Leaking front diff

Submitted: Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 11:09
ThreadID: 138692 Views:5968 Replies:5 FollowUps:2
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Looks like some oil might be leaking from around the frnt diff? Does this look serious?

Also the torsion bar directly under it is all greasy, is this from the diff leaking? The other bar is pretty dry

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Reply By: Member - nickb "boab" - Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 11:37

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 11:37
I would suggest cleaning off the oil with a rag and checking to see exactly where it is coming from bit hard to work out from your photos as they are not very clear . After wiping off the leaking oil see where it is running from .
Maybe a leaking diff seal and a leaking sump plug ??
If so , fairly simple replace parts to repair .
Cheers Nick b

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Reply By: pmk03 - Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 11:39

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 11:39
Hi Damian

Looks like a Pajero, correct me if I'm wrong.
Make sure the drain plug is tight, If it is it looks like the diff seal is leaking.
Depends where you are as to if it is serious. Oil leaks always look worse than they are as the oil spreads a long way.
If you out & about & have oil keep it topped up until you can get the seal replaced
Good Luck
Paul
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Reply By: axle - Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 12:59

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 12:59
G/Day Damien, Looks like the diff seal, which could be leaking because the flange nut is loose

.Also the front bearing needs to be checked, in case something is wrong there as well....Unless its dripping down from above?.

Climb underneath ,and as mentioned clean it all down, go for a run and have another look, unusual for those models to leak around there ,ive had a couple and they have always stayed dry.

Good Luck ,

Cheers Axle.
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Reply By: RMD - Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 13:27

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 13:27
Damian
Although a common way to describe something, if it is oily it is oily, if it is greasey the ot is as a result of grease. Quite different to me, and oil I buy is thin and grease is semi solid like. Identifying the difference helps in diagnosis.
The oil looks to be dark in colour unlike diff oil, if it smells like engine oil and DOESN'T smell like diff oil then I would say it isn't diff oil. Yes a diff can leak but if it's drain plug is not sealing it will simply drip off that point. A leaking diff seal will not see the oil migrate forward over the diff case and bell housing etc.
It appears the oil is spread far and wide and is therefore unlikely it is from the diff. Most likely from sump plug or an engine oil leak. The smell of the oil will reveal that. Hot engine oil travels well as mentioned above.

If a quantity of oil has left the diff, then it's level will be less, ie, found when checking level.
The diff pinion flange nut probably is not the issue. If the internal sealing for the diff flange is not correct then diff oil may come out past the splines, the pinion nut has no bearing on the seal leaking, unless it is extremely loose. If that were the case then the diff gears would be stuffed. "Caution", most pinions have a collapsible spacer for correct bearing preload, if for some reason you were motivated/encourage/conned by advice here, to tighten the nut and tightened it past it's correct setting, then you WILL stuff the diff pinion bearings. Be careful and seek proper advice if the nut requires attention. Unless skilled in diff work a novice should not try.
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Follow Up By: pmk03 - Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 14:23

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 14:23
Good Point about the oil moving forward.
As you say the smell will point you in the right direction
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Follow Up By: Blown4by - Thursday, Jul 11, 2019 at 23:08

Thursday, Jul 11, 2019 at 23:08
RMD: "A leaking diff seal will not see the oil migrate forward over the diff case and bell housing etc.
It appears the oil is spread far and wide and is therefore unlikely it is from the diff."
If it is the diff pinion oil seal and it is leaking badly, it WILL migrate all over the place. Firstly centrifugal force when in 4WD will throw that oil that can be seen dripping off the diff input flange all over the place. I've seen plenty where oil gets all over the floor pan and then blows back coating the front faces of the rear diff and rear axle housing. If it is bad enough, due to the low pressure area at the rear of the vehicle,. you will see oil spots up the tailgate which dust adheres to. When you see those tell tale oil spots up the tailgate, or boot lid on a sedan, it is a sure sign of an oil leak from somewhere. Secondly, if the diff housing and other components such as the left hand torsion bar are coated with dust, mud dirt, etc. the oil will work its way through that dirt eventually covering a sizable area. This can occur even when the vehicle is stationary and the wind blows from all directions including from the rear towards the front. As they say: 'A little bit of oil goes a long way'. A small amount covers a large area and that is what oil is designed to do.
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Reply By: Member - Keith C2 - Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 14:28

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019 at 14:28
check the diff breather might be blocked

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