Flushing Axle With Water?

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LeftFoot

Active Member
Posts
249
Greetings,

I am planning to replace the front diff on the 110 this weekend by installing my newly acquired Ashcroft 4-pin, pegged diff.

I suspect that just like the previous 2 front diffs my current diff's crown wheel and pinion will not be in very good condition and hence the diff casing would need cleaning out from all the bits of metal before I install the new diff.

Like I did when replacing my previous diff I want to just unbolt the swivel assemblies and pull them both out partially to allow the diff to be clear of the half shafts to accommodate removal and installation.
Would there be any harm in flushing the axle out with water using a hose to remove any metal bits? I am thinking flushing from the left and right side of the axle from where the swivel assemblies are unbolted from just in case any loose bits may have worked themselves in those areas.

A new 4-pin is an investment and I am not at all keen of losing it prematurely...

Your thoughts on the method of flushing?
 
LeftFoot said:
Greetings,

I am planning to replace the front diff on the 110 this weekend by installing my newly acquired Ashcroft 4-pin, pegged diff.

I suspect that just like the previous 2 front diffs my current diff's crown wheel and pinion will not be in very good condition and hence the diff casing would need cleaning out from all the bits of metal before I install the new diff.

Like I did when replacing my previous diff I want to just unbolt the swivel assemblies and pull them both out partially to allow the diff to be clear of the half shafts to accommodate removal and installation.
Would there be any harm in flushing the axle out with water using a hose to remove any metal bits? I am thinking flushing from the left and right side of the axle from where the swivel assemblies are unbolted from just in case any loose bits may have worked themselves in those areas.

A new 4-pin is an investment and I am not at all keen of losing it prematurely...

Your thoughts on the method of flushing?
Click to expand...

Unless you can get some form of oxidising stopper, I wouldn’t be using water to wash any machined metal. It will start small amounts of surface corrosion, this should be stopped by the addition of the oils/lubes, but it will still cause some.

I would much rather use a rag, to wipe all the surfaces.
 
Water won't wash away any dirt/metal fragments if they are trapped in oil on the internal surfaces, unless it's very hot. Drain the diff oil, if it's full of metal fragments you should clean out the casing with paraffin or similar solvent. If you don't want that mess, you could get your hand in with lots of rags once the diff is out - then finish with a bit of solvent - maybe a can of brake cleaner.
 
Thanks for the replies. As an update.. the front diff that I removed was in surprisingly good condition. No metal pieces whatsoever. It was easy to turn the entire crownwheel and pinion assembly by turning the input flange however. A bit too too freely in my opinion. I suspect that was a contributing factor in the drivetrain slack. Anyway.. after giving the casing a good cleanout with a rag and removing the old sealant from the mating face I was able to re-apply silicone and install the new diff.
Point to note: putting a new differential in place whilst lying down under the vehicle is no easy task at all o_O.
 
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