Diff housing studs

[d0ubledown]

ok, so it looks like my rear diff is leaking a bit after i swapped 3rds, so i've gotta re & re the 3rd. Regarding the mounting studs, how does one remove & replace the ones that are in there (when the nut comes off) and how do you remove the nut off the stud should the two come out together? im thiking if i can get em all out, i'll probably replace all the studs. good idea or no? the leak itself looks to be on the elocker side of things...im guessing that the long stud or one surrounding it is the culprit. might have not been on tight enough? i've gone over each nut and its all good, but if the stud itself isnt in all the way.. could that cause a leak?

also, is it recommended to only use the gasket? or can RTV be used in its place? of course ill surface down the mounting faces so its as smooth & even as possible.



thanks for any input

[waskillywabbit]

Doublenut the studs or just vise grip them out.

RTV as those gaskets SUCK.

Edit: I'd bet you just having a leaking gasket, so R/R with RTV.

[reggie 00]

Regarding the mounting studs, how does one remove & replace the ones that are in there (when the nut comes off) and how do you remove the nut off the stud should the two come out together? I'm thinking if i can get em all out, I'll probably replace all the studs. good idea or no? the leak itself looks to be on the elocker side of things...I'm guessing that the long stud or one surrounding it is the culprit. might have not been on tight enough? I've gone over each nut and its all good, but if the stud itself isn't in all the way.. could that cause a leak?

also, is it recommended to only use the gasket? or can RTV be used in its place? of course ill surface down the mounting faces so its as smooth & even as possible.



thanks for any input

I have always used the double nut method to tighten studs down.

Take one nut and thread it on then take a second one a thread it down onto the first. This effectively makes the second one able to turn the whole assembly using the second nut.

You might use a variation of this in a vice to get the stud out of a rusted nut with the help of some PB or what not.

I have used rtv in the past instead of gaskets, but that was on my 83. i do know some items when electronics is involved do not take kindly to certain Rtv's. So since its a E-locker, (which i doubt makes a difference and i probably would do the Rtv) you might check into that.

[Bob98SR5]

double,

i had a slow leak just like you are having. what lance and i did was to support the diff w/ a jackstand and unbolted the nuts. we backed off the diff very slowly and carefully until the diff was almost off the bolts. then i peeled off the old gasket. then i cut the tip of the rtv tube at a 60-70 degree angle. it is just the right angle to lay a bead of rtv within the narrow confines of this space. guess what? no leak!

i have a pic of this but i am sooo darn tied up right now. but you get the picture, right?

bob

[jimbo74]

double nut the stud

and use ultra grey rtv no paper crap gaskets

[d0ubledown]

thanks for the tips guys. yeah i remember something about doublenutting...i'll have to give it a try. the gasket is indeed flimsy..just a tad thicker than tracing paper i shoulda just used rtv in the first place like i was going to... serves me right for not searching first!

[Bob98SR5]

double,

dude, dont even sweat it. i figured that the gasket would be better too--after all, toyota does it that way right out of the factory, right? at least htat was my logic, but guys like schaeffer, robinhood, lance, etc know best and at least now you know how to fix the problem w/o completely taking out the 3rd

bob

[d0ubledown]

true that bob. i ended up pulling all the studs out, cleaning em up & tightening em back in with a fresh coat of locktite. i think i was a bit liberal with the RTV though..hopefully that wont have negative effects. i also painted up the axle, brackets/links & frame out back..so at least its nice to look at back there now instead of surface rust splotches everywhere! im envious of your socal and az rust free undersides! LOL