How to Change a 10-Bolt Rear Differential Gasket
When you see a leak from your 10-bolt rear differential, you will have to replace the gasket. Although you can take the vehicle to a shop and spend big bucks, if you have common do-it-yourself tools, changing the gasket on your 10-bolt differential will be something you can do yourself.
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Things You'll Need
- Socket set with ratchet and extension
- Rubber mallet
- Razor blade scraper
- New gasket
- Jack and jack stands
- Oil pan
- Large flat screwdriver
Instructions
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1
Jack up the rear of your vehicle to expose the 10-bolt rear differential. Place jack stands under the frame at this height.
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2
Attach the correct socket to your extension and place it on one of the differential bolts. Give the back of the extension a couple of hard strikes with your rubber mallet to free up the bolt and make it easier to take off. Go completely around the entire differential cover rim and hit each bolt in the same way.
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3
Attach the ratchet onto the extension and loosen every bolt. Just loosen them at this point, don't remove any.
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4
Place your oil pan beneath the differential.
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5
Remove the differential bolts, beginning at the bottom and turning them in a counterclockwise direction, while working your way alternately up the sides. Oil will begin to leak from the bottom, so when you have removed the first six bolts, allow the differential oil to drain out into the oil pan. When most of the oil has drained and it is only dripping, continue to the next step.
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6
Remove the top bolts in the same way that the bottom ones were removed.
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7
Insert your large flat screwdriver between the differential cover and the differential proper, and carefully pry the cover off. Start at one of the lower sides first to drain out any remaining oil, then work your way up both sides.
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8
Pry the cover off and carefully slide it out and away.
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9
Scrape the old gasket or sealant off with your razor blade scraper, removing as much old material as possible. Ideally, you want to have bare metal all the way around the rim.
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10
Press on a new gasket so that all the bolt holes line up precisely. Push the cover back up onto the differential, slide and move it into place, then hand-thread each bolt back into a hole. Tighten every bolt with your ratchet moving around the entire rim of the cover. Finally, add in the recommended amount of gear oil for your particular make and model of vehicle.
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