hello all. I noticed there was some oil dripping from under the diff. assuming the pinion seal I delivered the big dog to my indie. I just got a calll earlier today and went out to look at it. it appears that the diff housing has pinholes all over the area between the pinion seal and the area where the axle tubes attach.

He thinks it has rusted out. The rest of it looks pretty free of rust.

Anybody had a diff housing rust out? (sounds preposterous!)

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

isn't that cast iron? maybe it is a porous casting. Unlikely that it would rust out.
didn't that truck get hit pretty hard a few years ago? maybe the housing has a crack.

__________________
Сделать Америку великой Снова
"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." Margaret Thatcher

When was the last time that the differential oil was changed? Any chance that the truck was driven through water deep enough to allow water to enter the differential through the diff vent?

It did get hit on the left rear wheel. As you say, a couple years ago I guess. Just started leaking after at least 30,000 miles of serious towing. november 2012.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Diff lube changed around 100,000 so its due, but I have not been fording any creeks lately

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Time for some epoxy and glass cloth.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

i don't think so.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Junkyard diff? Should be plenty out there.

__________________
Сделать Америку великой Снова
"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." Margaret Thatcher

I think cleaned up, an epoxy fix should be fine unless the rusted portions are structurally significant. I epoxied a hot water radiator 26 years ago and it's still holding up fine.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Well, Its the diff.

I pull well over 10,000 pounds with it through mountains etc. The forces on the center section I can only imagine are immense. I'd not want it to come apart when I am whizzing down the road with a load....you know, on a mountain...yikes! (Cue Harry Chapin's 30,000# of banannas)

I'd patch the sheet metal cover in a heartbeat but the center section is all this massive forged iron looking thing which makes no sense to be coming apart at all. I have lost all confidence in it.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I jbwelded some rust pinholes in a Volvo diff years ago, worked very well. This was to avoid extracting numerous rusted and broken bolts to remove it

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

I agree with kerry.

As long as the rust damage doese not effect the structure there is no reason why somthing link the slow curing JB Weld epoxy would not work. Of course it depends on where the leak is and your ability clean it down to the good metal and degrease it.

.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

If there were clear sources of the leaks like a pinhole I might consider tapping and plugging it so I could verify the structural thickness of it but the large stiffening ribs look to be 1/3 gone to the rust......yikes!

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Yowza! Do they salt much where you live?

They use brine a few times a year around here, but not very much. Most cars are rust free even when they hit the junkyard.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

We are in the southern part of the rust belt. I've owned vehicles that are 70 years old with no rust except surface on the diff housing.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.