Differential service 2004 GT
03-15-2015, 10:09 AM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NY
Posts: 478
Thanks for the response.
While I'm sure that the RTV method works fine,I think that I will go with the lube locker gasket.Seems to be a professional way to handle it,while also speeding up the service time quite a bit.
While I'm sure that the RTV method works fine,I think that I will go with the lube locker gasket.Seems to be a professional way to handle it,while also speeding up the service time quite a bit.
03-15-2015, 04:30 PM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Missouri
Posts: 227
You're going to find just as many opinions on this matter as there are options. As to how it came from the factory, I can't say.
What I can offer is my personal experience. Whoever owned my car before had installed 3.73s installed. I had bought the car wrecked and along with that it had a bent axle shaft. This requires opening up of the differential so I changed the fluid while I was at it. Whoever had installed the gears had sealed the diff up with only RTV. I had noticed the diff had a slight leak previous to me working on it. After replacing the axle shaft I sealed it up using a gasket with a small amount of RTV on both sides of the gasket and around the holes. No leaks since.
Again, like I said, everyone will swear by a different method. I'm just saying what did work for me. I've never seen nor used the gasket you mention, but that's not saying much lol. I think I've heard of someone else using one before and they said it worked, so it looks like you might be set.
What I can offer is my personal experience. Whoever owned my car before had installed 3.73s installed. I had bought the car wrecked and along with that it had a bent axle shaft. This requires opening up of the differential so I changed the fluid while I was at it. Whoever had installed the gears had sealed the diff up with only RTV. I had noticed the diff had a slight leak previous to me working on it. After replacing the axle shaft I sealed it up using a gasket with a small amount of RTV on both sides of the gasket and around the holes. No leaks since.
Again, like I said, everyone will swear by a different method. I'm just saying what did work for me. I've never seen nor used the gasket you mention, but that's not saying much lol. I think I've heard of someone else using one before and they said it worked, so it looks like you might be set.
03-23-2015, 08:47 AM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NH
Posts: 574
I just did this this weekend. I use an cheapo oil pump to suck it out and pump it back in. worked great and you don't have to break you seal. Did take awhile but it was easy enough to sit and drink beer while u wait. I went for a little cruise before pumping it out to get it to thin up a bit and tried to warm the new bottle but that was hard. Unless u are worried about checking wear it works great. Not to mention it is the easiest way i have found to fill it too.
04-08-2015, 11:41 AM
#7
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Indiana
Posts: 72
I did this a few weeks ago. I bought a gasket and everything and then last minute just used the RTV and it worked great. My logic behind the RTV over the gasket was just the fact that from the factory they used only RTV, and I don't have any leaks.
When installing it I applied RTV to the cover, tightened all the bolts hand tight, tightened them slightly more till the RTV started to barley squeeze out the sides, let it sit for an hour, tightened them to spec, let it sit over night, and the next day pumped in the fluid. I took my time though because I don't drive the car everyday.
When installing it I applied RTV to the cover, tightened all the bolts hand tight, tightened them slightly more till the RTV started to barley squeeze out the sides, let it sit for an hour, tightened them to spec, let it sit over night, and the next day pumped in the fluid. I took my time though because I don't drive the car everyday.
04-09-2015, 12:46 PM
#8
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NY
Posts: 478
May I ask if you found a magnet in the bottom?
It's kinda funny-I'm starting to get obsessive about doing this little service on my 04 with 71k(I've done all other fluids),but we have a 86 Pontiac with 91k sitting in the garage,and I'm not so compelled.Neither has been done before.In fact,I've only serviced the diff on one car in my life,a high mileage Buick,and I've driven well above a million miles,owned more than a dozen cars.
The lube locker gasket that I'm thinking about using,comes with three ribbons of RTV already applied to both sides.I figure that it might be worth the expense to have it 100% leak free,and the job done without any overnight waiting.
It's kinda funny-I'm starting to get obsessive about doing this little service on my 04 with 71k(I've done all other fluids),but we have a 86 Pontiac with 91k sitting in the garage,and I'm not so compelled.Neither has been done before.In fact,I've only serviced the diff on one car in my life,a high mileage Buick,and I've driven well above a million miles,owned more than a dozen cars.
The lube locker gasket that I'm thinking about using,comes with three ribbons of RTV already applied to both sides.I figure that it might be worth the expense to have it 100% leak free,and the job done without any overnight waiting.
Last edited by Camster; 04-09-2015 at 12:48 PM.
04-11-2015, 11:28 PM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: CA
Posts: 1,670
My wifey’s mustang (7.5" diff) didn’t have a magnet at the bottom. The fill plug had a poor excuse for a magnet though. I went to a local transmission shop and picked up a high strength magnet that they put in transmission pans. The little donut ones. Put it on the inside bottom of the differential and haven’t had any problems.
You can use a gasket or RTV. They will both work. I haven’t used it yet, but I’ve heard good things about Permatex "Right Stuff". It seals well and has a very quick cure time compared to regular RTV. You might want to give that stuff a try if you don’t have time to wait for the regular RTV to fully cure (12 - 24 hours) before putting the fluid in.
There is more to a diff service then just changing the oil. It is also when you inspect your differential gears for wear, looseness or damage. Yes, you can just suck the fluid out and pump new fluid in. But you will miss possible issues before they become big expensive problems. The last time I serviced my wifey’s ’98 Mustang differential I found the spider gears were worn and it gave me the opportunity to replace them before they grenaded in the differential. I also made a video about how to service a Ford 8.8 & 7.5 differential at put it up on my YouTube channel:
You can use a gasket or RTV. They will both work. I haven’t used it yet, but I’ve heard good things about Permatex "Right Stuff". It seals well and has a very quick cure time compared to regular RTV. You might want to give that stuff a try if you don’t have time to wait for the regular RTV to fully cure (12 - 24 hours) before putting the fluid in.
There is more to a diff service then just changing the oil. It is also when you inspect your differential gears for wear, looseness or damage. Yes, you can just suck the fluid out and pump new fluid in. But you will miss possible issues before they become big expensive problems. The last time I serviced my wifey’s ’98 Mustang differential I found the spider gears were worn and it gave me the opportunity to replace them before they grenaded in the differential. I also made a video about how to service a Ford 8.8 & 7.5 differential at put it up on my YouTube channel:
Last edited by petrock; 04-11-2015 at 11:41 PM.
