Rear Axle Fluid - Bit-O-Honey???

[SilverBullet75]

Ok, I took out the drain plug on my rear axle and what came out was a bit of a suprise...

White, thick honey-like "fluid".

Very similar to melted Bit-o-honey candy.

Ummm... is this bad?

I am letting it drain over night, and will fill with cheap fluid, drive for a while, then drain again... re-fill with synthetic/limited slip additive.

I wondered why it had a strange whine in the back.

[Mile High VX]

In my early days as an Oldsmobile tech that was typically an indication that the car had been in water deep enough and long enough to contaminate the fluid.

Might be totally something else, but just a thought...

[Ldub]

I was thinkin' water too.
Is your axle vent tube attached/intact?
Done any playin' in the water lately?

[VCrossfan]

I use Royal Purple MAX-GEAR 75W140 (no lsd needed)

[Triathlete]

Yep the water will cause it to "foam" and break down....someones been doing some water crossings.

[SilverBullet75]

I hate to admit it... but you are right. It's water... caused by repeated jet ski launches at the lake and river last year from my hitch mounted jet ski rack.
Crap.

Ok, question...
This breather tube... can it come out (unthread?) then be extended/replaced with a longer tube (snorkel style)?

Also, is there anything else that could have been damaged by the water?

Thanks!
---JIM---

[Triathlete]

As long as you don't hear any strange sounds coming from the axle you should be okay. As for the breather...I would just replace it with a sealed bellow type like they use on most offroad rigs...they prevent fluid spills and water entry.

[Ldub]

Ok, question...
This breather tube... can it come out (unthread?) then be extended/replaced with a longer tube (snorkel style)?

Also, is there anything else that could have been damaged by the water?

Thanks!
---JIM---

You should be able to disconnect/replace the breather tube & route a longer one to wherever you want. Maybe even run it over to the driver side fender, behind the cladding where the cabin air exits. (one way vent) Or even bring it up under the hood, where the front diff vents, though the possibility of clogging would increase with length...

Here's a good article on the subject...http://trucks.about.com/cs/4x4offroa...ad_driving.htm

Also, I would drain/fill the diff a couple times with cheap dino oil, (run it for 10-20 miles to get things warmed up each time) then refill it with the good stuff of your choosing.

In theory, the speed sensors could be damaged by soaking, especially if it's salt water, but if you're experiencing no problems with the TOD, they're probably OK.
Also, all the mechanics of the parking brake (inside the drum) could be a bit corroded.

[tom4bren]

I like Billy's idea of the bellows type air breather. May hafta look into that m'self. I don't think I've ever had to dunk my axle when launching the boat but you never know.

[etlsport]

the breather tube is super easy to remove/replace/modify

mine kept clogging and building up pressure in the diff. i ended up installing a small breather filter (like some use in place of a PCV) a little higher up than the factory one.

in your case i would probably do a combination of things.. maybe run a longer hose up towards the front and put a filter on it so that nothing can get in to clog the longer hose

good luck with it!

[Triathlete]

If ya want to get all fancy this is a sweet set up...a bit on the pricey side though.

And here is the much cheeper bellow kit.

[SilverBullet75]

Nice! I like the cheaper version. It's kinda like an air reservoir for the axle. That's pretty cool!
Thanks!

[SilverBullet75]

It's kinda funny how dramatically different the VX feels after replacing ALL of the fluids. It's like I just uncoupled a heavy trailer! Oh, and it's smoother and quieter than ever!
Interested in seeing what my gas mileage goes to now. I was getting 18-19 Hwy MPG...

[Mile High VX]

I was getting 18-19 Hwy MPG...

What size tires are you running and what pressure? My gas mileage is running better than ever right now at 15 MPG...ugh.

[tom4bren]

... I was getting 18-19 Hwy MPG...

Jerk!!!