Thinking about changing the gear oil in my rear differential.

[z71bill]

Existing gear oil has 21,000 miles on it.

I usually go 25 - 30 K - but I bought a

Pneumatic/Manual Oil Extractor Pump​

My rear differential does not have a drain plug - so I will be sucking it out VS draining it.


I was planning on going SuperTec 75W90 full synthetic - I need 2.5 quarts and have 20 OZ left from last time. So it would only cost $23.


But this new flex packaging that Valvoline has caught my eye.

That will be about $50 because I would need to buy 3 & they cost about 50% more than SuperTec.


Filling the rear differential is a PITA - this new packaging really make it easier?

If this better oil than SuperTec or an I just paying up for the package?

 

[z71bill]

I guess I could buy 2 of the Valvoline and mix it with the SuperTec I have left over from 8/2019.

I doubt mixing two gear oils would make much difference both are GL5.

 

[crashz]

I use the flex packaging in Amsoil, primarily because the quart bottle and the bag are now the same price. The benefit depends on the vehicle. Most pickups are easy to fill using a standard bottle.

But the independent suspension diffs are usually a difficult area to reach and these bags can make it much easier to fill. Also, if going into the landfill, the bags are less waste.

 

[JavierH19]

It's likely marginally better than st but not by much. it's more so for the packaging. fwiw I've used a dish soap and siracha bottle before. Of course both were cleaned and left to dry in the sun so there was no water in them. I'm a thickie so I switched to 140 from 90 and had no issues and I think my mpg only went down by 0.1 at most.

 

[z71bill]

I changed it 8/2019 and somehow managed to get the oil in -

I use SuperTec in many applications and it has never let me down.

I just took a look - if I remove the spare tire it is pretty easy to access - but try and save the effort of doing that makes it hard to fill.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I never understood why manufacturers often do not design the housing with a drain plug. Our '01 Tundra makes the service a breeze.
On my '68 Vette posi diff, I wanted to drill and tap a small pipe thread drain hole but never did.

 

[BISCUT]

The Valvoline is a solid choice. It has performed well in multiple vehicles for me. Even Subaru Outback in the front diff where the fluid takes a beating.

 

[The Critic]

I never understood why manufacturers often do not design the housing with a drain plug. Our '01 Tundra makes the service a breeze.
On my '68 Vette posi diff, I wanted to drill and tap a small pipe thread drain hole but never did.

They want the cover and magnets cleaned.

 

[I<3oil]

Existing gear oil has 21,000 miles on it.

I usually go 25 - 30 K - but I bought a

Pneumatic/Manual Oil Extractor Pump​

View attachment 301957


My rear differential does not have a drain plug - so I will be sucking it out VS draining it.


I was planning on going SuperTec 75W90 full synthetic - I need 2.5 quarts and have 20 OZ left from last time. So it would only cost $23.


But this new flex packaging that Valvoline has caught my eye.
View attachment 301958

That will be about $50 because I would need to buy 3 & they cost about 50% more than SuperTec.


Filling the rear differential is a PITA - this new packaging really make it easier?

If this better oil than SuperTec or an I just paying up for the package?

Flexpouches are amazing. Game changer

 

[SC Maintenance]

They want the cover and magnets cleaned.

Or they could follow Nissans example and put a magnetic drain plug in from the factory.

Why does the cover need cleaning?

 

[JeffKeryk]

They want the cover and magnets cleaned.

Sure, but the drain plug can be magnetized. The magnet on the Tundra had next to nothing on it, which is good. But ya never know...

I pulled the cover of our 65 442 posi when I first got the car. My guess is it had never been serviced. I did clean it up pretty well. The cover itself was clean; the minimal crap was in the bottom of the diff. Oil was black black black!

I have to believe if differential services were easier they would be serviced more often. Who knows for sure?

 

[The Critic]

Or they could follow Nissans example and put a magnetic drain plug in from the factory.

Why does the cover need cleaning?

Same reason a transmission pan does.

Magnetic drain plug provides a limited surface area. Pan magnets can retain more ferrous debris.

 

[thastinger]

Existing gear oil has 21,000 miles on it.

I usually go 25 - 30 K - but I bought a

Pneumatic/Manual Oil Extractor Pump​

View attachment 301957


My rear differential does not have a drain plug - so I will be sucking it out VS draining it.


I was planning on going SuperTec 75W90 full synthetic - I need 2.5 quarts and have 20 OZ left from last time. So it would only cost $23.


But this new flex packaging that Valvoline has caught my eye.
View attachment 301958

That will be about $50 because I would need to buy 3 & they cost about 50% more than SuperTec.


Filling the rear differential is a PITA - this new packaging really make it easier?

If this better oil than SuperTec or an I just paying up for the package?

Just buy one of the squeeze pouches and refill it from the less expensive plastic bottles.

 

[JTK]

Did I miss what vehicle we're talking about here?

 

[SC Maintenance]

Same reason a transmission pan does.

Magnetic drain plug provides a limited surface area. Pan magnets can retain more ferrous debris.

OK then, why does the transmission pan need to be cleaned? You don't take your engine oil pan off frequently to clean it, and it has byproducts of combustion neither the diff or transmission have?

The magnetic drain plug has just a small amount of metallic sludge I guess you would call it - small ferrous material that just sort of forms a coating. Don't see the need for a larger magnet - but its pretty big anyway - the magnet part sticks quite a ways up into the diff. You can still remove the cover if you ever feel the need. There not mutually exclusive.

Growing up I worked on a lot of commercial and ag equipment, and they all had drain plugs. Not sure if they still do.

 

[z71bill]

They want the cover and magnets cleaned.

The plug use to have a magnet on it.

 

[z71bill]

Did I miss what vehicle we're talking about here?

2007 Z71 Tahoe.

I just put new tires and TPMS and a few other minor things.

The transfer case and coolant, replaced radiator hoses a while back.

The owners manual doesn't even list a differential oil change schedule.

 

[z71bill]

I bought a gasket once and planned to take the cover off -

I got under and looked things over and decided not worth it.

I returned the gasket and figured sucking the old out ever so often would be better than not changing it.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I bought a gasket once and planned to take the cover off -

I got under and looked things over and decided not worth it.

I returned the gasket and figured sucking the old out ever so often would be better than not changing it.

The big problem with the covers is it takes a fair bit of patience to get them off without bending them, clean them, and get it back on without it leaking.

Changing fluid in a diff with a plug is like a minute.

 

[97prizm]

I never understood why manufacturers often do not design the housing with a drain plug. Our '01 Tundra makes the service a breeze.
On my '68 Vette posi diff, I wanted to drill and tap a small pipe thread drain hole but never did.

Look at David Tracy's headache and article about his BMW i3. Early models had a drain and fill plug. Later models only had the drain plug yet the indentation where the fill plug originally was is cast into the differential cover. Did removing a $5 drain plug really streamline manufacturing? No just caused servicing headaches. Apparently you can tap a threaded hole and install a fill plug but don't get shavings in the differential.