Re: Severe diff noise

Posted by Tim Cole On 2012/5/2 16:50:15

Dear africapackard:

Is this a new problem or has the car only recently become roadworthy?

Those pinion seals start to leak when cars sit idle. I don't know why, but it happens to modern cars as well. People who buy modern cars and then stash them hoping to make a mint one day find out that the cars become junk from just sitting.

The real old stuff didn't use seals and they can sit for years with no obvious side effects.

If this is a new problem then recheck the axle end play. You should be able to carefully knock each axle against the thrust block and the get an audible sound when pulling hard on the brake drum. There should be no binding either. Those wheel bearings require grease as well. I made up a special on the car rear wheel bearing packer for cases where I took cars out on test drives and could hear the rear wheel bearings. It was a cheap way to avoid costly breakdowns on cars that saw little use.

Hope this helps