Differential Fluid Change 1996 5.0 AWD Ford Explorer 8.8 Differential

[mfnmike1]

Nice vidio it realy helpd

[jlsparky7]

@mfnmike1 Glad it helped

[893106005]

what oil do i use i have a 97 explorer

[13FravelJ]

What motor is in your ranger?

[GrandCaravanSE]

Good video man! I did this in my Auto's class, everybody was pissed off about the smell. It was nice doing it there, we had a part cleaner. I used Ultra Grey on mine, with a gasket.

[jlsparky7]

@GrandCaravanSE Thanks a lot man, glad this vid helped. :)

[BDavisOutdoors]

Does the truck have to be 4x4 for you to change the fluid? because i have a 92 f150 and its never been changed its 2wd an i was wondering if thats something i could do on my own?

[ballzbroz]

hey jlsparky my right rear wheel on my 95 explorer xlt 4.0 has more power then the left wheel and does not redirect power when slipping any ideas?

[jlsparky7]

@ballzbroz Look on the side of the drivers door and there will be a bunch of codes. Look up the axle code and it will tell you what kind of differential you have. If it is an open differential then that means the power will find the path of least resistance (usually the passenger rear). Open differentials are my least favorite type but they give the best gas mileage and require the least maintenance.

[jlsparky7]

@ballzbroz It could be a LSD (limited slip differential) which operates like an open differential only it transfers the power to the wheel with more resistance. This type of differential is also known as a "posi" differential. It uses clutch plates to catch the wheel thats slipping so it can send power to the wheel that isnt slipping. If those clutch plates wear out then the differential will act as a open diff.

[JEEPIOIIIIIIIIOI]

Very informative bro thanks for the post.. I picked one up for my XJ 31 spline from a 96 these suckers are tough and the brakes feel really nice.. Going in tommorow YAY.. Does your have limited slip?

[weelgunny]

They sell an actual gasket for the 8.8s. That wiil increase the oil quantity a smiget. Instead of dripping for an hour, get a rag and wipe it the hell out!

[jlsparky7]

@weelgunny I dont care for the gaskets because they dont last nearly as long as good quality RTV. I wiped everything i could outta the diff, didnt want any old stuff in there.

Thanks for watching and I appreciate the comment! :)

[MLGsucks8693]

how did you get the drain plug out? your differential is more rusty than mine and i cant even get an extesnion in the plug

[RRViper800TT]

wow those are some shiney brand new gears! good job ford and whatever oil was in there

[americannegr0]

My rear differential is grinding a lil bit...can it be fixed, or does it need to be replaced? I have a 98 explorer.

[jlsparky7]

@americannegr0 Depending on how long the grinding has been going on it could just be low fluid. If its been awhile parts need to be replaced.

[JayzBeerz]

@americannegr0 Just change the fluid and see what happens

[nukkajo]

Good Job man. very helpful. They actually do make paper gaskets for this cover. I bought one through a buddy of mine who works at FX Automotive in White House, NJ. I also used Permatex Hylomar Gasket Sealant. The stuff is incredible. I feel that just RTV isn't sufficent enough to keep it from leaking on it's own... So I did some MAJOR overkill on it, but who cares, It shouldn't ever leak again.

Keep up the good work.

[jlsparky7]

@nukkajo Thanks a lot for watching!  Appreciate the advice.

[bigojos76]

@nukkajo 

[ed0985587]

great video man! all good things to inspect when buying an older or higher mileage explorer / vehicle. we need a section on explorer forum for preventative maint that includes all of these videos!

[llamaking12]

are these good in the snow?

[RRViper800TT]

@llamaking12 i drove a 4x4 Ford in 4 inches of snow on a high speed road...it was as if the snow wasn't even THERE

[jlsparky7]

@RRViper800TT Pretty awesome isnt it?

[992bm]

this is very helpful. i have a ford f150, but this really gave me idea on what to do

[jlsparky7]

@992bm Glad the vid could help

[mikaelkmikkelsen]

Man thank you, honestly. These kinds of quality videos has helped me more than you can know.

[jlsparky7]

@mikaelkmikkelsen Thanks a lot man! Wouldnt do it if i didnt get comments like this one.

[mattmatt115]

@armystrongamerican well that is of course until you damage it, then your buying a new rubber steel core gasket when you still could have bought that tube of RTV and had it laying around for future use....

[breitling911]

Thank's a lot man" you really helped me

[jlsparky7]

@breitling911 Glad I could help. Please subscribe and comment on my other vids. I would appreciate it. Thanks!

[btarrh]

Ford placed their anti-lock tooth gear on their ring, this is great because of the single censer and location, you can also remove the censer and fill the diff with three quarts of fluid. The 8.8 also has C-Clips, this is not a bad thing, I off road mine without an issue although most dirt tracks require that you run c-clip eliminators. The weak point on these differentials is the cover, they are refereed to as the tuna can cover.

[berkelusa]

Use RTV on the cover side and Grease on the other side.. Old Rodders TRICK because gears were changed more often than they are today.. Also I noticed yours has what Ford calls a "Traction Lock" with the little S-spring in the middle and a clutch pack on each end.. Like a limited slip rearend..

[jlsparky7]

@berkelusa Yea its fords version of a LSD. Thanks for watching.

[jlsparky7]

@armystrongamerican I didnt have to order the rtv and it works just as well.

[mattmatt115]

RTV is always the right choice for a differential. Why buy a shitty gasket when you can buy Permatex Ultra Copper for about 17 bucks and you have about 5 gaskets in that tube if you seal the tube after use

Hell, if you wanted to do use the "right choice" why not use Permatex Right Stuff lol

[jlsparky7]

@mattmatt115 I agree. :)

[jlsparky7]

@armystrongamerican There are many opinions about the "right way" as well.

[jlsparky7]

@armystrongamerican Everyone is entitled to their opinion. This is the way I prefer to do it.

[jlsparky7]

@armystrongamerican Gaskets are worse to use and dont last as long as RTV. Thats why they seal engine halves together and dont use gaskets.

I couldnt find a diff cover for 20 bucks if my life depended on it. All are aftermarket and over $100

[mattmatt115]

@jlsparky7 Transdapt has some really cheesy cheap ones, nice and chromy for that under car shiny look...

[gbanks70]

Big help thanks a lot. Am about to do this job on a 2002. By the way ....do you decorate birthday cakes too? :-)

[jlsparky7]

@gbanks70 NP

No the girlfriend takes care of the birthday cakes lol.

[MrSaad188]

i have the same ford explorer 1997 model 4.0 v6 .....

can u pls tell me where did u put that pipe?

and secondly how much liters of oil would i require

?

[jlsparky7]

@MrSaad188 just under 3 quarts.

What pipe?

[ambulldogtt]

yo i got a question..i have a 98 single cab ford 4x4, 4.6l and i think it has the 8.8 rear end...i dont know if it has bigger gears cuz its a bit lifted and was wondering how would i know and if it is open differential or slip...idk and would i have to add that fluid u added

[jlsparky7]

There should be a tag on the differential with an axle code on it. Do a google search for the code and it will tell you what diff you have.

[themainproblem]

Not a bad video. It was to the point and showed exactly what to expect. Nicely done.

[jlsparky7]

Thanks. Glad you liked it!

[mrwilliwizard]

damn very rusty! lol

[jlsparky7]

Yes it is! lol

[Tokoteroman]

I need to do on my 2002 Explorer. It's making a loud noise on the back when i'm going above 45 mph

[jlsparky7]

Check your wheel bearings first. Thanks for watching!

[nighthawk650]

JL, very cool video, i am fortunate i have a replacement 8.8 for my tbird i am going to do all the servicing before it gets put under the car! your video will help me in that quest. thanks for putting it together. peace, john

[jlsparky7]

Glad you liked the video. Go luck with your tbird!

[ChuddleBuggy]

Refilling is the hardest part. Glad you could come up with an easy way to do it. I used to skin my knuckles and cramp my hands squeezing the lube bottle for as long as 6 minutes per bottle (3 required). I tried using a hand pump but the operation was too heavy especially if your lying on your back under the truck. I also tried using a drill powered rotary pump but the liquid is just too thick for it to work (85/140 weight for the V8).

[jlsparky7]

This method was time consuming but it was very simple.

Thanks for watching :)

[noahjm10]

Thanks for the info, going to the garage now to change my 8.8 in my Mustang!

[jlsparky7]

Post back and let me know how it goes. Thanks for watching.

[noahjm10]

I did it just like you showed me, felt a lot better doing it after having watching it done first. Thanks again! I hit the exterior cover with the sandblaster & sprayed it with flat black. Looks like new :)

[jlsparky7]

Sweet. Glad to hear it. :)

[buhrrito]

awsome vid breh, very informative. thanks alot.

[jlsparky7]

Thanks for watching. Watch some of my other vids and let me know what you think.

[30GB]

is it bad if i haven't changed mine for 4 years? lmao

[jlsparky7]

Not too bad. Itll pay for its self if you change over to synthetic fluid though.

Thanks for commenting and watching. :)

[zjjeepman1993]

good vid. Im going to change the diff fluid on my 93 jeep grand cherokee soon im either gonna use amsoil or mobil 1 75w-90 if i cant find the amsoil.

[jlsparky7]

Im glad you liked the vid.

You cant go wrong with either one of those lubes. Both are awesome. Sign up for a preferred customer amsoil account and they can ship it right to your door. Your first 6 months is only 10 bucks.

[jls1znv9999]

PB Blaster is the Bible of the Mechanic. I would say edit the post to include the type of Lubricant you used. Mainly for the do it yourselfer. Another excellent video.

[jlsparky7]

Im going to start including the tools used as well as products used in my vids either at the beginning or end. I didnt originally expect this many views on my vids so I didnt really plan anything.

[alb12345672]

Great tutorial. You should wear gloves when you do this work. Those are nasty chemicals.

[jlsparky7]

Will do, thanks for the heads up. I usually do wear gloves but my mechanic gloves were dirty from all the other vids and I ran out of latex ones.

Thanks for watching!

[mdavidson2183]

excellent how-to...keep em comming...thats what she said

[jlsparky7]

That IS what she said.

[MooseBaker]

I hear good things on the ford rear ends. I don't like fords much, haha.

[jlsparky7]

Ford 9 inch is prolly the most popular rear end. I dont care for my ranger much but we will see if this explorer grows on me.