Quick rear-end question

[jjay1974]

Being a previous Chevrolet owner, I've changed the gasket on the rear end by pulling a cover on the back of the rear end, cleaning it up, installing new gasket and putting cover back on....a 30 minute job at the most. Looking under this Ford, there is no cover on the back. Looks like I'll have to take the whole rear end apart.

Is this a driveway project, meaning something I should tackle with limited tools and know how? Or is this something that is best left to a mechanic shop? What are the main steps in doing this?

Thanks for your help. By the way, it's a 77 Ford F100 Custom.

 

[Mil1ion]

ah yes, The Ford 9" and the complex leaking diff gasket.

One has to pull both axles out of the housing to pull the differential.

I know lots of people that wait on the diff leak until the rear brake shoes and/or the drums need replacing

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Looking under this Ford, there is no cover on the back.
Looks like I'll have to take the whole rear end apart.
What are the main steps in doing this?

Sounds like you've got a Ford9inch!
Dodge and Chevy guys use them in their race cars, BTW. LOL

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/F100-9inch.jpg
('75 F100 Super Cab parts truck)
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/F150-9inch.jpg
(F150's heavier housing)
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/Ford9inch.jpg
(homemade tool too)
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/Ford9inch-B.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/Ford9inch-S.jpg
(it needs a cheater pipe to work good)

Seems to me even a sorryass Haynes or Chilton's would have the instructions
for this in it. But now that you know what you've got there it'll be easy to find
better instructions on the internet than I could ever type-out because they'll
be complete with pictures etc.

Alvin in AZ

 

[Alvin in AZ]

ah yes, The Ford 9" and the complex leaking diff gasket.
One has to pull both axles out of the housing to pull the differential.
I know lots of people that wait on the diff leak until the rear brake
shoes and/or the drums need replacing

Ah heck, I thought I was going to be first. LOL

"Location: Just Above a Huge Gas Source" -Mil1ion
So what's up with that, Dennis? :/
You use that instead of blaming it on the dog?

Butthead in AZ

 

[Mil1ion]

Both the gas that I create and the Natural gas in the soil .

Look up/google Natural Gas in Central Alberta

I lve just south of Red Deer
http://www.energy.alberta.ca/NaturalGas/Gas_Pdfs/BrochureHUB.pdf
http://www.energy.alberta.ca/NaturalGas/Gas_Pdfs/map_Fields.pdf

 

[Mil1ion]

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/re...epairGuideContent.jsp?pageId=0900c1528004bcc8

 

[m78]

I like a nice 9" rear end.

 

[Blade]

I like a nice 9" rear end.

 

[rjphillips]

9in diff

Not to hard of a job. Pull the drums then unbolt 4 nuts thru the hole in the axle face (turn it for each nut) then pry axle out with the plate. After that unbolt all the nuts surroundind the inside of diff, pry it off the studs replace gasket and reinstall. Be careful the carrier is darn heavy when it pulls off the studs, it will crash down fast, put a board or cardboard down you don't want to drop it in the dirt. Wash the gears up a bit and clean the gear housing surface too. Good luck on your Ford.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Pull the drums then unbolt 4 nuts thru the hole in the axle face (turn it for each
nut) then pry axle out with the plate. After that unbolt all the nuts surrounding
the inside of diff, pry it off the studs replace gasket and reinstall. Be careful
the carrier is darn heavy when it pulls off the studs, it will crash down fast, put
a board or cardboard down you don't want to drop it in the dirt. Wash the
gears up a bit and clean the gear housing surface too. Good luck on your Ford.

x2 That baby weighs ~75 pounds, half as much as a T18.

Be careful prying it loose, the housing is thin, so it bends easy and isn't
spring steel, so it stays bent! BTDT :/

And what you'll read is, many guys claim after you pull an axle, the axle seal
will leak and need replacing. Depending on the parts you need and get etc
you might need a good press to put the retaining collar back on the axle
after changing the seal.

BTDT and made my own press and bent the piece of 1+1/4" pipe I was trying
to shove the collar with! No kidding, went to 1+1/2 pipe and it worked.

Alvin in AZ
ps- Thanks Dennis, I almost asked for a URL of the gas field.
pps- Cool one of AutoZone too, hadn't used them for that, just used them
to post wiring diagrams. Hmmm... I believe I got the idea to use AutoZone
from you way back, to start with.

 

[money_pit]

Make sure your axle's vent tube isn't plugged up with dirt or something. If it is your axle will be springing leaks everywhere there is a seal/gasket.