Changing differential fluid - A step by step "HOW TO"

07tacoark · 10-26-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianr

go look at the back of your rear diff and see what sticker you haver on it. (i.e. C06, A06)

i will here shortly & let u know

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris4x4

If you do have the LS diff, you need the addative, or the diff will chatter.

well F me runnin

good thing i aint changed it like i was plannin on doin last nite.... til the f'n air compressor broke

cgwinner · 11-04-2009, 12:06 PM

Great write-up... thank you for the pictures. I did the job this morning but I have to admit to a BOZO move. I was under the truck and my buddy handed me the first quart of oil to refill with a hose on the end to make it easier - I didn't realize he put a small plastic cap into the end of the hose to cap it... put the hose in, squeezed the bottle, cap pops off. I tried to drain the diff again to see if it would come out - no luck! I have to figure that the small soft piece of plastic won't really hurt anything, just get ground up in there.

Wondering if anyone else has done this or if you think its a big deal or not? Would rather not pull the axles and all that mess to open the case up.

thanks.

chris4x4 · 11-04-2009, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgwinner

Great write-up... thank you for the pictures. I did the job this morning but I have to admit to a BOZO move. I was under the truck and my buddy handed me the first quart of oil to refill with a hose on the end to make it easier - I didn't realize he put a small plastic cap into the end of the hose to cap it... put the hose in, squeezed the bottle, cap pops off. I tried to drain the diff again to see if it would come out - no luck! I have to figure that the small soft piece of plastic won't really hurt anything, just get ground up in there.

Wondering if anyone else has done this or if you think its a big deal or not? Would rather not pull the axles and all that mess to open the case up.

thanks.

Umm.....I have no experianc ewith that, so I dont know if it will hurt. Personally, I would pull the 3rd off, and get it out.

NAAC3TACO · 11-04-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris4x4

Umm.....I have no experianc ewith that, so I dont know if it will hurt. Personally, I would pull the 3rd off, and get it out.

+1. Get that thing out. I wouldn't take a chance on screwing up my rear end if I were you.

cgwinner · 11-04-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris4x4

Umm.....I have no experianc ewith that, so I dont know if it will hurt. Personally, I would pull the 3rd off, and get it out.

Just curious, what do you mean by "pull the 3rd off"?

chris4x4 · 11-04-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgwinner

Just curious, what do you mean by "pull the 3rd off"?

The 3rd member....Its the front of the diff. Just pull the axels out about 6", disconect the drive shaft, and you can pull the front of the diff out.

BakoTruck · 11-15-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerNameIsLucy

If I can be so bold as to add to the instructions here, when I did mine I put a floor jack under the right rear spring seat and lifted that side of the truck up about 8 inches. Quite a bit more old fluid ran out. The drain plug isn't in the center of the diff, not sure why, but stands to reason the stuff that gets left behind if you don't tilt the axle would be the thicker nastier crap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris4x4

I tried this, and no more oil came out.....Was your truck on level ground?

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerNameIsLucy

Yup. Quite a bit more came out. I had just driven up to get the diff lube so there might have been a lot in the axle tube too. Hmm...I should have lifted the left side too...

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris4x4

I usually change mine "cold". Not sure how much satys in the axel, but I cant imagine much would. I have noticed that the plug is off centered a bit, but its pretty flush with the bottom on the inside of the 3rd member.

I just changed my oil for the first time on Friday, and wanted to comment on this, even though It's not a big deal.

I changed mine after driving it with the oil hot or warm, and on level ground. I let it drain out completely on level ground without jack stands, then after that I wanted to lift the axle higher on one side to see if any more oil would come out.

I lifted the left rear axle (drivers side) almost 8 inches and more oil did come out. It wasn't a lot though, but it did take about 5 minutes before it stopped draining.
I then lifted the right rear axle (passenger side) just like the other side and absolutely no oil drained out at all. I kept it up for about 5 minutes just to make sure.

So I'm not sure if it matters if you do this or not, but I would guess it really doesn't matter. Also I'm sure a lot of other factors play into this like the type of oil you use and how many miles you change it at and other factors.

I bought one of those oil pumps (OEM), it worked good except the fitting did not screw into the Mobil 1 quart bottle. It screws into standard gallon size bottles, so make sure not to make the mistake I made and make sure it will screw into the quart size. Or pour the oil into a clean gallon container and use it that way.

But thanks for the write up guys, it really helped me out a lot!

Coheednme13 · 11-15-2009, 03:05 PM

I'm overdue on this by about 1500 miles I just can't break my fill plug. I don't have a way to lift it and I don't have an impact wrench anyone have any suggestions

OffroadToy · 11-15-2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coheednme13

I'm overdue on this by about 1500 miles I just can't break my fill plug. I don't have a way to lift it and I don't have an impact wrench anyone have any suggestions

The dealer will usually break a stuck plug for you, or try either a bottle jack under the wrench or a longer handle for more leverage.

dorifuto · 11-15-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coheednme13

I'm overdue on this by about 1500 miles I just can't break my fill plug. I don't have a way to lift it and I don't have an impact wrench anyone have any suggestions

I'm glad I ain't the only one who couldn't break that plug loose.

chris4x4 · 11-15-2009, 03:37 PM

Outting a wrench on the bolt, and tapping the wrench with a hammer works also.

jjjewett · 11-29-2009, 12:59 PM

I took my stock 04' taco dc 4wd trd through clam beach creek last friday.
It looked pretty much like the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD2nH...eature=related

My truck has 58k miles on it and I just had the diff fluid changed.
Should I rechange the diff oil and/or anything else because of this water crossing? I will look at the idler pulley, and have checked the air intake. there was some moisture in the bottom of the air box, but the filter was dry.

I will do the diff breather extension after this, but wonder if I should change the fluid.

I have driven for around 700 miles after the water crossing and everything "seems fine".

thanks for any advise.

-John

rclangelan · 12-23-2009, 07:21 PM

Hey guys, great thread.

I'm gonna be doing my man-tranny, TC, and front and rear diff fluids this weekend. I have the 05 TRD SPORT with LSD and I'm WAY past due... 80K... whoops.

Please make sure I'm understanding what I've read:

- I can use synthetic in Front Diff, TC and Tranny... but I should NOT use it for the rear diff? Correct?

- I need to add a LSD additive to the rear diff in addition to a non-synth fluid? One brand of additive better than another?

- I'm seeing the brand name Redline being thrown around for the rear (or all?) If I can't get my hands on Redline, what standard autozone (or walmart, or NAPA auto...) brands are acceptable?

Thanks so much guys. I figure it's so WAY overdue that I should be sure do get it right... and right away.

Ryan

brianr · 12-23-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjewett

I took my stock 04' taco dc 4wd trd through clam beach creek last friday.
It looked pretty much like the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD2nH...eature=related

My truck has 58k miles on it and I just had the diff fluid changed.
Should I rechange the diff oil and/or anything else because of this water crossing? I will look at the idler pulley, and have checked the air intake. there was some moisture in the bottom of the air box, but the filter was dry.

I will do the diff breather extension after this, but wonder if I should change the fluid.

I have driven for around 700 miles after the water crossing and everything "seems fine".

thanks for any advise.

-John

John, personally I have never had any effects from water but if you feel uneasy, theres certainly no harm in changing the fluid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rclangelan

Hey guys, great thread.

I'm gonna be doing my man-tranny, TC, and front and rear diff fluids this weekend. I have the 05 TRD SPORT with LSD and I'm WAY past due... 80K... whoops.

Please make sure I'm understanding what I've read:

- I can use synthetic in Front Diff, TC and Tranny... but I should NOT use it for the rear diff? Correct?

- I need to add a LSD additive to the rear diff in addition to a non-synth fluid? One brand of additive better than another?

- I'm seeing the brand name Redline being thrown around for the rear (or all?) If I can't get my hands on Redline, what standard autozone (or walmart, or NAPA auto...) brands are acceptable?

Thanks so much guys. I figure it's so WAY overdue that I should be sure do get it right... and right away.

Ryan

Ryan, according to the tests Chris has run, synthetic in the LSD is not the best route. I used whatever cheapo 80-90weight dino gear oil that was at the shop I stopped at. Any dino 75 or 80-90 will do. As far as LSD additive is concerned, Chris grabbed the only product they had (its pictured in the OP). 4ounces of additive is what is needed.

NAAC3TACO · 12-24-2009, 07:57 AM

If you have LSD, there is no reason to run synthetic. You will be changing it every 30,000 miles anyway, just make sure you use the additive. If you have a locker or open diff, you can run synthetic and change it at a more extended interval. 2005 and up Corvettes actually had a problem running synthetic with additive so GM came up with Dexron LS fluid that is not synthetic and contains the proper amount of additive. Of course, that does not mean Tacomas would have an issue with synthetic, but my point is that LSD diffs and synthetic oils don't always mix. If my Tacoma had LSD, I would stick with Toyota's reccomendations. JMO.

sonjay · 12-24-2009, 09:50 AM

I have a LSD and have had no problems so far with Redline 75w-90 synthetic gear oil, it comes with the additive already in the bottle!

NAAC3TACO · 12-24-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonjay

I have a LSD and have had no problems so far with Redline 75w-90 synthetic gear oil, it comes with the additive already in the bottle!

Redline makes some great products. I plan on using their synthetic gear oils when I do my first service, including MT90 in the 5 speed. Thanks for the info about the LSDs.

rclangelan · 12-24-2009, 05:54 PM

Thanks guys,

Where are you buying your Redine products from? I can't find the stuff locally.

Ryan

Pd3 · 12-24-2009, 08:11 PM

So hey B- when are you going to do the front?

brianr · 12-24-2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pd3

So hey B- when are you going to do the front?

as soon as I pick up my new Timberland Mica OR dbl cab next week.

11-15-2009, 03:05 PM	#348
Coheednme13 Senior Member Joined: Jan 2008, #4172 Location: Elgin, SC Posts: 215 08 Regular Cab Impulse Red 2008 Regular Cab Automatic 2.7l I4 vvt-i Have 20% tint, AFE Drop in, Secondary filter removed, Premier 800PRS headunit	I'm overdue on this by about 1500 miles I just can't break my fill plug. I don't have a way to lift it and I don't have an impact wrench anyone have any suggestions __________________ Pics of my ongoing audio install check them out

11-15-2009, 03:37 PM	#351
chris4x4 With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Name: FlimFlubberJAM Joined: May 2008, #6497 Location: Arizona Gender: Male Posts: 54,772 2007 PreRunner 2007 Double Cab Automatic 1GR-FE (4.0 V6) OME 885's, OME n140s front shocks, Total Chaos UCA's, TSB springs with AAL, 5100 rear shocks, custom built fuel tank skid plate, TRD exhaust.	Outting a wrench on the bolt, and tapping the wrench with a hammer works also. __________________ the more you bitch, the scarier ill drive.

11-29-2009, 12:59 PM	#352
jjjewett Junior Member Joined: Nov 2009, #26041 Location: tahoe Gender: Male Posts: 4 04 double-cab trd 4x4 stock 2004 Double Cab Automatic v6	diff fluid change needed? I took my stock 04' taco dc 4wd trd through clam beach creek last friday. It looked pretty much like the video below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD2nH...eature=related My truck has 58k miles on it and I just had the diff fluid changed. Should I rechange the diff oil and/or anything else because of this water crossing? I will look at the idler pulley, and have checked the air intake. there was some moisture in the bottom of the air box, but the filter was dry. I will do the diff breather extension after this, but wonder if I should change the fluid. I have driven for around 700 miles after the water crossing and everything "seems fine". thanks for any advise. -John

12-24-2009, 08:11 PM	#359
Pd3 Next! Joined: Dec 2008, #12005 Location: Home! Gender: Male Posts: 22,606	So hey B- when are you going to do the front? __________________

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11-04-2009, 12:06 PM	#342
cgwinner Junior Member Joined: Nov 2009, #25420 Location: Atlanta, GA Gender: Male Posts: 2 02 PreRunner TRD 2002 Xtra Cab Automatic	Great write-up... thank you for the pictures. I did the job this morning but I have to admit to a BOZO move. I was under the truck and my buddy handed me the first quart of oil to refill with a hose on the end to make it easier - I didn't realize he put a small plastic cap into the end of the hose to cap it... put the hose in, squeezed the bottle, cap pops off. I tried to drain the diff again to see if it would come out - no luck! I have to figure that the small soft piece of plastic won't really hurt anything, just get ground up in there. Wondering if anyone else has done this or if you think its a big deal or not? Would rather not pull the axles and all that mess to open the case up. thanks.

12-23-2009, 07:21 PM	#353
rclangelan Member Name: Ryan Joined: May 2009, #17610 Location: Sykesville, MD Gender: Male Posts: 36 2005 4x4 Sport, Short Bed 2005 Double Cab Manual 4.0 V6	Hey guys, great thread. I'm gonna be doing my man-tranny, TC, and front and rear diff fluids this weekend. I have the 05 TRD SPORT with LSD and I'm WAY past due... 80K... whoops. Please make sure I'm understanding what I've read: - I can use synthetic in Front Diff, TC and Tranny... but I should NOT use it for the rear diff? Correct? - I need to add a LSD additive to the rear diff in addition to a non-synth fluid? One brand of additive better than another? - I'm seeing the brand name Redline being thrown around for the rear (or all?) If I can't get my hands on Redline, what standard autozone (or walmart, or NAPA auto...) brands are acceptable? Thanks so much guys. I figure it's so WAY overdue that I should be sure do get it right... and right away. Ryan

12-24-2009, 07:57 AM	#355
NAAC3TACO Senior Member Joined: Aug 2008, #8350 Location: Nevada Age: 43 Gender: Male Posts: 2,366 2008 SR5 AC 2.7 4X4 IMPULSE RED 2008 Access Cab Manual 2.7 Ebay fog light kit Rubber bed mat Toyota fog light switch Tailgate hose clamp lock Antenna X 13" antenna Fumoto valve	If you have LSD, there is no reason to run synthetic. You will be changing it every 30,000 miles anyway, just make sure you use the additive. If you have a locker or open diff, you can run synthetic and change it at a more extended interval. 2005 and up Corvettes actually had a problem running synthetic with additive so GM came up with Dexron LS fluid that is not synthetic and contains the proper amount of additive. Of course, that does not mean Tacomas would have an issue with synthetic, but my point is that LSD diffs and synthetic oils don't always mix. If my Tacoma had LSD, I would stick with Toyota's reccomendations. JMO.

12-24-2009, 09:50 AM	#356
sonjay Senior Member Joined: Oct 2008, #9834 Location: Vancouver Island Gender: Male Posts: 711	I have a LSD and have had no problems so far with Redline 75w-90 synthetic gear oil, it comes with the additive already in the bottle!

12-24-2009, 05:54 PM	#358
rclangelan Member Name: Ryan Joined: May 2009, #17610 Location: Sykesville, MD Gender: Male Posts: 36 2005 4x4 Sport, Short Bed 2005 Double Cab Manual 4.0 V6	Thanks guys, Where are you buying your Redine products from? I can't find the stuff locally. Ryan

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