Diff oil - needs change or not ?

[Ginger Beer]

Diff oil swap is simple and relatively cheap

Just find the required weights/additives and set aside an hour to do it yourself

I do my diff oil yearly because I enjoy doing basic servicing

If you don't have the tools, time or inclination I recommend getting a shop to do it now

I wouldn't let it go too far past 50k km for my OCD peice of mind though

I do give my car a fairly hard time though

 

[tml678]

Diff oil swap is simple and relatively cheap

Agreed, it really should be a service item. I have it in mine, no reason why the LS3’s should be any different..or any model to be honest.

Every report of a fluid change mentions discolouration and metallic specks, not to mention the smell of the filthy stuff. It should be a 3yr/40,000km change in my opinion, same with tranny fluid

 

[bradp51]

If they are only doing a diff oil change, maybe the price isn’t too bad if they includes the good oil in that cost. But if they already have it in the air and its part of a bigger service, it seems like a bit of a rort.

If you do it yourself, just make sure you undo the filler bolt first, before you undo the drain bolt and dump the oil. There would be nothing worse than having no diff oil and not being able to get the filler plug off

No prizes for second

 

[Banjo79]

In comparison to the transmission, imagine how often we'd all be doing engine oil changes if we could only get half out each change. I could see my 7500 km's intervals coming down to a nice round 1000!!!
My ATF (pan only) gets done annually/30k km's, diff every second year. Car at minimum gets mildly flogged everywhere and no problems with diff or tuned transmission at 218k km's.

 

[lmoengnr]

Agreed, it really should be a service item. I have it in mine, no reason why the LS3’s should be any different..or any model to be honest.

Every report of a fluid change mentions discolouration and metallic specks, not to mention the smell of the filthy stuff. It should be a 3yr/40,000km change in my opinion, same with tranny fluid

Hypoid(diff) oil stinks when it's new!

 

[VFSV6FORME]

Not me !!! Some imposter

Shame of them, LOL.

 

[Super Coach]

just a question/looking for advice. Will be changing my diff oil and trans fluid shortly. The pump bottle someone posted on here from supercheap is that any good to pump the fluid into the trans and diff? or does it leave some fluid behind in bottle that you cant just pump in so you have to pour more fluid into the pump bottle?

also when switching between the trans and diff fluid whats a good cleaner to use to remove all residue of trans fluid before using same bottle to fill diff with oil? thanks for help/advice.

 

[dassaur]

just a question/looking for advice. Will be changing my diff oil and trans fluid shortly. The pump bottle someone posted on here from supercheap is that any good to pump the fluid into the trans and diff? or does it leave some fluid behind in bottle that you cant just pump in so you have to pour more fluid into the pump bottle?

also when switching between the trans and diff fluid whats a good cleaner to use to remove all residue of trans fluid before using same bottle to fill diff with oil? thanks for help/advice.

Those bottles are fine, basically gets all of it.
I put in some diluted degreaser, pump it through, wash out the bottle and ensure it is thoroughly dry, then put a little sacrificial oil of the new stuff I'm about to pump and get that up and through the pump chamber so all the old stuff gets pumped completely out.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

just a question/looking for advice. Will be changing my diff oil and trans fluid shortly. The pump bottle someone posted on here from supercheap is that any good to pump the fluid into the trans and diff? or does it leave some fluid behind in bottle that you cant just pump in so you have to pour more fluid into the pump bottle?

also when switching between the trans and diff fluid whats a good cleaner to use to remove all residue of trans fluid before using same bottle to fill diff with oil? thanks for help/advice.

I used it and posted it here.
They are not bad and they are cheap. They pump out the entire content of the bottle.

If I was you I would buy 2 and use one for diff fluid and one for atf

 

[wetwork65]

All done...

1 hour job doing it first time and being careful...

I drained over a litre based on my coke bottle. It was filthy and smelly !

Ended up taking about 1.3L of clean oil before it started leaking out of the filler hole.

Pictures speak for themselves.
This is factory oil that's done just over 50 000km

8mm hex key bit and 10mm spanner was all that was needed in terms of hand tools.

The plugs have rubber O ring and they were both in good condition.

The car was not level as I could not be stuffed getting it on 4 jack stands. I just jacked up the rear. I figured that the disrepancy in oil quantity would be negligible and it seems that a bit more went in than it was drained. Like 100-200ml. She'll be right

Thread dig but...
I thought the Nulon squeeze pack would be a better idea.

No pump and it would be just like rolling up toothpaste - all of the contents would be emptied into the diff. Amirite?
Bought 3 packs to do 2 diffs and allowed extra for an OCD flush and my usual oil spillage across the driveway/under the car.
I can't recommend these - the pump is a better idea.
1. the provided tube is too tight a fit into the fill hole, so when it inevitably gets oily pushing it into the fill hole, is really difficult to shove "home".
2. the "memory" of the tube means that it keeps springing back into the shape it wants to be, dribbling more oil.
3. to make 1. and 2. worse, threading my arms around the exhaust/suspension meant limited movement to guide the tube and so I couldn't shove the tube in as hard as I would like. (there's a grubby innuendo there somewhere). I have skinny arms and hands, must be worse for bigger people.
4. to add to 1., since the tube is such a tight fit, when I pulled the tube all the way out to check oil level by seeing if it is dribbling out of the filler, means that more oil ends up on the driveway/exhaust as I had my hand twisted around car parts and the tube sprung away. (must be another innuendo here).
5. I am now commited to this method for the second diff, since I have already outlaid $66. Grrr. Will do a tube modification.

My oil was blacker than Ron's, despite being an SV6, but probably due to being 100k km. Can't find the photo.
BTW, the smell was so bad my neighbour asked if there was a gas leak.

Edit: the filler plug (which I removed first) was easy to remove after a light tap with a rubber mallet on the allen key.