Front diff oil seals

[markmobile]

Hi i think that the oil leak that i have from a previous post is my front diff oil seal and was suggested that the breather might be blocked is this an expensive job to to replace the seals by a garage?Thanks for any replies.

[Guest]

Hi i think that the oil leak that i have from a previous post is my front diff oil seal and was suggested that the breather might be blocked is this an expensive job to to replace the seals by a garage?Thanks for any replies.

Mark.

If you clean out the diff breather you may find that the leaks stop. Mine did.

I think you are probably looking at 2 hours labour for the drivers side, the passenger side is not the same and the diff needs to come apart to do it as far as I know. Think you should budget for about £100 plus VAT if they need to be replaced. Get the breather cleaned first and leave it a couple of weeks - the leak may clear then.

Cheers

[markmobile]

Diff oil seals

Hi thanks for the reply mine is leaking from the passengers side i think as the oil is leaking from the back right hand side as you look from the front of the car. How easy is it to clean the breather and where is it located , also would this be cleaned when the car is serviced or does it get over looked.I presume that like most release valves as pressure increases the breather should release this pressure if not the only place is for oil to leak from the seals.Thanks for any reply.

[Guest]

Hi thanks for the reply mine is leaking from the passengers side i think as the oil is leaking from the back right hand side as you look from the front of the car. How easy is it to clean the breather and where is it located , also would this be cleaned when the car is serviced or does it get over looked.I presume that like most release valves as pressure increases the breather should release this pressure if not the only place is for oil to leak from the seals.Thanks for any reply.

It wouldn't get cleaned as a general service item. It's located on top of the diff at the front drivers side. It's very difficult to see and you need to have a good feel around to find it. Basically it is like a brake bleed nipple with a sprung loaded cap on it. You will need to find it, remove the cap by prising it off with a screwdriver (a short one will be best as you will be short on space). You can then remove the breather itself which is screwed into the diff housing and needs a 14mm spanner - use a combination one with as small a crank on the end as possible. You may need the open ended or the ring spanner end depending on how big your arms are and how easily you can get to it.

I actually found the easiest way is by removing the front drivers side wheel and going in through the wheelarch.

Cheers