Plastic hose in rear differential

I set up a hand pump that fits into a quart bottle of 85W-90 rear differential gear oil that had an extension piece of tubing about 3-4 inches long that fit very tightly over the original hose on the pump. This just made it easier to get the fluid into the top hole. I have used this set up numerous times before with no problem.

This time ---------- when I pulled the hose out of the hole to change bottles, no extension hose, it had fallen off and was in the differential.

After learning a few new curse words, it was time to get creative and come up with a way to get that hose out without taking everything apart.

The first and most important thing to do was go to the refridge, get a beer and crack it open.

Then lean against the truck and get the one brain neuron that is still firing in gear and come up with a solution.

Probing with a wire would not help because there was no way to grab the hose. One of those grabbing finger things was out because they are too stiff to maneuver through the top or bottom hole. So with the beer most of the way done and some of the alcohol kicking in, I saw the light.

Out came the shop vac and over the drain hole went the nozzle. I repeatedly kept covering the top hole with my palm to shock the suction forces being applied to the differential and looking to see if the hose showed up at the drain hole.

It took 3 tries to get it out but success was in the cards and beer was still on ice.

I will not use an extension ever again, but will always have a beer ready for the next tragedy.

 

Drink to think!
Glad you got it out

 

Good thinking..... But How big of a mess did that make of the shop vac? I would imagine there would have been oil all over the inside and in the dust filter.....

 

Just use a longer piece of tubing next time...like long enough that when inserted into the diff there is still several inches hanging out.

 

can't believe that worked. excellent!

 

I love being able to learn from mistakes like that. Glad it worked out for you and you got creative and figured out what worked!