Diff Shrapnel

[silvtr1000]

I renewed my rear diff oil last night. How much/what size swarf on the magnetic drain bolt is acceptable? Check the pic - am I in trouble?

Notes:

1. Using a 2 litre milk bottle to catch the old oil was not great.

2. Letting the drain bolt fall into the plastic milk bottle was not great.

3. Pouring the old oil from the first catch bottle into a second catch bottle, so I could get the bolt, wasn't too bad.

4. Old diff oil stinks.

5. Using a funnel, a cut-off from my diff breather hose and some gaffer tape to seal them together, all held up by my 4-year old son while I poured new oil in wasn't great.

6. My wife gave out stink cos he was covered in oil.


Mark

[Delboy]

Ooh! That looks fairly serious man. I'd pull th ediff and chck it out. Should only have what looks like iron filings stuck to the plug. Sumits grinding the way it shouldnt.

P.S. New diff oil stinks too!

[TonyN]

Its not normal diff carnage, you normally get iron fillings and bits of teeth. It could be casting mold lines that have come off (OK), or ball retainers from the bearings (not good).

Gear teeth won't peel like that, just chip, and if its not making a noise I'd change the oil again in a few days and see if any more comes out it.

[andrewcrofts]

looks to me like drill swarf. has any thing been rebored like the drain plug? if so it could be swarf from the drilling process that has'nt been removed properly. try re filling and changing again in a couple weeks, and in the mean time keep a close ear on things for abnormal whining noises (bit like my missus, but not as much swearing) if you hear owt, STOP!

[silvtr1000]

There's no noise that I can hear while driving (noise would only occur while driving?).

The metal is very hard - ie, very stiff, and not at all springy.

I think it's too broad to be drill swarf from a hole rebore, and both the drain and fill nuts were the same size and type (as each other), and the breather didn't seem to have been rebored either.

If it was a bearing retainer, what type of bearings are in there, and how many? If the retainer is damaged, will it be balls or rollers/needles that would come out? What would cause a bearing in a diff to fail?

I'll replace the oil again this weekend and see if there's more sh1te. If there isn't AND there's no noise, would it be safe(ish) to assume it was casting mould waste?

Thanks for the replies,

Mark