[Will Burton]

After finally putting my new center section into the housing and filling the diff with gear oil I discovered an oil leak. Inspection revealed that the leak is not coming from the centersection/housing interface but from the nose of the center section. It's not from the pinion shaft oil seal but from the "cover plate" that bolt to the nose of the cernter section. So I need to pull that cover plate off to reseal that joint. Is it possible to pull the cover plate off without tearing the whole diff apart to reseal the nose?

 

[S10xGN]

Yes. It may have shims between it (being the pinion support) and the case and you must reinstall those shims or risk ruining the gear set. Also, go light on any sealant as that could affect the pinion depth to a minor degree...

Russ

 

[Will Burton]

OK, so can I get in by unbolting the pinion shaft input cover or do I have to pull the center section out of the diff housing and essentially rebuild the center section?

 

[Rickracer]

No, you can remove the pinion support without taking anything else apart. That part should be sealed by a large o-ring, so you may want to make sure there are no sharp edges in the case itself that could cut the o-ring. I usually use some "Right Stuff" on either side of the o-ring, and in the "corner" where the pinion support meets the case, but try not to get any in the shim area, as S10xGN said, it can and will change the pinion depth a bit.

 

[Will Burton]

Thanks. I'll give that a try on Friday.