What is this part called?

[iridius]

I have been working on and learning about my 2001 Expedition as things break or make me nervous, but I haven't gotten to this yet. I saw a plug on it labeled drain and one labeled fill and was wondering if I missed some routine maintenance. Thanks.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[ExplorerTom]

That's the front differential.

 

[iridius]

Thanks. So, if the fluid has never been changed (Ive had truck 124k I'm at 173k now) what kinds of signs and symptoms can I expect?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[iridius]

Thanks. So, if the fluid has never been changed (Ive had truck 124k I'm at 173k now) what kinds of signs and symptoms can I expect?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[ExplorerTom]

Noise if the fluid is bad.

Front diffs don't typically see much wear on their fluid. But if a seal is bad and water got in- that's no good.

It's got a drain and fill plug. It's pretty easy to replace the fluid. Just make sure to remove the fill plug first. It would suck to drain the fluid only to later find out that you can't get the fill plug out.

 

[SnuffThePunkz]

Another way to tell is simply smell. The wear and age directly affects the smell of it. (I know, sounds like BS)

Pop the fill plug and take a quick sniff, when it's good it smells nasty but tolerable, when it's bad (Worn, contaminated, etc) it smells like death and sadness. It is my most hated automotive smell.

It's pretty cheap to get a few jugs of decent quality diff fluid. I run lockers in my pickup so I just always buy it with the synthetic additive, few bucks more but it's solid quality so I don't bat an eye at putting it in my non-locker diffs as I always have some spare that'll go in anything.

 

[iridius]

Another way to tell is simply smell. The wear and age directly affects the smell of it. (I know, sounds like BS)

Pop the fill plug and take a quick sniff, when it's good it smells nasty but tolerable, when it's bad (Worn, contaminated, etc) it smells like death and sadness. It is my most hated automotive smell.

It's pretty cheap to get a few jugs of decent quality diff fluid. I run lockers in my pickup so I just always buy it with the synthetic additive, few bucks more but it's solid quality so I don't bat an eye at putting it in my non-locker diffs as I always have some spare that'll go in anything.

Thanks for the heads up, I am going to go do the smell test once I get home and let the truck cool down a little bit, if it's bad I will be changing it both front and rear myself probably next weekend.

On a related topic the hose that connects to the differential and then goes up and behind the battery box broke on me the other day. From my understanding and research it sounds like it's just a vent hose that keeps water and mud and stuff out of the differential is that correct? What does the differential need to have a vent for anyway?



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[iridius]

I grabbed 6 feet of quarter inch fuel line to replace it , because they did not have quarter inch vacuum hose because they did not have quarter inch vacuum hose, do you think that will be a problem?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[ExplorerTom]

It needs a vent for when it gets hot- things expand (including the air inside of it). If it couldn't vent when it expanded, the pressure would find a way.

 

[SnuffThePunkz]

I grabbed 6 feet of quarter inch fuel line to replace it , because they did not have quarter inch vacuum hose because they did not have quarter inch vacuum hose, do you think that will be a problem?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

Absolutely nothing wrong with using a different type of hose so long as it's heat resistant ie. won't melt, and water tight, and you clamp it well to the diff.