Differential fill plug leaking??

So Today I had my alternator start whining on me. I replaced it and the whine went away. Went for a test drive to make sure everything was good. When I got back I noticed the my exhaust tips were vibrating hard and was hitting the plastic piece behind the wheel. ( It was idling low when this was happening) Went on another quick drive...came back and the idle was fine. The exhaust wasn't vibrating anymore. While I was under there checking the exhaust out I noticed my rear differential pumpkin was wet. Also noticed the right rear tire area was wet looking also....I have a few pictures of anyone can help me out that would be great.

 

Check your axle vent.

 

yeah- you probably have a gear oil leak at both the fill plug *and* at one of your wheel seals. pull the rear brake drum on the leaking side and see if there is oil all over your brake shoes if so, replace both your rear axle seals and possibly your rear wheel bearing(s) as it is probably contaminated with gear oil. as for the fill plug on the diff, you probably only need a fill plug crush washer.

and yes- as stated above, check your diff vent. this can cause oil to leak if its plugged.

 

Okay. What exactly am I looking for on the differential vent? How do I know if it's bad or clogged? And as far as the axel seals and wheel bearings I won't be able to do because I don't have a press

 

Your axle seals are in fact leaking regardless of the outcome of the vent...

 

Okay well I should be able to do the differential vent, fill plug crush washer, and the right rear axel seal because I won't need a press for those. But I will need a press for the wheel bearings and that I don't have. Will it be okay to do just the right rear axel seal? Because the left rear is bone dry

 

yes,
I have no idea what it entails to pull the axles out but if you have to pull the diff / gear assy from the axle housing...
All that work, youre better off doing both sides, just a little more labor....
Also wouldnt be surprised if your brake shoes are contaminated with gear oil.
Sorry to pile more on but its reality....

 

According to YouTube I will have to pull them from the axel housing to replace the axel seals and wheel bearings. And no worries, I know it's how the cookie crumbles. Thanks for your help.

 

That fill plug kinda looks like someone took a 12 point socket or wrong size socket along with an impact wrench. It slipped but they kept the trigger pulled. Meaning it’s pretty chewed up and will probably give you a hard time getting it off.

 

Do you think I can do the differential fill plug/washer, differential breather vent, and axel seals and just clean up the brake shoes with brake cleaner until I can afford new shoes and wheel bearings and be okay for awhile to save up the money to do the rest and see if those things stop the leak?

 

you can do everything you just proposed except spray the brake shoes with cleaner- they are unsafe to drive on and i highly recommend you replace them if they are contaminated with gear oil.

 

Okay so I'll do all of that and replace the shoes on both sides. But I have one more question...do you think I can just replace the rear passenger axel seal, wheel bearing and leave the driver's side alone? The driver side seal seams to not be leaking just the passenger side. I'm trying to save time and money.

 

As I stated, high mileage, youre already there with the extensive teardown, seals are cheap, youre better off doing both sides vs having to go back in 6 months later...
Brake material is porous, the oil absorbs into the pad, brake cleaner isnt the answer, must replace...

Who knows, you could take it apart & zero oil on the pads...
but ide be surprised if so...

You could break up the repairs in stages, do the seals, & if it needs brakes due to contamination, do it the following week...

 

Okay thanks for your help. Much appreciated

 

Someone posted an upgrade to the differential plug.. Lexus part # 90341-24016 .

I definitely agree with not reusing any brake friction material that’s been oil contaminated.

 

What's the upgrade? A different differential plug I can use? It won't let me see the part number on here. Maybe I can look it up on Google.

And alright I won't reuse it, unless it doesn't have oil on it but if its not contaminated with oil I will more than likely end up buying new shoes down the road regardless.

I went today and bought a differential breather vent, some

$29 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75W-90 gear fluid and both axel seals and also checked the differential fluid level. It's still pretty full even with the leak. None of the parts stores could pull up the fill plug with crush washer. I found one on eBay though. I wanna see the upgrade your talking about also before I buy the one from eBay

 

You can just spin the cap on your diff breather with your fingers. That usually frees it up. If it won't spin, it's probably clogged or not breathing.

 

But you already bought a new breather vent. I would just go ahead and replace it for good measure. Way too easy to replace it now that you have it.

 

It's spinning and going up and down but I'm thinking it's got somewhat of a little clog because my seal is leaking.