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Start on a positive note: I plumped up the tires and took the car for a nice ride this afternoon to run some errands. Time is limited before the onset of winter. I was happy with this pic I took (heavily filtered)...
1986 C4 Corvette
Okay now for the bad.
First off: I noticed there is some green coolant pooled beneath my intake manifold gasket. Wonder why that would happen? Have not seen that yet on this car. It looks like it has a newer gasket.
Second: I was peeling the flaky bits of stainless steel finish off my exhaust pipes (eyeroll) and decided to peek under the rear end of the car. I notice that this part is all wet, corroded, maybe rusty looking. It's located above the exhaust pipes. Hopefully you can see it in this pic.
What is that, and why would it be so wet and oily looking??
Thanks for your response. Is the rear end housing part of the transmission? What is it for? I'm trying to google it, but I'm just getting a bunch of parts websites and no real knowledge.
I've gathered that most items in a car that contain fluid are important.
Rear differential gave me more relevant information to learn from so thanks for clarifying. I'm still researching in depth what it does and why it's important (I understand it basically sends power to the rear wheels).
This all makes a lot of sense because I've seen a small wet spot under the car, near the exhaust, and hadn't yet identified what it was. It was also causing the exhaust to smoke up time to time. Wonder how much it'll cost to fix.
Edit - just watched a YT video of a guy replacing the differential cover+gasket on an Astro van. Hmm. Doesn't seem horribly difficult... but I might want to know if there's something wrong inside the differential before making this a DIY winter project.
Last edited by corvette_realtor; 11-17-2017 at 04:28 PM.
I've gathered that most items in a car that contain fluid are important.
Rear differential gave me more relevant information to learn from so thanks for clarifying. I'm still researching in depth what it does and why it's important (I understand it basically sends power to the rear wheels).
This all makes a lot of sense because I've seen a small wet spot under the car, near the exhaust, and hadn't yet identified what it was. It was also causing the exhaust to smoke up time to time. Wonder how much it'll cost to fix.
Edit - just watched a YT video of a guy replacing the differential cover+gasket on an Astro van. Hmm. Doesn't seem horribly difficult... but I might want to know if there's something wrong inside the differential before making this a DIY winter project.
a Corvette rear end assembly is A LOT more involved the a astro van
you need to remove the "bat wing" and all that is attached
Hmm. seems complicated for a n00b like me. I'll probably be getting this serviced by a pro.
So what's going to happen if I wait until spring to fix it (and keep driving the car as I have been)?
Your going to totally destroy it if you let it run out of gear lube. I'm telling you right now that leak is bad enough it needs immediate attention.. I would be checking the fluid level at least every 100 miles or less if you intend to continue driving it. The fact you see smoke from under the car at times is a pretty big clue it time to stop driving the car or get it fixed.
Is there a gauge or something somewhere to check differential fluid level? I assume the worst-case scenario is that the diff fails, and there is no more power to rear wheels. Mine doesn't seem to be noisy that I've noticed (lots of other noisy parts though).
Edit: NVM I'm pretty sure I've heard my car make a "clicking" or "ticking" sound like this truck with a bad diff. is making.
If you want o see what your rear end looks like, I have one laying on the floor of my Garage... its a D44 but mounts the same. BTW, you don't use a gasket in mounting the Diff. (sometimes called the pumpkin) back to the bat wing (which I also have laying on the garage floor). If you want to see the whole thing out of the car, your welcome to come over and have a look. I live just south of the drag strip in Indy (Avon). BTW, the old way ( dont know if its current but doubt if its changed) to check the level back in that pumpkin is to take out the plug and stick your finger inside the housing. The level should be close to the top. Don't let this part fail because of poor maintance.. over a grand to repair in a shop just in parts alone.
Last edited by ghoastrider1; 11-18-2017 at 04:25 AM.
In the pic posted by Nowhere man (thanks), the Bat Wing is the part that looks like a ladder mounter sideways and extends out past the pumpkin,, or perhaps a star wars fighter with wings. The Diff. works by taking the engine rotational power which is sent back by the driveshaft to the pumpkin, which turns that power into a rotational direction (90*) that your wheels are going.
BTW, I had open heart surg at the VA hospt down town. They left a small blood clot in my heart. When I woke, I went into a stroke. So is you see misspelling and such.. please forgive me as I do try . I do ok, just 1/2 blind in my left eye have have very little memory/recall. Thanks for understanding.
Last edited by ghoastrider1; 11-18-2017 at 04:53 AM.
The only way to check the level of the rear end lube is by removing the fill plug and feeling. The oil should be at the bottom of the opening when the car is on a level surface. Again this might be a job you source to a pro. And do it sooner then later The rear end doesn’t hold that much oil. I think two pints so if it’s leaking bad it won’t take long to empty.
Wow that's pretty wet...could easily be almost empty if you've never filled it. By the looks of the photo it seems to be coming from the front of the diff which would then be the main seal.
yeah, that’s a pretty healthy leak. And it does look like it’s towards the front of the diff indicating a pinion seal leak. Removing the rear diff is a pretty involved project. You have a lot to remove to get to it, have to disconnect the C-beam, support the tranny etc. Luckily the seals and gear oil are cheap!
11-17-2017, 03:46 PM
Wet & Rusty (?) Part Under Car
BTW, the old way ( dont know if its current but doubt if its changed) to check the level back in that pumpkin is to take out the plug and stick your finger inside the housing. The level should be close to the top. Don't let this part fail because of poor maintance.. over a grand to repair in a shop just in parts alone.
