That Black hole in my Front Differential (What condition is it in)

[OldFaurt]

My wife thinks I am nuts,
I go to work at 5:30 am, get home from work at 6:00 pm, shove dinner down my pie hole (Not very respectful, I hope she understands)

then out to the garage to rebuild u-joints, pull differential covers, (Shampoo, rinse, repeat), inspect ring, pinon, spider and drive gears for damage/wear.
Check the bearings for spun races, pitting, dark spots caused by overheating.

Clean the mating surfaces of the Differential & cover, check for gouges & places where the cover may not be flat & fix.
Then clean surfaces with a shop towel and Brake Cleaner to help RTV stick well & apply gasket maker goo...
Permatex "Gear Oil RTV Gasket Maker" item# 81182 and smear the stuff into a nice even coating.

Then I took the bolts, chucked them up in the Dewalt drill, and wire brushed the gunk & old RTV off, etc then applied them to the cover!
Torqued them down until I just started to see the Gasket goo start to squeeze out from between cover and differential housing all the way around.

Then I went in to the house, had a nice Monkey Shoulder and watched "Almost Human" with my wife...
Gosh but she's beautiful in her over-size flannel shirt...

Then back out to the garage to give the cover bolts a 1/4 to 1/2 turn more! Tomorrow, I will fill the Differential with New SAE 80W GL-5 gear lubricant.

I did notice the passenger side seal seems to be leaking, but I am planning on going through the whole axle later, maybe even change the U-joints in the stub axles!

But that can wait until another day, it's getting on towards 10:00 pm and this Old Faurt needs his beauty sleep!

[jimmixj]

that's the nature of the XJ addiction, my friend!

[4.3LXJ]

That is what it is all about.

[cantab27]

what was for dinner

[denverd1]

never heard of Monkey Shoulder - prolly cause I'm not a scotch fan. Looks like a great one

[OldFaurt]

Ehr...? Oh yeah!
Lasagna, she makes the best,
Sourdough bread with Parmesan cheese & garlic, lightly toasted in the broiler,
miniature cabbages (BS)
and a nice salad!
The woman treats me far better than I deserve,
But I try every day to even the score!

[OldFaurt]

Nice blended scotch whiskey,
tastes like a 12 year old but at a much more enjoyable price!
X-mas gift from the Wife...

[OldFaurt]

That is what it is all about.
And I love it!

[denverd1]

The woman treats me far better than I deserve,
But I try every day to even the score!

Well put. Thanks for that little nugget of wisdom. :thumbsup:

[07Negative]

You've got a wife that cooks? I should have got a cougar. :)

[nickyg]

I thought Monkey Shoulder was a poor cut of monkey. everyone knows you can't beat a good monkey brisket.

[OldFaurt]

I thought Monkey Shoulder was a poor cut of monkey. everyone knows you can't beat a good monkey brisket.

Oh I would never HURT one of the little buggers...
It was a Scotch Whiskey (http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-5016.aspx) That my wife got for me for Christmas. It brought some cheer!
The name comes from the affliction caused by malting by hand...
"Monkey Shoulder" a sore shoulder condition that I would suppose would respond nicely to drinking... Scotch!

[denverd1]

thats awesome! I used to get Monkey Butt from being on a tractor all day. Glad to know there are other variants!

[bigjim350]

thats awesome! I used to get Monkey Butt from being on a tractor all day. Glad to know there are other variants!


http://thedailypos.org/upload/anti-monkey-butt-powder.jpg

[Brasscatz]

http://thedailypos.org/upload/anti-monkey-butt-powder.jpg

That stuff works!!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 because my microwave couldn't do it

[OldFaurt]

OH... THAT... IS... FUNNY!
Butt I am sticking with my own cure for Monkey Shoulder!

ha ha ha!

[OldFaurt]

So today, after working from home from 5:30am till about 3:30pm,
I got this wild hair in a place that "Anti-Monkey Butt" powder might help...
I took off the front drive line on my jeep!
What a friggen mess!
ALL 3 u-joints were just a rattlin!
So, I grabbed my trusty socket set, 8" Harbor Freight C-Clamp and ripped them
little baby rattles off of the drive shaft! I used a socket just a touch smaller than the
U-Joint caps on 1 side, and a socket just a bit larger (inside) than the caps.
Using the C-clamp I pressed the old U-Joints out.
Now, if I had a brain in my head, I would have shot some pictures or maybe even a video...
But alas, I didn't so here is what I did.
With all the U-joints removed, have a look at the ball joint that goes inside the double carrier.
You will see a weird protrusion on the drive shaft end, basically a rubber cup seal with a hollow steel post in the middle of it.
The other piece is like a baby yoke with a ball with a hole in it that slides over the drive shaft thingy!
Mine had a loose seal and rattly ball, but not corroded or even worn.
Note there is a spring that goes from the hole in the ball into the hollow shaft on the drive shaft.
What holds that ball joint in it's socket is a seal pressed in after the ball is installed.
I rinsed the whole thing out with brake cleaner and some q-tips to mop up the mess.
Then I found them... a bunch of needle bearings just a touch smaller in diameter and length than those found in the U-joint caps.
Make sure you keep tabs on the little buggers, they have to go back!

By the way, if someone in Katy Texas would like to go through their front drive shaft, I work for Monkey Shoulder, beer or just good old American Gratitude!!
I have the tools and can help you through it and maybe even Photograph it this time...
DOH!
Now that you have the Ball joint all clean and pretty, check how tight the ball seal is.
If the ball rattles around when you shake it, the grease will leave and you will soon be replacing it so get a grease needle,
pack that bugger with grease and then take a socket just a little smaller than the hole the seal goes in and use it and a hammer
to slowly drive the seal in to the bore until the ball is firmly held in place!
Now use a q-tip to clear the hole in the ball so you can put them little needle bearings back in!
Just stick them to the wall in the hole with grease, like in a U-joint.
Now press in new U-joints starting at the drive shaft side, working your way away from it.
I will see If I can find a graphic of this if anyone needs more info!
I also found Neapco Double Cardan CV Ball Seat Repair Kit (http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_double-cardan-cv-ball-seat-repair-kit-neapco_20270076-p#fragment-2)
and a Rubber Boot for Jeep Double Cardan CV driveshafts (http://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/p502_rubber_boot_for_oem_non_greaseable_cv_centeri ng_yoke.html)
Might be handy if your are trashed beyond a good cleaning and grease!

These are a bit tricky the first time, but when you're done, you will be able to keep that drive line in better, (Read less vibration) condition for next to nothing!
Hope this has been handy to someone!

Now if I could just find a rear DANA 35 or even better, a nice cheep Chrysler 8.25 in a 3.55 ratio.... I could have 4X4 instead of front wheel drive!

Have a great weekend!

[nickyg]

Glad to see work is progressing on the Jeep. If it's like mine... It's an endless labor of love.
UMM. I'm sorry. I can't concentrate
That picture is stuck my head.. I mean that monkey looks way to happy to have a red, swollen ass. I thought this was a P.G.13 type site.

[OldFaurt]

Glad to see work is progressing on the Jeep. If it's like mine... It's an endless labor of love.
UMM. I'm sorry. I can't concentrate
That picture is stuck my head.. I mean that monkey looks way to happy to have a red, swollen ass. I thought this was a P.G.13 type site.

Yes, that does rather stick in one's mind!

Working on my jeep is something I have looked forward to for years.
but last December, on my way to work I hit black ice on my Bike, up on 290...
Global warming my Monkey Butt... Wonder if they have a monkey product for that?
I came through it well with a very sore shoulder and a 2 foot long by 8-10 inch wide bruise up my right side.
Damage to the bike was all easy enough to deal with.

But it led me to understand I am not (still don't believe it) Super Man!
I found this Jeep in actually rather good condition with a tanked rear axle,
thwacked transfer case rear extension, and a bunch of slightly neglected upkeep.

This forum is great, it lets me share my adventure, get & give advice and expertise,
and well hob nob with like minded people! Yeah, I am having a ball!

What makes me feel stupid is...
My Wonderful wife gave me a GoPro hero III for Christmas and I have not been
smart enough to employ it during this play time in the garage!

Oh well,
live and learn from my new friends at :xjtalk:

[4.3LXJ]

Those cycles are fun, until you hit something you don't want. Glad you came out OK. Those kinds of things are the reason I gave up riding them. These things are loads of fun aren't they?

[OldFaurt]

Those cycles are fun, until you hit something you don't want. Glad you came out OK. Those kinds of things are the reason I gave up riding them. These things are loads of fun aren't they?

WAY more fun than I should be having while wearing clothes!
PLEASE! Don't tell my wife... She can be SOOOOO Jealous!

Oh Hi honey!
We were just talking about how AWESOME you are for letting me have a Jeep!
Go get you something from the store? Sure! Can I go across that old back lot to get there? Woo Hoo!

[nickyg]

OHH!! I just came up with a good spanking monkey joke.... Wait, is this is still a P.G 13 site?
Dang it!! I still can't get that picture out of my head.