Front diff will not stop leaking gear oil

LONG story short, I found that after installing the new front diff I forgot to install the hose to the breather on top of the diff. I don't drive the truck much but I did go through water recently and I know I had water in the diff. After replacing the gear oil I cleaned everything to verify that the leak was gone.

NOPE, I got home and found it still leaking. It is not either axle seal. I am thinking the vent tube is clogged or I am clueless and need your ideas.

 

I would but just cleaned the diff again. I can tell you that most of the fluid appears to be on the passenger side of the diff on the pumpkin and mostly appears to be coming from on top. Does this help? I would say up near the breather tube area and the 4x4 actuator.

 

There aren't that many choices.

Vent tubes.

Clamshell gaskets.

passenger side axle extension gaskets

axle seals

fill and drain plugs

actuator assembly

cracked casing

If you drain the oil out of the thing, pull the axles, and drop it out again, you should be able to see which one it actually is.

Yes, that's a pain in the ass. No, I can't think of an easier way to figure it out.

 

Okay, let me add one other thing I didn't mention but noticed. Because I don't drive often the truck sits weeks at a time. It doesn't leak unless I drive the truck.

When you say vent tubes, are you saying that it could be clogged? Should I blow air down the hose and see if I can feel air come out of the fill hole?

Thanks for the thoughts. I know that I will have to pull it if I can't find it soon.

 

most likely it's the vent tubes. they need to be reinstalled in the original and correct position with both tops facing straight up. they can't be slung over or they will leak. plenty of us have found out the hard way including me.

 

You could try that. But really, oil oughtn't to be coming out of the vent tubes even if the hose isn't connected.

 

Really.

Ok, I take back what I said above.

 

Can you explain this more because the vent tube comes up and bends towards the front of the truck and not straight up. So what problems have been found with the vent tubes?

 

Also let me add that the tube appears to be fixed to the pumpkin and about 2 - 3 inches long. Again bent towards the front of the truck. It had a 2 inch soft hose that connected to a hard line that runs to the driver side wheel well then another soft hose up to the engine bay. Is this not correct?

 

Ok, I talked with ECGS and they tell me that the ARB will allow oil into the actuator which then after building pressure cause the oil to push out the vent tube. They say that oil should not be there but they have seen this a few times. Easy enough to do and will hopefully keep me from having to drop diff again.

I will see what happens after this is been removed and fluid cleaned out. Again thanks for all the thoughts. I am still curious about the vent tube issue that you mention, can you please give me detail?

 

Ok I would like to post my findings in hopes to help someone else down theroad. I tried to find out more information on this vent tube issue but couldnot find anything and I am not sure if this applies to the front diff becausethe vent tube is fix mounted to the clamshell.

My problem came down to two problems. Which is why this caused me tothink something more was going on. After talking with ECGS (they areawesome) there tech said that with an ARB installed sometimes gear oil can getin the tube on the passenger side which there should be none. Therefore,you have to pull off the 4x4 actuator and let the oil out. I had a lot ofoil in this location. This was not my only problem, after some drivingall the oil on the passenger side of the clamshell has stopped but I am stillleaking at the drivers seal.

Also installed the ARB breather and love thisitem. No more one-way valves

 

I have an ARB in the front and had oil coming out of the vent when I changed my diff fluid a few years back. It would only come out when I was moving so I knew it wasn't a gasket leak. Turns out I must have slightly overfilled the diff somehow because after a few weeks of slowly leaking out the breather it eventually stopped and I'm just assuming is because the oil level dropped a little (yes I did verify I still have plenty of oil in the front diff). When you install the ARB you must remove the oil deflector that the passenger side stub tube bolts up to, that may be where the oil in your actuator got in from.

 

Since ECGS is the bomb when putting gears and ARB's in these trucks I would assume all is put together correctly. I believe that if I didn't care I could have gone long enough with the leak and it would have stopped. But it is clear that you should not have oil stub tube. As soon as I pulled the actuator oil came out. I had water in my which will settle to the bottom causing the oil to rise which is why I believe that I had nothing but oil in the tube. ECGS said that oil in the tube can cause oil to leak out of the vent. This problem is only seen(if I am correct) with arb's installed.