If you can't say when your FD gear lube was last changed. You need to change it. I've never pulled a FD cover off. ( One's that have lacked changes ) That there wasn't about a 1/4 inch of a sludge type material on the bottom of the front cover. Most is made up of the heavier components of the original gear lube. Thus the gear lube's that are doing most of the lubricating of the gears/bearings. Isn't doing the good job that it did at the beginning of service. I just pulled the cover on a 73 this last weekend. The lube looked clean. But there was that 1/4 inch of a black gooey material. Bob Dunahugh
Tid Bites. The importance of changing your final drive lube.
- Thread starter Bob Dunahugh
- Start date
> If you can't say when your FD gear lube was last changed. You need to change it. I've never pulled a FD cover off. ( One's that have lacked
> changes ) That there wasn't about a 1/4 inch of a sludge type material on the bottom of the front cover. Most is made up of the heavier components
> of the original gear lube. Thus the gear lube's that are doing most of the lubricating of the gears/bearings. Isn't doing the good job that it did
> at the beginning of service. I just pulled the cover on a 73 this last weekend. The lube looked clean. But there was that 1/4 inch of a black
> gooey material. Bob Dunahugh
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
That's good advice, Bob. I have been changing mine approximately every 12,000 miles along with the transmission fluid and filter. I am starting with
a clean slate after having both my transmission and engine fail last January, so the final drive will be changed along with the transmission fluid
from now on.
I may extend the change interval a bit after attending Manny's tech session at the GMCMI in Tucson last April and go to 15,000 miles instead of
12,000. I'm not afraid to spend money on fluids, filters, etc and consider it money well spent considering the cost of the components that take those
fluids in order to remain in good operating condition.
--
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles,
Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
> changes ) That there wasn't about a 1/4 inch of a sludge type material on the bottom of the front cover. Most is made up of the heavier components
> of the original gear lube. Thus the gear lube's that are doing most of the lubricating of the gears/bearings. Isn't doing the good job that it did
> at the beginning of service. I just pulled the cover on a 73 this last weekend. The lube looked clean. But there was that 1/4 inch of a black
> gooey material. Bob Dunahugh
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
That's good advice, Bob. I have been changing mine approximately every 12,000 miles along with the transmission fluid and filter. I am starting with
a clean slate after having both my transmission and engine fail last January, so the final drive will be changed along with the transmission fluid
from now on.
I may extend the change interval a bit after attending Manny's tech session at the GMCMI in Tucson last April and go to 15,000 miles instead of
12,000. I'm not afraid to spend money on fluids, filters, etc and consider it money well spent considering the cost of the components that take those
fluids in order to remain in good operating condition.
--
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles,
Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
Carl. I too try to keep in the 12,000 mile range for the trans, and FD. As your only really changing 50% of the fluid in the trans at each change. Oil is really CHEEP. I put a standard magnetic engine drain plug in both. If something is failing. That magnet will show me. I just tack weld a jam nut. On the inside.The weld doesn't need to be an oil tight weld. I put the trans drain plug on the side. Be careful that the plug doesn't hit some component on the inside of the pan. Those drain plugs sure make the job a lot simpler. Bob Dunahugh
________________________________
From: Bob Dunahugh
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 10:02 PM
To: gmclist
Subject: Tid Bites. The importance of changing your final drive lube.
If you can't say when your FD gear lube was last changed. You need to change it. I've never pulled a FD cover off. ( One's that have lacked changes ) That there wasn't about a 1/4 inch of a sludge type material on the bottom of the front cover. Most is made up of the heavier components of the original gear lube. Thus the gear lube's that are doing most of the lubricating of the gears/bearings. Isn't doing the good job that it did at the beginning of service. I just pulled the cover on a 73 this last weekend. The lube looked clean. But there was that 1/4 inch of a black gooey material. Bob Dunahugh
________________________________
From: Bob Dunahugh
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 10:02 PM
To: gmclist
Subject: Tid Bites. The importance of changing your final drive lube.
If you can't say when your FD gear lube was last changed. You need to change it. I've never pulled a FD cover off. ( One's that have lacked changes ) That there wasn't about a 1/4 inch of a sludge type material on the bottom of the front cover. Most is made up of the heavier components of the original gear lube. Thus the gear lube's that are doing most of the lubricating of the gears/bearings. Isn't doing the good job that it did at the beginning of service. I just pulled the cover on a 73 this last weekend. The lube looked clean. But there was that 1/4 inch of a black gooey material. Bob Dunahugh
I had my coach in for Pennsylvania safety inspection with Ken Frey. He called and asked if I wanted the final drive lube changed? I could easily do
it but told him to go ahead since it was there and I was in a time crunch. When I got the coach back, I was pleasantly surprised that he had drilled
and welded in a drain plug near the bottom of the cover for easy future changes. Easy as changing oil. I know it is probably better to actually open
it up and see whats going on inside, but it sure is easy to change.
--
1978 GMC Royal
Eastern Pennslyvania
1968 Chevrolet C20 396 Camper Special
1969 Chevrolet C20 Camper Special
1985 Buick Electra Park Avenue
1992 Camaro 25th Anniversary Heretage Edition Black
it but told him to go ahead since it was there and I was in a time crunch. When I got the coach back, I was pleasantly surprised that he had drilled
and welded in a drain plug near the bottom of the cover for easy future changes. Easy as changing oil. I know it is probably better to actually open
it up and see whats going on inside, but it sure is easy to change.
--
1978 GMC Royal
Eastern Pennslyvania
1968 Chevrolet C20 396 Camper Special
1969 Chevrolet C20 Camper Special
1985 Buick Electra Park Avenue
1992 Camaro 25th Anniversary Heretage Edition Black
> Carl. I too try to keep in the 12,000 mile range for the trans, and FD. As your only really changing 50% of the fluid in the trans at each
> change. Oil is really CHEEP. I put a standard magnetic engine drain plug in both. If something is failing. That magnet will show me. I just tack
> weld a jam nut. On the inside.The weld doesn't need to be an oil tight weld. I put the trans drain plug on the side. Be careful that the plug
> doesn't hit some component on the inside of the pan. Those drain plugs sure make the job a lot simpler. Bob Dunahugh
Hi Bob. I will be doing the Trans and FD in the spring with the post hibernation oil change. Do you have any pix of the positioning of those drain
plugs? That is something I would like to look at. Hard for me to get under it and drop the pan to do the changes. It would be nice to be able to do
it like the oil
--
Deb McWade
Logan Lake, BC, CAN
"Li'l Sister"
'77 Kingsley, 403, EBL EFI;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!
> change. Oil is really CHEEP. I put a standard magnetic engine drain plug in both. If something is failing. That magnet will show me. I just tack
> weld a jam nut. On the inside.The weld doesn't need to be an oil tight weld. I put the trans drain plug on the side. Be careful that the plug
> doesn't hit some component on the inside of the pan. Those drain plugs sure make the job a lot simpler. Bob Dunahugh
Hi Bob. I will be doing the Trans and FD in the spring with the post hibernation oil change. Do you have any pix of the positioning of those drain
plugs? That is something I would like to look at. Hard for me to get under it and drop the pan to do the changes. It would be nice to be able to do
it like the oil
--
Deb McWade
Logan Lake, BC, CAN
"Li'l Sister"
'77 Kingsley, 403, EBL EFI;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!
You should really be doing a pre hibernation oil change not post.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
> Carl. I too try to keep in the 12,000 mile range for the trans, and FD. As your only really changing 50% of the fluid in the trans at each
> change. Oil is really CHEEP. I put a standard magnetic engine drain plug in both. If something is failing. That magnet will show me. I just tack
> weld a jam nut. On the inside.The weld doesn't need to be an oil tight weld. I put the trans drain plug on the side. Be careful that the plug
> doesn't hit some component on the inside of the pan. Those drain plugs sure make the job a lot simpler. Bob Dunahugh
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Bob Dunahugh
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 10:02 PM
> To: gmclist
> Subject: Tid Bites. The importance of changing your final drive lube.
>
>
> If you can't say when your FD gear lube was last changed. You need to change it. I've never pulled a FD cover off. ( One's that have lacked
> changes ) That there wasn't about a 1/4 inch of a sludge type material on the bottom of the front cover. Most is made up of the heavier components
> of the original gear lube. Thus the gear lube's that are doing most of the lubricating of the gears/bearings. Isn't doing the good job that it did
> at the beginning of service. I just pulled the cover on a 73 this last weekend. The lube looked clean. But there was that 1/4 inch of a black
> gooey material. Bob Dunahugh
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
I have a Ragusa pan on my transmission. It has a drain plug in it and a port for a temp sensor.
I attach a strong magnet (out of a hard drive) to the drain plug and also put one on the final drive pan, as well as the engine oil filter. I always
get a small amount of metal fuzz on the area where the magnet is located.
--
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles,
Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
> change. Oil is really CHEEP. I put a standard magnetic engine drain plug in both. If something is failing. That magnet will show me. I just tack
> weld a jam nut. On the inside.The weld doesn't need to be an oil tight weld. I put the trans drain plug on the side. Be careful that the plug
> doesn't hit some component on the inside of the pan. Those drain plugs sure make the job a lot simpler. Bob Dunahugh
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Bob Dunahugh
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 10:02 PM
> To: gmclist
> Subject: Tid Bites. The importance of changing your final drive lube.
>
>
> If you can't say when your FD gear lube was last changed. You need to change it. I've never pulled a FD cover off. ( One's that have lacked
> changes ) That there wasn't about a 1/4 inch of a sludge type material on the bottom of the front cover. Most is made up of the heavier components
> of the original gear lube. Thus the gear lube's that are doing most of the lubricating of the gears/bearings. Isn't doing the good job that it did
> at the beginning of service. I just pulled the cover on a 73 this last weekend. The lube looked clean. But there was that 1/4 inch of a black
> gooey material. Bob Dunahugh
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
I have a Ragusa pan on my transmission. It has a drain plug in it and a port for a temp sensor.
I attach a strong magnet (out of a hard drive) to the drain plug and also put one on the final drive pan, as well as the engine oil filter. I always
get a small amount of metal fuzz on the area where the magnet is located.
--
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles,
Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
Thanks Bob. No rush Won't be doing anything with her till April/May anyway.
And I guess I learned about when to do the oil. Mine only had about 800 miles on it by the time I parked her. Thought I could do everything in the
spring - tranny, FD and oil/filter/lube but I guess that would be a no?
--
Deb McWade
Logan Lake, BC, CAN
"Li'l Sister"
'77 Kingsley, 403, EBL EFI;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!
Won't be doing anything with her till April/May anyway.And I guess I learned about when to do the oil. Mine only had about 800 miles on it by the time I parked her. Thought I could do everything in the
spring - tranny, FD and oil/filter/lube but I guess that would be a no?
--
Deb McWade
Logan Lake, BC, CAN
"Li'l Sister"
'77 Kingsley, 403, EBL EFI;
TZE167V101404
It's Bigger on the Inside!
