Changing the Rear diff plate on an A series Frontera.

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Changing the Rear diff plate on an A series Frontera.

Quite often you will find the rear diff leaking oil. This can be caused by hitting a rock etc while off road, but sometimes the actual diff cover goes porous, thus it leaks and is very difficult to stop leaking (believe me I’ve tried)

The new diff cover plate will cost in the region of £50. Plus your gear box oil standard axel 80w/90s gear oil and its recommended to use sealant not a gasket. Its worth adding some Molislip additive to Diff oil.

I reversed the car onto a kerb to make access easy (just moved house couldn’t get at stands) I didn’t have to drain the diff as it had virtually emptied its self, but there is a plug to drain it off. Be careful as the diff oil smells like cat pee

After draining take the clips off the various pipes attached to the diff cover. Then disconnect the diff breather pipe, mine was seized to the diff cover so I went to a scrappy and magical one away for free.

Then undo all the bolts holding the plate on and prize off.

Clean the old sealant from the diff surround. While your there have a good nose in the casing see that there are no lumps of metal in there, chipped teeth etc.

One tip is to make sure you take the little magnet from a clip on the inside of the old diff cover and put it in the clip in the new cover. This magnet is a good indicator of the condition of the diff, as it attracts all the loose fillings that wear off the cogs over the years, swarf. If you have loads of metal chips, not good, just a few very good.

I found it easier to put the sealant on the diff cover place it on and tighten it up , smooth it off with my gloved finger. Left it for a few hours to dry.

On the cover is a fill plug, I used a big syringe and pipe to fill the last bit up as it’s awkward to tip the fluid in the hole. It’s full when a bit overflows.

Then it’s connect the pipes etc into the clip and replace the breather pipe. Its a good idea to paint the new cover with an anti rust paint.

After a few miles check the level and top up if necessary.

The write up is about the 20L Sport but the pics are of my 2.8 LWB that needed the same job doing recently, both are exacly the same.

--Drift 21:16, 24 June 2008 (UTC)