Changing the diff with break cleaner ?

[caladin]

Do any of you clean your front and rear diff with break cleaner once you drain the oil? I see alot of this being done but not sure if this is good.

 

[idM1028]

I wouldn't see a reason to clean either the outside or the inside with brake cleaner. . . I'd say if you're changing the oil, just drain it and run a magnet through the used oil to make sure there's no chunks of metal in it. If you pull off the cover, make sure to inspect for damage, wear, metal shavings, etc. If you just want to clean the outside, I'd say take it a car wash, spray it down with some engine bay cleaner or some sort of degreaser and power wash it off.

 

[Blue2actual]

I wouldn't even try to clean the inside-IMO it's just a waste of brake parts cleaner! Just drain it, inspect the guts and run a magnet through the residual in the bottom of the pumpkin, close it up, refill it, and get back on the road!

 

[89m1007]

I always use brake cleaner

 

[micmccon]

The parts don't "care" that they appear cleaner.The purpose of changing the oil is to remove suspended particulates from the oil and to restore the oil to an unoxidized proper lubricant in my opinion. Brake cleaner will destroy rubber gloves if you use them when working so I can only imagine that it could potentially harm a seal if doused sufficiently. I am guilty of doing it from time to time though because I am a clean freak when it comes to mechanical things. I have to think about it when I'm working on diffs because the temptation is strong!

 

[344lbsofgetdown]

used brake cleaner when i did my diff services due to watwer and gear lube mnix turned it to a nice pancake batter looking oil used about 6 cans 3 for the front and 3 for the back have no problems

 

[PropDr]

Do any of you clean your front and rear diff with break cleaner once you drain the oil? I see alot of this being done but not sure if this is good.

I only clean housings like that when I'm rebuilding them. The rest of the time I just wipe the crud out of the bottom with my hand or a rag. Just seems like a waste of money to me.

 

[Pops506th]

I usually use a can of Berrymans carb cleaner whenever I change fluid. I find that it helps thin out the residual gear lube that's still in there and dislodge any small metal particles.

But that's just me. Probably overkill, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Dodgeman1941]

At work {a trucking company} we use brake cleaner when we tear anything down. I fact we get it in a 55 gallon drum and use rechargable spray cans.

 

[91W350]

I use clean solvent to rinse the inside and soak the residue out with towels. I prefer the blue paper shop towels as the metal particles are easy to see. A gallon of solvent dispensed through a spray bottle will do a lot of cleaning! Glen

 

[wkbrdngsnw]

Inside, optional, gasket surface always, especially if using RTV. Of coarse by the time I go inside a diff its usually to do something and not to change the fluid so not usually a question for me.