I also suggest clean the bolts up w a wire brush. Soak in penetrating oil of your choice. Break the torque w a 6 point socket or box end wrench, spray w more penetrating oil and soak. Keep this up until the bolts come out. This has never failed. I probably wouldn’t mess w the oem fill bolt, but if you do, use the same procedure. Replace the cover w a new one (the G2 is nice), replace the bolts w new, and call it a day
rear differential cover bolts
- Thread starter spasm3
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Originally Posted By: spasm3
Get an impact and put a 3/8" impact extension in there. It'll come out.. Been in this exact position before except the cover and oil was already drained. AAP had a cover with a fill plug, but it was for a different axle hence why it was removed. Had to return the cover and get a high temp pipe plug from the hardware store as a replacement.
Soak it with penetrating oil if you can. Get a pick and clean out that plug hole too.
Get an impact and put a 3/8" impact extension in there. It'll come out.. Been in this exact position before except the cover and oil was already drained. AAP had a cover with a fill plug, but it was for a different axle hence why it was removed. Had to return the cover and get a high temp pipe plug from the hardware store as a replacement.
Soak it with penetrating oil if you can. Get a pick and clean out that plug hole too.
I sprayed the bolts an i thought i would give them each a tap in each direction and let them soak. They started moving easily with the ball peen hammer taps. I intended to just tap them, respray and tap them again tomorrow. They all came free!!
I am not touching the fill bolt, it only has 1/2 of the original square remaining. Too much work and risk of getting junk in the axle if it breaks.
I ordered the G2 cover, a felpro gasket and a tube of permatex 81182 gear oil gasket maker, just to have a tiny bit to hold the gasket on the cover.
Even though i have wrenched on my own vehicles for 30 years, this is the first one that i have had to deal with rust. None of my other cars ever have rust like this. ( It was on the beach and towed a boat in and out of salt water boat ramps by the previous owner).
I appreciate the advice, i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Thanks again!
I am not touching the fill bolt, it only has 1/2 of the original square remaining. Too much work and risk of getting junk in the axle if it breaks.
I ordered the G2 cover, a felpro gasket and a tube of permatex 81182 gear oil gasket maker, just to have a tiny bit to hold the gasket on the cover.
Even though i have wrenched on my own vehicles for 30 years, this is the first one that i have had to deal with rust. None of my other cars ever have rust like this. ( It was on the beach and towed a boat in and out of salt water boat ramps by the previous owner).
I appreciate the advice, i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Thanks again!
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Originally Posted By: dlundblad
spasm3 said:
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Originally Posted By: spasm3
i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Every single job involves rust ans almost every one involves a least one broken bolts. Your all set, I would use a bit of high tack instead of the RTV with a gasket, save the RTV for another time on something without a gasket.
i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Every single job involves rust ans almost every one involves a least one broken bolts. Your all set, I would use a bit of high tack instead of the RTV with a gasket, save the RTV for another time on something without a gasket.
Originally Posted By: spasm3
I sprayed the bolts an i thought i would give them each a tap in each direction and let them soak. They started moving easily with the ball peen hammer taps. I intended to just tap them, respray and tap them again tomorrow. They all came free!!
I am not touching the fill bolt, it only has 1/2 of the original square remaining. Too much work and risk of getting junk in the axle if it breaks.
I ordered the G2 cover, a felpro gasket and a tube of permatex 81182 gear oil gasket maker, just to have a tiny bit to hold the gasket on the cover.
Even though i have wrenched on my own vehicles for 30 years, this is the first one that i have had to deal with rust. None of my other cars ever have rust like this. ( It was on the beach and towed a boat in and out of salt water boat ramps by the previous owner).
I appreciate the advice, i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Thanks again!
Thankfully I do not live in the rust belt . So I am not personally familiar with that degree of rust .
I have watched youtube videos of people having to replace the diff cover when it started leaking ! :-(
Looking at the photos , my guess is you may not be too far from that happening to you . Glad you are replacing it . I would use new bolts , maybe even stainless ?
When you start back together with it , I would use the Permatex on the cover & not on the diff housing . If you ever have to take it appart , it may make it easer to get off . And I had rather do my gasket scraping , not bent over under the vehicle .
Best of luck to you !
I sprayed the bolts an i thought i would give them each a tap in each direction and let them soak. They started moving easily with the ball peen hammer taps. I intended to just tap them, respray and tap them again tomorrow. They all came free!!
I am not touching the fill bolt, it only has 1/2 of the original square remaining. Too much work and risk of getting junk in the axle if it breaks.
I ordered the G2 cover, a felpro gasket and a tube of permatex 81182 gear oil gasket maker, just to have a tiny bit to hold the gasket on the cover.
Even though i have wrenched on my own vehicles for 30 years, this is the first one that i have had to deal with rust. None of my other cars ever have rust like this. ( It was on the beach and towed a boat in and out of salt water boat ramps by the previous owner).
I appreciate the advice, i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Thanks again!
Thankfully I do not live in the rust belt . So I am not personally familiar with that degree of rust .
I have watched youtube videos of people having to replace the diff cover when it started leaking ! :-(
Looking at the photos , my guess is you may not be too far from that happening to you . Glad you are replacing it . I would use new bolts , maybe even stainless ?
When you start back together with it , I would use the Permatex on the cover & not on the diff housing . If you ever have to take it appart , it may make it easer to get off . And I had rather do my gasket scraping , not bent over under the vehicle .
Best of luck to you !
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Originally Posted By: spasm3
I sprayed the bolts an i thought i would give them each a tap in each direction and let them soak. They started moving easily with the ball peen hammer taps. I intended to just tap them, respray and tap them again tomorrow. They all came free!!
I am not touching the fill bolt, it only has 1/2 of the original square remaining. Too much work and risk of getting junk in the axle if it breaks.
I ordered the G2 cover, a felpro gasket and a tube of permatex 81182 gear oil gasket maker, just to have a tiny bit to hold the gasket on the cover.
Even though i have wrenched on my own vehicles for 30 years, this is the first one that i have had to deal with rust. None of my other cars ever have rust like this. ( It was on the beach and towed a boat in and out of salt water boat ramps by the previous owner).
I appreciate the advice, i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Thanks again!
You da man ! got it beat now … just buy a quart or two extra gear oil unless G2 gave you a number …
Yeah, the road salt rust would drive me nuts (have worked in several snowy places … but not much here)
GMC has done several long crossings in brackish water and rust starts the next day … water packed with mud/shell
Have a sprinkler + Salt Away trick and use Rustoleum Rust Reformer very often …
I sprayed the bolts an i thought i would give them each a tap in each direction and let them soak. They started moving easily with the ball peen hammer taps. I intended to just tap them, respray and tap them again tomorrow. They all came free!!
I am not touching the fill bolt, it only has 1/2 of the original square remaining. Too much work and risk of getting junk in the axle if it breaks.
I ordered the G2 cover, a felpro gasket and a tube of permatex 81182 gear oil gasket maker, just to have a tiny bit to hold the gasket on the cover.
Even though i have wrenched on my own vehicles for 30 years, this is the first one that i have had to deal with rust. None of my other cars ever have rust like this. ( It was on the beach and towed a boat in and out of salt water boat ramps by the previous owner).
I appreciate the advice, i don't know how you guys deal with all that rust up north. Rusty bolts and fasteners are intimidating if you have never had to deal with them before.
Thanks again!
You da man ! got it beat now … just buy a quart or two extra gear oil unless G2 gave you a number …
Yeah, the road salt rust would drive me nuts (have worked in several snowy places … but not much here)
GMC has done several long crossings in brackish water and rust starts the next day … water packed with mud/shell
Have a sprinkler + Salt Away trick and use Rustoleum Rust Reformer very often …
Originally Posted By: 4WD
just buy a quart or two extra gear oil unless G2 gave you a number …
Hmm i didn't think about extra volume. I bought the amsoil severe gear a month ago not knowing i would run into this. I have 3 1/2 quarts left after filling the front diff. If i have to , i can order another quart or so and wait. I don't have to drive it now.
just buy a quart or two extra gear oil unless G2 gave you a number …
Hmm i didn't think about extra volume. I bought the amsoil severe gear a month ago not knowing i would run into this. I have 3 1/2 quarts left after filling the front diff. If i have to , i can order another quart or so and wait. I don't have to drive it now.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Maybe you can call G2 or worst case being stuck with an extra bottle of ASG on the shelf is prettier than an 18 year bottle from where I’m headed tomorrow …
It’s just an important level first time with the new cover … after that it’s all gravy …
Safe regards …
It’s just an important level first time with the new cover … after that it’s all gravy …
Safe regards …
Originally Posted By: ford46guy
Take a stiff steel brush, and clean it up.
Get some PB blaster, WD-40 (yes it helps), and Liquid wrench or go to Family Dollar/Ask the old lady for Acetone nail polish remover. Mix(don't need much, maybe 2 oz of each) it up 50/50 with some used or cheap ATF, spray down the plug. I use a dollar tree spray bottle, it is all deformed but it works for years. Maybe pick two products. Let it sit overnight.
Get a Yellow mapp torch, heat the iron around the plug. Take a candle and melt it into the threads.
Try working the bolt out. Impacting, banging on the breaker bar is better than brute force sometimes. A weak impact helps too. You don't want to destroy the fastener.
I second this. I was changing rear diff fluid on another car a year or so ago. It had a female hex and it didn't look half as bad as these pictures, yet both the drain and fill plugs were seized. 25 inch breaker bar wouldn't budge either of the plugs.
Eventually it twisted and stripped the hex out and I had a few choice words for myself. Now I was done for because it would twist out when I tried applying a large amount of force. Never ever try to take these off without getting the torx deep in.
So what did I do? What I should have done in the beginning, used my yellow MAPP torch to heat the engagement area, used one hand to keep the ratchet from camming out and the ratchet took off both plugs with no effort, even the stripped one, both that a breaker bar couldn't even remove.
I go straight to the torch now and don't even bother digging myself in a ditch. Ran into the same situation with a pipe/casting plug on the side of a Nissan intake manifold. Wasn't budging with breaker, torched it and away it went.
Something to keep in mind is you may want to be gentle with a torch because the drain plug usually has a magnet and you don't want the torch to affect the magnetic properties. I'd test the magnet afterward to make sure it hasn't changed its magnetism. It should be hard to mess it up though because the magnet end is immersed in oil anyway which cools it.
Take a stiff steel brush, and clean it up.
Get some PB blaster, WD-40 (yes it helps), and Liquid wrench or go to Family Dollar/Ask the old lady for Acetone nail polish remover. Mix(don't need much, maybe 2 oz of each) it up 50/50 with some used or cheap ATF, spray down the plug. I use a dollar tree spray bottle, it is all deformed but it works for years. Maybe pick two products. Let it sit overnight.
Get a Yellow mapp torch, heat the iron around the plug. Take a candle and melt it into the threads.
Try working the bolt out. Impacting, banging on the breaker bar is better than brute force sometimes. A weak impact helps too. You don't want to destroy the fastener.
I second this. I was changing rear diff fluid on another car a year or so ago. It had a female hex and it didn't look half as bad as these pictures, yet both the drain and fill plugs were seized. 25 inch breaker bar wouldn't budge either of the plugs.
Eventually it twisted and stripped the hex out and I had a few choice words for myself. Now I was done for because it would twist out when I tried applying a large amount of force. Never ever try to take these off without getting the torx deep in.
So what did I do? What I should have done in the beginning, used my yellow MAPP torch to heat the engagement area, used one hand to keep the ratchet from camming out and the ratchet took off both plugs with no effort, even the stripped one, both that a breaker bar couldn't even remove.
I go straight to the torch now and don't even bother digging myself in a ditch. Ran into the same situation with a pipe/casting plug on the side of a Nissan intake manifold. Wasn't budging with breaker, torched it and away it went.
Something to keep in mind is you may want to be gentle with a torch because the drain plug usually has a magnet and you don't want the torch to affect the magnetic properties. I'd test the magnet afterward to make sure it hasn't changed its magnetism. It should be hard to mess it up though because the magnet end is immersed in oil anyway which cools it.
Got the G2 cover today. My thanks to member 4WD for suggesting this cover.
Seems well made. The cover is thick. The bolts of course are too short. I will replace them, probably with stainless and some anti-seize.
Pics;
Seems well made. The cover is thick. The bolts of course are too short. I will replace them, probably with stainless and some anti-seize.
Pics;
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4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Nice ...
It looks like i will need more gear oil. I have amsoil severe gear 75w 90. Should i buy more of that, or should i buy some severe gear 75w140 to add to what i have?
I pm'd Pablo to ask if its ok to mix the 2 weights. Just thinking a bit heavier oil would be good for towing.
I pm'd Pablo to ask if its ok to mix the 2 weights. Just thinking a bit heavier oil would be good for towing.
Well the G2 cover will not fit on an avalanche. The cover fits the rear end fine. It will not clear the sway bar or the track bar. So i had to order a thin cover with a fill bolt. I'm going to see if there is clearance on my dads silverado, if so I'll give it to him.
And that is why I don't use stainless bolts
Took the g2 cover off today, installed the dorman stamped cover that has a fill bolt. Managed to get the spare tire out, the release was stuck.
Rust Sucks!!!
I had to order a new track bar as the old one had almost no metal around the bushings.
I know some dorman parts are not that great, but i have to say the stamped steel cover had a good feel and was flat , bolted up fine. The replacement track bar is dorman looks really good quality. Made in Taiwan, not China.
Dorman track bar
I ordered pro-forged sway bar end links, as they looked much beefier than what is sold around here and at napa.
I'm going to need a new wheel for the spare tire!
After taking the spare tire down, i saw the fuel filler neck. I have not ordered that yet. Its not cheap, like $268 from spectra.
Rust Sucks!!!
I had to order a new track bar as the old one had almost no metal around the bushings.
I know some dorman parts are not that great, but i have to say the stamped steel cover had a good feel and was flat , bolted up fine. The replacement track bar is dorman looks really good quality. Made in Taiwan, not China.
Dorman track bar
I ordered pro-forged sway bar end links, as they looked much beefier than what is sold around here and at napa.
I'm going to need a new wheel for the spare tire!
After taking the spare tire down, i saw the fuel filler neck. I have not ordered that yet. Its not cheap, like $268 from spectra.
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Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Wow! That thing is crazy rusty. I've said it before, I don't know how you guys function with rust!
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Wow! That thing is crazy rusty. I've said it before, I don't know how you guys function with rust!
It was not rusty when i bought it with 29k miles on it. But it had been dunked in salt water towing a boat( unknown to me at the time).
Normally we don't have rust problems in nc.
It rusted as it sat a lot as i only tow with it.
Wow! That thing is crazy rusty. I've said it before, I don't know how you guys function with rust!
It was not rusty when i bought it with 29k miles on it. But it had been dunked in salt water towing a boat( unknown to me at the time).
Normally we don't have rust problems in nc.
It rusted as it sat a lot as i only tow with it.
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