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  #1  
Old 02-17-2010, 11:29 AM
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1983 300CD-T: New rear axles, small bit of diff. fluid coming out

I replaced the rear axles over last weekend. Prior to axle installation, I lubed (using 75W-90 gear oil) the rubber parts (outside surface) of the new seals that fit into the differential. Both axles went on fine. C-clips definitely attached inside the differential and the hub ends are well situated. I closed (sealed) the differential on Sun. and didn’t add gear oil until yesterday afternoon.

After driving the car about eight or ten blocks, I noticed what amounted to probably ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of gear oil had dripped from each seal and onto each axle can. Would this be considered normal or is this perhaps a sign of a seal problem?

Thanks for any insights about this.

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Old 02-17-2010, 11:45 AM
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Did you fill it with the rear in the air or on level ground? If you overfilled it, you will get some leaking past the axle seals.


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Old 02-17-2010, 12:24 PM
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Maybe I did overfill it just a bit

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Originally Posted by DeliveryValve View Post
Did you fill it with the rear in the air or on level ground? If you overfilled it, you will get some leaking past the axle seals.
Short answer: The car was not on the ground when I filled the differential.
I filled the differential (1 liter) while it was not on a jack, however, the front and rear of the vehicle were up on jack stands (one under each port) with the wheels off. So, no, the car was not on the ground with all four wheels/tires on the ground when I filled the differential.
On the other hand, I was scrupulous about adding just 1 liter of gear oil, as specified in the factory technical manual. Then again, I drained the differential while the entire car was on stands (but the differential was not on a jack). Maybe this was not an optimal arrangement in retrospect. Perhaps this didn't allow for the differential to completely drain and thus, despite my scrupulousness to 1 liter, I still overfilled it just a bit.
Any problem with a small overfill?
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Old 02-17-2010, 12:56 PM
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No it won't hurt anything. I filled mine up until there was a tiny dribble coming out of the fill hole.

I crawled under my car a week after I did my axle swap and I didn't notice a small leak.

Did you by chance swap the axle spacers? That may be the cause of your problem.
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Old 02-17-2010, 01:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dogguy View Post
I replaced the rear axles over last weekend. Prior to axle installation, I lubed (using 75W-90 gear oil) the rubber parts (outside surface) of the new seals that fit into the differential. Both axles went on fine. C-clips definitely attached inside the differential and the hub ends are well situated. I closed (sealed) the differential on Sun. and didn’t add gear oil until yesterday afternoon.

After driving the car about eight or ten blocks, I noticed what amounted to probably ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of gear oil had dripped from each seal and onto each axle can. Would this be considered normal or is this perhaps a sign of a seal problem?

Thanks for any insights about this.
Hi
I didn't have this problem when I changed mine - but such a small amount of leakage wouldn't concern me. I would just clean it up and keep tabs on it for a few hundred miles. You could also run it a while to get things warmed up and then pull the fill plug to see how much oil, if any, comes running out.

Good luck,
Joseph
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Old 02-17-2010, 01:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by okyoureabeast View Post
No it won't hurt anything. I filled mine up until there was a tiny dribble coming out of the fill hole.

I crawled under my car a week after I did my axle swap and I didn't notice a small leak.

Did you by chance swap the axle spacers? That may be the cause of your problem.
I was very careful to ensure that each spacer was returned to the side it came off of.

I'll keep an eye out for any more fluid (hopefully there will be none).
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  #7  
Old 02-17-2010, 10:35 PM
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Some (earlier) axles are left and right specific. If reversed, the machined surface will pull oil past the seal.
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Old 02-18-2010, 12:46 PM
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It's a Mercedes, It gonna mark it's territory
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Old 02-18-2010, 10:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dogguy View Post
I was very careful to ensure that each spacer was returned to the side it came off of.

I'll keep an eye out for any more fluid (hopefully there will be none).
When you reused the Origional Spacers did they fit as they are supposed to; with no end play in each Axle but the Retaining Clips still went in OK?
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Old 02-26-2010, 03:53 PM
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"It's a Mercedes, It gonna mark it's territory" - I needed a chuckle this afternoon. That did it

Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel911 View Post
When you reused the Origional Spacers did they fit as they are supposed to; with no end play in each Axle but the Retaining Clips still went in OK?
Answers: The original spacers fit onto the rebuilt axles (from CVJ Axles) as they were supposed to. I checked for any play before removing the old axles (none) and once the new axles were on, still no play. The retaining clips (assume you mean the c-clips inside the differential) went on just fine (confirmed that the clip ends fit inside the channel in each axle shaft).

Update: After driving for about 80 miles over four days, no leaks, everything looks nice down under

Thanks for the help with this-
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  #11  
Old 02-26-2010, 04:18 PM
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Is there an axle seal at each of those half shaft entry points ?
I did not see you say you replaced those also...

As compared to a measured amount...
is there a " fill plug " to which the lubricant is supposed to be filled until it flows out of ?
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  #12  
Old 02-27-2010, 09:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leathermang View Post
Is there an axle seal at each of those half shaft entry points ?
I did not see you say you replaced those also...
The only seals I found when doing this job were the ones that fit on each side of the differential and through which each axle travels on its way to being secured with a c-clip inside the differential.

Quote:
Originally Posted by leathermang View Post
As compared to a measured amount...
is there a " fill plug " to which the lubricant is supposed to be filled until it flows out of ?
The amount of fluid I placed into the differential was dictated by the amount specified in the little "Technical Data Passenger Cars" book I have from M-B. The amount given was 1.0 liters.

For notes on my experience doing this job, see the last post in this great DIY link:
W123 axle R&R job--some questions?

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