Sand in my rear differential!

[AMink]

I was changing my rear diff fluid and when I pulled the cover, WOW! There was a lot of sand in there! Not the tiny, Hawaii kind, but the bigger stuff. I don't recall crossing any deep water or anything like that. How can sand get in my diff? I wasn't going to use brake cleaner to clean it out, but I can't get in there with just a towel to wipe it all out. Have I tatered my diff? The pieces I found were whole, like they sunk to the bottom and stayed there.

 

[HBarlow]

I'm no expert but I don't think your rear end gears would even notice a few grains of sand.

I have an old friend who has been a mechanic in his own shop since the early 1960s. I've watched him do a lot of ring and pinion replacements. I think he routinely uses brake cleaner, wipes it clean with a clean shop rag or two, and buttons it up.

 

[Skydiver]

Casting sand? When your cast iron rear end was cast the factory may have left it in there.

If you saved some of it you may want to get the factory rep. to check it out.

The bearings will be pitted.

If you have to take responsibility then over fill it with sae 30 and run it at 20 mph for 10 minutes a few times with the axle jacked up on stands off the ground to flush it out. Do this till you see no more sand then say a prayer and fill it with sae 90 or 140.

The easiest route would be finding a salvage axel.

 

[AMink]

I'm hoping that I didn't get all the sand off the top of the diff case when I cracked it open. I've rolled the truck back and check all the things I can see and didn't see anymore sand up in the moving parts. All I wanted to do was change the oil!:-laf I still have the front to go, so I'll make sure I get it cleaned good and see what's in there.

 

[radcam]

Check your vent tube make sure it is not cracked or broken, and that the valve on top is there and working properly. Being in Reno you have plenty of airborne sand that will find it's way into any opening there is.

 

[champspa]

you didn't buy this truck from a flooded zone did you . check other places like under the carpet front diff. the places dirt can hide if it has been in a flood zone.

 

[AMink]

you didn't buy this truck from a flooded zone did you . check other places like under the carpet front diff. the places dirt can hide if it has been in a flood zone.

Nope, got it new from Carson Dodge. Not much water out here!:-laf

 

[AMink]

Check your vent tube make sure it is not cracked or broken, and that the valve on top is there and working properly. Being in Reno you have plenty of airborne sand that will find it's way into any opening there is.

It looks good from the bottom, but I'll need to get up under the bed better and get a better look.

 

[hERKY130]

I just did both of mine yesterday and I had a lot of built up sand around the seal that fell into my drain pan and a little near the gears, but none of it got too far back under the gears. I bet it was left over from when you pulled the cover off. Having lived in Reno for three years, I can see how you might get some residual sand. For what its worth

 

[AMink]

I wiped the front off better, and it was clean inside. I was just out on dirt roads in the rain, so having a buildup underneath would not be a surprise.

 

['strokeThis_'07]

I agree with Harvey. A couple grains of sand wont hurt the gears. If anything theyll just pulverize them into fine sand thatll drain with the oil on the next change. Now if it was alot of sand, that could be an issue. Just get er good and clean and button 'er back up

 

[mberry]

Don't forget all the sand they use on the roads here in winter. That could have found a way into the diff through the vent. Hopefully everything is ok and no damage was done. I can't say the same for my windshields.

 

[AMink]

Some of these pieces could be measured with a ruler! We were just at Topaz in the rain; I'm thinking that some of the "road" ended up under my truck and fell in when I popped the cover.

 

[gjones813]

You could jack up one side of the rear axle and catch the oil that will flow out of the axel housing tube and see if you get anything suspect, if not I would just use a couple of cans of brake cleaner and do a goog job on it and refill. the brake cleaner will evaperate, but you will have peace of mind.