Rear diff fluid change question.

Just changing my diff and t case fluids. I know there’s a thread on how to do it but I need a quick question answered about refill amount. I know it calls for 3 qts for the rear, but I just drained mine and only got 2.6 qts... should I refill with this amount or do the recommended 3??

 

Looking for this one?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/front-diff-and-transfer-case-oil-change-howto.147631/

I just filled the rear until it slowly started to come out of the fill hole.

 

mine fit 3 qts exactly. never measured what went in..i am pretty anal about getting my truck level before starting the job..i bet whoever did it last was unlevel and got premature drippage.

 

Fill it until it comes out the hole

 

"That's what she said"



(Too easy....had to)

 

correction to my post above..i never measure what comes OUT

 

it is very difficult to fill it up beyond the open hole anyways..

 

This is sounding more like a porno thread

 

The key is the vehicle being level F-R and L-R when you are filling.

I don't know what it should hold. But if you got 2.6 out, you'd have to buy 3 to refill it, right?

Maybe that's where the number comes from, not that that is the quantity held.

If it holds more than 2.6, you'll know it was low on fluid. Not that it matters now.

 

May not apply in your case, but I've seen more than one Gen 1 Tacoma come from the California factory low on differential gear oil.

Gen 2 Tacoma's have had numerous low automatic transmission fills from the factory - at least according to what you read here.

Would not surprise me a bit if some Gen 2 differentials came under-filled.

 

Just don't over fill it. I did on my old T100, had the front tires down in a little ditch to give me more room to work under the back and I didn't want to do it on my concrete pad. I hate oil spots on the ground.
A few weeks later, I had some diff fluid in one of my hubs.
Park the truck on level ground and fill it until it starts to run out the fill hole. Give it a few minutes to settle and add again until it just starts to leak out the fill hole. Put some Teflon tape on the fill plug and reinstall. Done.

 

You can easily measure the oil level by taking a piece of wire bent 90 degrees, and sticking in the hole with the wire down. Pull it out and read the level. It should be filled to the bottom of the fill hole. It's handy for checking the manual tranny and transfer case too