Front Diff Issue (Leak)

[JHarris1385]

So I have had my diff dropped for about 3 months now and have not heard anything from it since.

I did get under there to change the oil and noticed that my diff is leaking. It looks like the gasket that seals the two side of the diff together is breaking apart and falling out of the center. The diff is leaking my royal purple at a slow drip.

Any advice on what to do other than the obivous take it somewhere and get it fixed? Is this something that could be handled with minimal tools in your garage? I would assume I could get a gasket from a parts store and take it apart and reseal it?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[tom4bren]

Shade Tree Mechanic type job fer sure.

It's messy though and sometimes those bolts can be a real beotch.

[nfpgasmask]

J, I think you are talking about the seep that happens around the axle seals. I have the same issue, as well as many others on here. Currently, it is the only leak I have and I would LOVE to get it fixed. However, its just a slow seep and to fix it would mean tearing apart my whole front axle, including my CVs which still have the original boots holding strong (knock on wood). So, I have opted to let it drip, and periodically check the level of my diff fluid up front.

Bart

[tom4bren]

Bart,

I think his leak is at the diff cover, not the axle seals. His is a 30 min repair, yours is 7 hours (minimum).

Tom

[nfpgasmask]

Bart,

I think his leak is at the diff cover, not the axle seals. His is a 30 min repair, yours is 7 hours (minimum).

Tom

Oh, well then, J, sound like you should fix it!!

:) Bart

[JHarris1385]

Now I am a little lost of what you all may think my issue is. I will take a picture today/night and post it!

[nfpgasmask]

Now I am a little lost of what you all may think my issue is. I will take a picture today/night and post it!

Well, no offense to Tom, but from the way you worded it, you have the seal leak like everyone else. But maybe Tom is right, I dunno. I just never heard of the diff covers leaking on our VXes. But several people have the seal leak. Basically, its where the axle housing is connected to a flange on either side. There is a seal that seeps in there. Both sides on my VX are all wet, but only one side drips.

EDIT: I just went back and re-read your original post. Maybe Tom is right. When you said "the gasket between the two sides" my brain immediately thought of the seals on the axle flanges. So Tom is more likely to be correct here. (Sorry, Tom!)

Bart

[tom4bren]

"So Tom is more likely to be correct here. (Sorry, Tom!)"

No worry. I put it on the calendar so no one would ever forget that Tom was RIGHT, Bart was WRONG! It was bound to happen sooner or later.

You were right in that I don't recall anyone here ever mentioning that their diff cover was leaking. Several have noted that their axle seals leak though.

We'll just have to wait for the pix.

[nfpgasmask]

No worry. I put it on the calendar so no one would ever forget that Tom was RIGHT, Bart was WRONG! It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Hey man, don't give me that much credit! I'm probably wrong more than I am right! :rolleyes: :eek: :p

Bart

[JHarris1385]

Hey Bart do you happen to have a picture of your issue? Thanks.

[nfpgasmask]

Hey Bart do you happen to have a picture of your issue? Thanks.

Hmmm, not that I can think of off hand....

Bart

[LittleBeast]

Bart's issue is out towards the CV cups (the green things) that are connected to the CV which connect to the wheels. Basically Bart's seal that is giving him problems is between the CV cups, Diff brackets and axle housing, way out towards the wheels. From the way you worded it, it really sounded like it was coming from the Diff 3rd member area (big round bulge in the axle housing). If this is the case you need to disconnect the drive shaft and take all of the bolts off that connect the 3rd member to the axle housing, and hope and pray you can slide it out without disconnecting everything else (CV boots, Steering link, Diff brackets, shocks, cross member). My axle shaft would not fall completely free off the flange on the 3rd member, if this is the case for you, you would need to take all that stuff off more than likely. Regardless it is going to take some time. If it is silicone around the seal it is the 3rd member axle housing leak, if it is more of a bracket closer to the wheels and you can see no "gasket" it is the front axle seals like Bart. If you or whoever did your diff drop had to disconnect your 3rd member for some odd reason they should have resealed it with silicone sealer and not torqued the bolts so hard that all the silicone squirted out. But if it is the axle seals you simply need to take all of that stuff completely off and install a new seal.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/5-11-09_071MOD.JPG

[JHarris1385]

Thanks for the picture. I used to have the issue Bart had then I replaced the seal in my driver's side. There is a small retainer spring that is in those seals and mine was shot and this is what caused my leak. I am sure it is the same for everyone else too.

After looking more at my issue. I may have a combo. I mean it is wet down there. Its my passenger side. So its the side where the pumpkin is right there connecting to the "green cups" and diff bracket. Or the lower right side portion of the picture above.

The gasket pretty much where you circled is falling off. Looks like it is rotting away. From your post I am not 100% certain that this will be a quick in driveway job now. Are you saying to just grab some silcone in the meantime and run it along that line?

[JHarris1385]

Do you think some silcone will do the trick for now?

[LittleBeast]

J - I wish I could answer your question but I am dizzy from all those circles. Generally though, gasket maker doesn't work at the outside of the seam and it has to be squished inside the seam to work. I think adding silicone/more gasket maker without separating the two pieces of the housing would just send the leak to another spot until that silicone falls off.

Agreed but it is a quick easy try to patch it up for now but highly unlikely to actuality fix the problem. Sorry for the slow reply we have our conference track meet this weekend and I was at the track for 15 hours straight today and 13 hours straight yesterday however after the meet yesterday a girl I know here in Houston had 3 extra tickets to the Lackers Rockets game so I invited some of my buddies it was awesome best game I have ever been to. We sat just behind David Stern and Jeff Bagwell!!!!!

[kodiak]

This is the very very very slow leak I have on mine and from what I understand it’s the same leak that Bart has as well, it’s been that way for over a year and my dif fluid level hasn’t changed at all.:confused: I’ll keep an eye on it, but for now I’m leaving it be.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/FrontDifLeek800.jpg

[LittleBeast]

This is the very very very slow leak I have on mine and from what I understand it’s the same leak that Bart has as well, it’s been that way for over a year and my dif fluid level hasn’t changed at all.:confused: I’ll keep an eye on it, but for now I’m leaving it be.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/FrontDifLeek800.jpg

Not trying to call you a liar clearly, but from this one photo that liquid looks like it has a green tint to it and hence I would believe it is coolant not diff fluid, but the position of the wet spot is exactly where the front axle seal would leak from. Maybe it is just the flash that made it look like coolant ;)

[kodiak]

Not trying to call you a liar clearly, but from this one photo that liquid looks like it has a green tint to it and hence I would believe it is coolant not diff fluid, but the position of the wet spot is exactly where the front axle seal would leak from. Maybe it is just the flash that made it look like coolant ;)

Antifreeze was what I thought at first too, it doesn’t feel or smell like Antifreeze. I’ve had the fluid checked at each oil change and it’s not green. So who knows?:confused:
I thought it mite be the glycerin from brake fluid that happened to collect some paint on the way down but I don’t see any brake fluid leaks either.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, that's weird. My leak is in the same spot, but it is definitely not greenish. The fluid that comes out is definitely diff fluid. It's almost clear with a very slight brown tint, and it is smell like diff fluid. :)

Bart

[LittleBeast]

Yeah, that's weird. My leak is in the same spot, but it is definitely not greenish. The fluid that comes out is definitely diff fluid. It's almost clear with a very slight brown tint, and it is smell like diff fluid. :)

Bart

And what a smell that stuff has!!!!! My house/garage has smelled like that for the last few weeks, I am taking my precious time with my current VX poroject.

[VX4EJR]

So it seems, I have something just like this...a leak or some kinda oozing of perhaps axle oil from two points on the diff on the passenger side below. I am pretty sure it's axle oil, nothing coming from above that I can see but this seems to be an oozing not a drip drip leak onto the floor. The round inner axle joint is covered in black oily stuff, I wiped it away a little as you can see (the driver's side joint has nothing like this on it). And the bottom of the diff casing has a little bit of black gunk coming from what looks like the seal..I guess.
Can't understand how something like this could happen, the VX has only seen streets but prior to this I did have an odd occurrence of "loose" bolts on the passenger side control arm to the frame that had to be tightened. Don't know how that could've happened...out of nowhere had some weird brake noises on the front passenger side wheel, took it to an Isuzu service shop and they found the umm magically "loose" bolts.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/frontaxleleakcircled.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20505)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/frontaxleleakcircled2.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20506)


Plus, a closer look while I was under there at the steering gear housing shaft shows a visible blackish substance making its way down...this didn't look normal as I would think the assembly would/should be sealed(?).

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/steeringpinionoozecircled.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20507)

[etlsport]

So it seems, I have something just like this...a leak or some kinda oozing of perhaps axle oil from two points on the diff on the passenger side below. I am pretty sure it's axle oil, nothing coming from above that I can see but this seems to be an oozing not a drip drip leak onto the floor. The round inner axle joint is covered in black oily stuff, I wiped it away a little as you can see (the driver's side joint has nothing like this on it). And the bottom of the diff casing has a little bit of black gunk coming from what looks like the seal..I guess.
Can't understand how something like this could happen, the VX has only seen streets but prior to this I did have an odd occurrence of "loose" bolts on the passenger side control arm to the frame that had to be tightened. Don't know how that could've happened...out of nowhere had some weird brake noises on the front passenger side wheel, took it to an Isuzu service shop and they found the umm magically "loose" bolts.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/frontaxleleakcircled.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20505)http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/frontaxleleakcircled2.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20506)


Plus, a closer look while I was under there at the steering gear housing shaft shows a visible blackish substance making its way down...this didn't look normal as I would think the assembly would/should be sealed(?).

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/steeringpinionoozecircled.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20507)

I have the same trouble areas you have around the differential. My level in the differentialis always good though... I haven't noticed anything around the steering gear.

Btw I think u must have seen you a couple of times last year when I was house hunting in collegeville/phoenixville. Im just down the road from you if you ever want to compare vxs to see whats "normal" or need a hand with any repairs/maintenance

[JHarris1385]

This issue has popped up again for me after about a year of no leaks at all.

I replaced the inner seal on that side and it seemed to fix it.

Cheap part, not the easiest replacement to do, and the amount it leaks right now is still nothing substantial. I think I am going to live with it.

[nfpgasmask]

J, so you replaced the inner seal and it STILL leaks? I have seals for both sides and I am planning on doing them this summer. Did you use a seal driver? Did you use OEM seals?

Bart

[MSHardeman]

I actually have small leak in my drivers side axle seal. It happened after I had my CV issues on that side and the shop that did all of the work said that it was a little difficult to get the seal seated correctly so that may be the issue that you're having.

[JHarris1385]

Only passenger side for me. It did NOT leak for about a year after I replaced the seal.

[tom4bren]

Did you use a seal driver?

Bart,

If you're talking about the seals on the axles, then no seal driver is needed. The diff drop installation instructions available cover it pretty good. I think I needed to use a piece of PVC pipe as a slide hammer for the bearings but they went on pretty easy too.

Tom