When a Diff or Gearbox gets contaminated with water ??.
Submitted: Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 18:13
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Member - Axle
Had a big debate to-day or more like argument!!..lol. with a guy that just loves to play in mud and
water with his landrover.
As its been mentioned before,
water can find its way into a diff if consistant use in these conditions are a regular occurance., (especially landrovers) My concern was this bloke was convinced that if any
water contamination was found in the oil, just drain it and replenish with new. Thats a quick solution for the short term as far as i'm concered, but if its been Slop and slush a mtr deep , what about all the fine particles of sand and grit that settle to the bottom of the housing and get caught up in the cavitys and work there way to the wheel bearing area?
The new oil is a help, But the longlivitey of components can be drastically be reduced if a proper flush out is not carried out,
Learnt from operating a excavator in mud with a final drive seal letting a bit of seepage thru, 6mths later K,Boom!!.
Cheers Axle.
Reply By: Member - Andrew L (QLD) - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:02
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:02
A slop and slush a metre deep seems an extreme environment... has your mate modiied and placed his diff breathers up higher and in a cleaner environment? If particles of sand and grit are entering the diff housing/s, then the seals etc must be awefully deficient...even for a Landrover.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:09
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:09
Andrew, What i'm saying IF
water contamination is found, and if its dirty
water. you will be amazed at what can get thru if a seal is failing.
Cheers Axle
FollowupID:
636476
Follow Up By: disco driver - Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 00:40
Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 00:40
Aren't Landrover seals designed as one way seals (to let stuff out but not back in)
or
As many have advised; if your landrover is not leaking oil, it is empty.
Seriously, any foreign stuff in diffs and/or gearboxes spells M O N E Y in BIG letters sooner or later and usually at the most onconvenient time and place.
Thus speaks the voice of experience.
Disco.
FollowupID:
636536
Reply By: Member - Ian H (NSW) - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:05
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:05
Axle, you are probably right but just let him worry about his anyway he likes and just wait till it turns to worms on him.
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368982
Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:13
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:13
Lol !..Ian,... Your Right!.
Cheers Axle.
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636477
Reply By: get outmore - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:17
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:17
No question mud driving costs big $$$ our work vehicles cost upwards of 20K a year to keep going and a large part of that is through driving through slop continously.
justy a quick list of what it will stuff
- brakes chewed out
- siezed callipers
- stuffed alternators
- blocked radiators
-chewed out pinion seals
theres lots of other stuff
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Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:27
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:27
Now your on my wave lenght !LOL,, and with things like pinion seals the mud becomes the seal so not to much oil comes out,but there is more mud working its way in , creating a nice looking porridge inside the diff...lol.
Cheers Axle
FollowupID:
636481
Follow Up By: tim_c - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:42
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 19:42
That's not all - with a chewed pinion seal, it starts to cut into the shaft as
well. The shaft rotates around inside the seal but it's usually (or meant to be) a nice machined surface on supple rubber. When you get grit in there, it's abrasive and starts to cut away at that nicely machined surface - I had to have the pinion seal replaced and the mechanic said he'd had to "relocate" it in the housing so it was sealing against a new part of the input shaft.
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Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 21:03
Monday, Jun 08, 2009 at 21:03
Yep!, Horrible things start to happen!.
Cheers Axle.
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Reply By: Member - Kroozer (WA) - Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 01:11
Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 01:11
Several of us learnt our lesson for playing in the mud earlier this year, alternators stuffed, brakes stuffed, diffs full of
water, rear main seals blown, pitted axles. Learnt our lesson big time. Never again.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: P7OFFROAD Accredited Driver Training - Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 06:38
Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 06:38
mud is bad!
;-)
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Reply By: Member - Mark E (VIC) - Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 13:29
Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 13:29
Prior to fitting proper diff breathers I found
water in my front diff. Dropped the oild twice in faily rapid succession and then once again after about 5000k. Recently changed the oil again and it was a little dirty again about a year later.... so IMO you're right to suggest that a simple drop and top of the oil is insufficient to really clean it out.
Just hope
mine holds in there!!! Hmmmm might go out and change the front diff oil again ;-)
Cheers,
Mark
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369107
Reply By: Member - Matt (Perth-WA) - Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 13:43
Tuesday, Jun 09, 2009 at 13:43
Depends on what Landrover he is driving...all the ones I worked on ,Defenders had extended diff breathers front and rear from factory.
Also keep in mind...not alot of 4WDs drive continuously for hours/days on end operate in mud so the comparison to the excavator is a bit far fetched.
They might get a dunk and the very small intake of air/
water when the diffs contract is only on the initial dunk then after that they stay cool. I havent found many diffs with anything other than
water contamination from dunking. If they have more...then generally there is a bigger problem like seals etc gone.
I agree with the rest that I hate mud...it destroys more than then enjoyment i get playing in it so avoid the slop now if possible. Too many alternators, starters, brake calipers/drums etc that just dont deal with mud having to be replaced over the years to warrant it.
Nothing like a good debate between friends though!!
All the best
Matt.
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