Refilling Differential

[apbright]

Time to refill the differential with the usual 600W gear oil. However, both fill holes on my differential are on the bottom side of it. I do live in a weird place (San Francisco), but unfortunately not so weird that oil flows upward.

What is the magic trick to getting oil into the differential?

Thanks in advance to any useful help,

Andrew

[J Franklin]

Use a suction grease/oil gun. Get it at the local auto parts store. fill from the uppermost hole, that is all it needs.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I use the squeeze bottle that the gear oil comes in. I've also used a squirt oil can with the nozzle removed.

[Mitch//pa]

i use the bottle that the oil comes in also, you can warm it a little for easier flow if need be. any leftover that you can't get out just funnel it into the next bottle....
or a suction gun

[apbright]

Ah, I knew there had to be a use for that brass grease suction gun other than giving me mechanic street cred. Will try it first thing in the morning!

[Patrick L.]

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Both fill holes are on the bottom ? How did that happen ? I can understand the drain plug ending on top, but I didn't think the fill hole could move very far. No matter what, it should be about half way up facing the rear of the vehicle.

[Napa Skip]

"...both fill holes on my differential are on the bottom..."

No doubt an after-market modification designed for the steep streets in San Francisco (think Bullitt chase scene)...

Sorry, slow morning in Napa...

[mccsix]

Having trouble visualizing a model A taking air over some of those SF street-hills like that green fastback.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Andrew,

No doubt whoever assembled this differential was not paying attention to the correct locations of the fill/drain holes in this part of the banjo.

Also, you are lucky -- the person who assembled this differential did not post a reply "yet" to suggest the simple easy fix; i.e., to fill the bottom holes in the differential, turn your vehicle upside down

[luckyal]

Mr. Chauvin Great sense of humor !
Al

[RonC]

You can also set a funnel up at the back bumper and run a hose down to the hole

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Dog here, Hey! apBRIGHT, did you know that a Dog curls his tongue "under" to lap/drink WATER??? Buster T.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Andrew,

Would not be a bad idea if you could locate a club member to help you to place the holes correctly to insure proper lubrication.

With the possibility of no lubrication because of leaks & excessive wear, worse case scenario would be total replacement of worn parts.

For example, with just a few listed:

Two axles: $700.00
Ring & pinion gear: $450.00
Four Differential Bearings: $160.00
Two Differential Bearing Cups: $50.00
Pinion Bearing Cup: $60.00
What ever else ???????

Upwards of $1,420.00 without shipping.

Hope this helps just in case you never thought of same.

[apbright]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

Andrew,

Also, you are lucky -- the person who assembled this differential did not post a reply "yet" to suggest the simple easy fix; i.e., to fill the bottom holes in the differential, turn your vehicle upside down

..oh man, I even thought about doing that.

Suction gun did the trick. Made an unholy mess though.

Thanks all, Andrew

[Gord. B by the bay]

On the tranny I disliked to have to crawl under the car to check the level, I cut a 3" square hole in the floor board just above the plug wich is 3/4" pipe thread remove the plug and screw in a 3/4 by 5" nipple with the a 3/4" pipe cap on hand tight. go to a autowrecker and get a dip stick that will sit in the pipe to check your level if you have to add do so to the right level then screw the cap back on and keep your dipdtick under the floor mat cover the square hole you cut for the opening cover with a piece of metal with a screw in one corner so it will swing out of the when you want to check the level works well for me Gord.B by the Bay

[whirnot]

I use a flexible transmission funnel between the bumper and the body (straight bumper) and it just reaches the hole.

[Mad Mac]

I think the Op was expecting the diff to be completely filled with oil (a reasonable expectation) and therefore expected the filler hole to be on top of the diff. He just needed to be told that both the filler hole and the drain hole are positioned on the lower half of the diff because it is meant to be filled only about one third full. The correct level for the diff oil is about half an inch below the lip of the filler hole. Fill it higher than that and you leak oil out the ends of the axle onto the brake lining. When you poke your pinky through the filler hole you should just be able to make contact with the oil at that level.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Gord. B by the bay

On the tranny I disliked to have to crawl under the car to check the level, I cut a 3" square hole in the floor board just above the plug wich is 3/4" pipe thread remove the plug and screw in a 3/4 by 5" nipple with the a 3/4" pipe cap on hand tight. go to a autowrecker and get a dip stick that will sit in the pipe to check your level if you have to add do so to the right level then screw the cap back on and keep your dipdtick under the floor mat cover the square hole you cut for the opening cover with a piece of metal with a screw in one corner so it will swing out of the when you want to check the level works well for me Gord.B by the Bay

Vendors sell one now.

[Bruce Adams]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Vendors sell one now.

Yes, Mike,
MITCHELL has been selling that thinghy for ten years,. I purchased it when it first came out, but dumped the nipple and I just look through the hole and then I use a long funnel. The nipple would unscrew sometimes so I did not trust it

[Tom Wesenberg]

Doesn't the car get greased once a year or every thousand or two miles? So, you're under the car greasing it and that's the time to check the tranny oil. If it needs to be checked more than that, then something needs to be fixed.