Leaking diff

In the hot weather my diff has started leaking form the gasket between the diff and the axle tube. it is not a proper leak and is more of an occasional drip but it is a persistent drip after every journey. This is a problem because I have a fairly vindictive neighbour who every couple of months reports the land rover to the council and leaking oil onto the road. they then send me a letter I can either clean the road or they will clean it up and send me a bill.

I know that to fix it properly will mean removing the diff and replacing the gasket, however this is on the front axle so pulling the shafts is not as straightforward as it is on the rear and involves dismantling the swivel first. Does any one have any suggestions for remedy other than removal and a new gasket?

drain it, undo the 10 diff nuts prise dif out till thers a gap clean with spray brake clean or similar and using a caulking gun squirt some silicone sealant in the gap all around then retighten nuts

jamesmartin said:

drain it, undo the 10 diff nuts prise dif out till thers a gap clean with spray brake clean or similar and using a caulking gun squirt some silicone sealant in the gap all around then retighten nuts

Click to expand...

Yeah, nice one James.
Just to add a thought, if I have a need to get silicone into a difficult place I push a length of thin tube onto the nozzle. One hand to pump the gun, one hand to guide the sealant.

85/140 will certainly help slow the flow.

If you reseal it use a decent sealant, and not some cheap generic silicone which wont last.

Neighbout got a car? if so a few litres of used engine oil poured underneath will do a treat!

jamesmartin said:

drain it, undo the 10 diff nuts prise dif out till thers a gap clean with spray brake clean or similar and using a caulking gun squirt some silicone sealant in the gap all around then retighten nuts

Click to expand...

Many thanks, I will give that a go tomorrow, I have some instant gasket on the shelf, just need to find a spray bottle for my brake cleaner.

jamesmartin said:

drain it, undo the 10 diff nuts prise dif out till thers a gap clean with spray brake clean or similar and using a caulking gun squirt some silicone sealant in the gap all around then retighten nuts

Click to expand...

Many thanks, did exactly that and had plenty of clearance to get some instant gasket between the two. Do not look forward to removing it if it every needs to come out, but it has stopped the leak which was the biggest issue.

Thanks for the update.