about 2.2 quarts. Now that there is a little bit of fluid running out the bottom of the check plug, we are good to remove our funnel and reinstall our check/fill plug. Reinstall your plug, wipe the excess gear oil from the differential.
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