Draining the diff?
Thread Starter
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
Draining the diff?
So I get the '96 up on jack stands and crawl under. There's no drain plug. How the heck are you supposed to get the old lube out? Go to NAPA, buy oil suction gun. Come back, take out fill plug, suck until it's sucking air, move hose around inside the diff to make sure all the oil is out...seems to be and looks like about the requisite 1.5qts in the drain pan. Put the 4oz of additive in, then a 23oz container of GM Diff Lube (not easy). Get half of the next 23oz container in when it starts running out the fill hole....it's full!?!? Hey, it's supposed to take 48oz of lube and it only took 33!
My question; how does one completely drain the differential without removing the rear cover (along with 11,000 other bits and pieces)??
..and I bought the one-hundred-twenty-five-freaking-dollar GM manual which doesn't give a CLUE!!!!!!! :mad
Help!
Larry
code5coupe
:seeya
[Modified by rocco16, 7:32 PM 3/15/2003]
My question; how does one completely drain the differential without removing the rear cover (along with 11,000 other bits and pieces)??
..and I bought the one-hundred-twenty-five-freaking-dollar GM manual which doesn't give a CLUE!!!!!!! :mad
Help!
Larry
code5coupe
:seeya
[Modified by rocco16, 7:32 PM 3/15/2003]
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From: Hillsborough NH
Cruise-In V Veteran
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Re: Draining the diff? (rocco16)
for my 95, we didn't remove the cover. L98Terror used a suction gun and by some miracle got most of my stuff out. Now, realize its almost impossible to get it all out without removing the cover.
What some do, is drill there own drain hole in the cover, and but a drain plug in. The theory being, if you drill the hole while full, it will pull the debris out.
:cheers:
What some do, is drill there own drain hole in the cover, and but a drain plug in. The theory being, if you drill the hole while full, it will pull the debris out.
:cheers:
Thread Starter
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
Re: Draining the diff? (Mervz)
So, guys, is the suction gun pretty much SOP? even for dealer's service department?
Larry
code5coupe
:seeya
Larry
code5coupe
:seeya
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Sun City West Az
Re: Draining the diff? (rocco16)
[QUOTE]So, guys, is the suction gun pretty much SOP? even for dealer's service department?
Yep. Some type of suction guns make the job simpler ie: air compressor type, but that is the way it is done short of a drain plug. :D
Yep. Some type of suction guns make the job simpler ie: air compressor type, but that is the way it is done short of a drain plug. :D
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,144
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From: Panhandle FL
Re: Draining the diff? (ittlfly)
I wouldn't worry about the last few ounces.It's a sealed system so the lube doesn't take a beating like engine oil.Changing it at all puts you ahead of the vast majority of owners.If been meaning to change mine,did you find a good deal on lube and additive? :seeya
Racer
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 437
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From: Georgetown Maine
Re: Draining the diff? (ittlfly)
I took mine to the dealership and they said they could not suck it out because there is a plate or a baffle in the way. Thought about going with a drilled plug. :confused:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,418
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From: NW Chicago Suburbs
Re: Draining the diff? (myscx)
I took mine to the dealership and they said they could not suck it out because there is a plate or a baffle in the way.
I did install a drainplug in my diff, but I had it out when I had the gear changed. If you have a set of jackstands and a drill driven pump you can suck out most of the fluid.
Eric
Thread Starter
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
Re: Draining the diff? (SPEED750)
did you find a good deal on lube and additive? :seeya
NOTE: MAD sells a kit with three, 23oz bottles of lube and two 4oz bottles of additive. Don't ask me why, since the diff only needs TWO bottles of lube and ONE bottle of additive. You'll be short 2oz on the lube, but there will be at least that much still clinging to the internals after draining, a LOT more than those 2oz if you suction the lube out.
Apparently the lube had been changed before...by an idiot. The plug was scarred up from someone using a pair of Vise-Grips on it instead of the proper Allen wrench. ( That sort of stuff just PISSES me off)
By the way, someone on this forum had said it takes a 10mm Allen (on an archived thread). Mine does not, it takes a 3/8". The 10mm is too large.
Hope this helps someone else.
Larry
code5coupe
:seeya
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From: Lake Wylie SC
Re: Draining the diff? (rocco16)
Hi Larry,
I don't know if I'm too late on this, but here it goes. Goto http://www.corvetteclinicinc.com and look for C-4 solutions. One is a kit to install a drain plug. It seems to be well thought out and I plan to do it in the future.
Gee I hope this is where I saw it. I'll get back to you if it isn't.
Strick :steering:
I checked it out and it cost $45.95
[Modified by Strick, 11:27 PM 3/16/2003]
I don't know if I'm too late on this, but here it goes. Goto http://www.corvetteclinicinc.com and look for C-4 solutions. One is a kit to install a drain plug. It seems to be well thought out and I plan to do it in the future.
Gee I hope this is where I saw it. I'll get back to you if it isn't.
Strick :steering:
I checked it out and it cost $45.95
[Modified by Strick, 11:27 PM 3/16/2003]
Thread Starter
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
Re: Draining the diff? (Strick)
Thanks, Strick, that was the place!!! I just emailed them for more info.
(This sort of help is exactly why I LOVE this Forum!!!!!!)
Larry
code5coupe
:seeya
(This sort of help is exactly why I LOVE this Forum!!!!!!)
Larry
code5coupe
:seeya
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,491
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From: prescott AZ
Re: Draining the diff? (rocco16)
I am able to get all the old diff. fluid out by doing the following;
1. Make sure the oil is up to full operating temperature by driving it a highway speed for 15 minutes, this way it flows easier when warm and all the metal particles are not settled at the botton of the differential but floating so they are removed.
2. I first found that the plastic tube that comes with the oil suction gun was too thick to get to the botton of the diff. so I found some thin walled poly tubing that will fit inside of the larger 1/4" tubing that comes with the suction gun. I put this thin tubing into the thick tubing about 10" so it will stay in there when the oil touches it. This thiner tubing goes all the way to the botton of the diff. It just takes a little longer for the fluid to get sucked up but it works. Again, it helps a lot if the oil is very warm ( not too hot or the tubing might collaspe).
3. Anti-seize on the fill plug helps for next time
4. I use Mobil 1 syn. gear oil with the GM additive and it has always worked perfectly ( for 10 years in my 85) for 3 years in my 88. Will put this in the 95 this week.
1. Make sure the oil is up to full operating temperature by driving it a highway speed for 15 minutes, this way it flows easier when warm and all the metal particles are not settled at the botton of the differential but floating so they are removed.
2. I first found that the plastic tube that comes with the oil suction gun was too thick to get to the botton of the diff. so I found some thin walled poly tubing that will fit inside of the larger 1/4" tubing that comes with the suction gun. I put this thin tubing into the thick tubing about 10" so it will stay in there when the oil touches it. This thiner tubing goes all the way to the botton of the diff. It just takes a little longer for the fluid to get sucked up but it works. Again, it helps a lot if the oil is very warm ( not too hot or the tubing might collaspe).
3. Anti-seize on the fill plug helps for next time
4. I use Mobil 1 syn. gear oil with the GM additive and it has always worked perfectly ( for 10 years in my 85) for 3 years in my 88. Will put this in the 95 this week.
