Rear Differential Fluid Service on a T1N Sprinter! (2500)

[@zambotv8150]

YES!!!! They're back!!!!

[@FloridaVanMan]

We never left, just been busy watching more videos than posting. Beauty floor by the way... The difference in your English and mine makes me laugh. I can hardly understand half the words but I know we speak the same language.

[@zambotv8150]

@@FloridaVanMan Ish, Mike... That's me trying to speak English, if I spoke in my natural brogue you would be clueless... There's a debate as to whether Scots is a language or a dialect? Most people from England don't have a clue what we are on about! As ever send my regards to Anna, Bill and all at FVM....

[@wingingit3071]

superb video :) thanks again its on my list

[@rwp9835]

Love your work guys, thanks for the awesome content. You may have done it off camera but is it worth flushing the diff gears out with something in case of any metal particles etc?

[@FloridaVanMan]

I wipe the bottom of the differential best I can using a gloved finger to sweep the puddle then paper towels to wipe anything I can reach. I've not found any sparkle in the removed oil so haven't had reason to wash* the gears.

[@rwp9835]

Thats good news and thanks for your update. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Looking forward to more of your videos in the New Year

[@oscarcanelo6262]

Excellent job

[@d804s2]

Did the click, click, click noise go away? Maybe it was low on fluid, since it looked like it was wet around the gasket. Thank you for all your videos.

[@FloridaVanMan]

No, unfortunately the click was coming from a U-joint going bad at the front of the differential. Perhaps another video will cover that sooner or later, probably later. We have a list of videos we hope to make sooner. :O)

[@orbaddict]

About to do this service on my 06 2500. Had the rear axle replaced about 2 years ago, but it’s now leaking and making a mess on the driveway. I bough the gasket; looks like the previous place used the goo instead. My question: is the OEM gasket good enough or should any gasket goo be used as well?

[@FloridaVanMan]

The gasket should be all that is needed unless the previous shop bent the cover. Leaking now implies either the cover is bent or the gasket wasn't installed correctly. Sounds like the latter is true.

[@orbaddict]

@@FloridaVanMan Thank you. I can see they used gasket maker paste or something like it. It’s weeping out the very bottom. The cover is also different than the OEM one, at least for a 2500. The fill hole is a threaded M25 that I put a hex bolt plug in it since the rubber one didn’t sit well.

[@joelsoleski3326]

You guys are the best!

[@josermorales5872]

Thanks for your videos good video!

[@ericschweitzer2454]

Great stuff !

[@gaiainanna9069]

How often do you have to change the rear differential fluid? On the van that I bought, which only has 116,000 miles, I’m not sure if it’s ever been done, it’s possible because it was a fleet vehicle originally. When I tried to get it changed, at Valvoline, and then at the diesel mechanic, they both said that the bolt was over tightened and therefore they were scared about breaking it and didn’t want to do it. I’m wondering how important it is to change and how often, and also is it different for 3500?

[@FloridaVanMan]

I'm assuming it was the drain bolt they were finding too tight. Leave it alone and drop the cover. That oil will come out! LOL. The book says change the differential oil every FOURTH service. I don't know anybody who changes it anywhere near that often.

[@vanlifebiker]

@@FloridaVanMan My original owners manual calls for every 120,000 but I am questioning something else. I have a Dodge Sprinter 2006 model & have went round & round with what to top off my power steering fluid with but that's another story. As for the gear oil I went to Dodge to get the oil I should use & they told me the computer said any full synthetic gear oil would be fine as long as it was 75-140 weight. I watched your video to get torque specs planning to change tomorrow. Now I'm confused again as I was & still questioning the power steering situation. The manual does say MB-235 as you say in this video but it says 90 weight. These Sprinters are a nightmare on getting the correct fluids figured out I'm seeing. As far as the steering fluid I guess MB used a power steering fluid but Dodge used a Hydraulic Fluid & to top that off they are not making it any longer. I did find a dealer in California which has 9 bottles left but they are 5 hours away & won't mail it. Lol I can't win with the fluids on this rig & all I want to do it change out all the fluids but I'm scared I'm going to make things worse. Seems a guy can't even get straight answers from the dealer even. It's crazy.

[@FloridaVanMan]

@@vanlifebiker I feel that pain and 15 years of feeling it is exactly why I do what I do now. We find various manuals contradict each other and some details in print are definitely Wrong. We also find dealerships* are very susceptible to human opinions, hence no "reliable authority" to rely on with any questions. FloridaVanMan is a collection of knowledge gathered from the experts who we trust, so we may get it wrong too, occasionally. That said... I use MB power steering fluid in my vans. Many folks use Valvoline Maxlife transmission oil for power steering fluid and I've read much to say it meets the spec. I've never found a story suggesting it was bad. For the differential fluid we discovered the men I admire as the top two T1N experts in America suggested the same oil, so we went for that with no other research.

[@vanlifebiker]

@@FloridaVanMan No Reliable Authority is spot on & I think it's alot to do with different manufacturers being involved in a foriegn vehicle as I stated above with them using different fluids in the same vehicles just because they were different branded. I'd like to leave a bit of my journey just for FYI so everyone can see who has the Dodge version. Bought mine over 2 years ago & documented my entire build on my channel to share it with others. It is said to originally be purchased by a Electrical Contractor & crazy enough I'm a Electrician. It was then sold to a Mechanic who used it to tow his race car to the track on weekends & he sold it to a younger guy who only owned it a couple years that I purchased it from & the Car Fax says exactly that. I'm pretty much done with the build & ready to go on my journey so I want to change all the fluids & this is where the headaches started. The multiple manuals in glove box are all in a factory type folder I will call it & all seem original but I will say the covers say Sprinter & not Dodge so that brings more questions. The PS Fluid states to use Mobil ATF-D or Exxon Mobil Corporation or equivalent. I could only find Mobil ATF-D/M so I called Mobil & talked to a Engineer who stated it was ok to use. I then researched that Dodge used a Hydraulic Fluid in the vans with the Dodge badge. That Fluid is 5127381 AA per Dodge & once it's gone it's gone per Dodge. Research has also told me other fluids are ok to use meeting specs but do not mix which brings more headaches. As far as gear oil the manual states Shell Spirex MB 90 or Mopars #05136033 AA which meet the MB Sheet 235.0 if you can find them once again. To add salt to injury Dodge told me any Fully Synthetic gear oil is fine to use 75-140 weight & now I find this video stating a different fluid but it does meet the MB Sheet 235.0 standards. This brings up more questions of course but I have to believe myself that with all this different information from different manufacturers & all the years of different fluids since 2006 that are better adds to the confusion. I personally think I'm going to go with the 75-140 Fully Synthetic mainly because I already purchased it & watch my mileage & listen for any strange noises. As for the Hydraulic Fluid I did find a Dodge dealer that still has some so I'm going to buy it all & pray for the best for now. Worse case I guess a person could drain the entire system & refill with what they think is right. It makes me wonder how far these bulletproof vans would truly go if we had a Reliable Authority because many go a million miles without. 😎👍

[@Dimakool]

Do you by any chance know what fluid goes in the 3500 t1n?

[@FloridaVanMan]

There is a link in video description or here: www.millionmilesprinter.com/product-page/fuchs-supergear-rear-differential-fluid-1-liter

[@go5582]

Hi. I love your turtle. ❤😂

[@megadeal]

Nice!

[@go5582]

Hi handsome. 😂 Pumpkin.

[@redpig1120]

The fluid looks new…

[@daveydave9884]

Ha! Guy in ft pierce. What a joke. When I got my first T1N I had an issue with fuel pressure code and Eric wanted to charge me 500 to scan and diagnose

[@FloridaVanMan]

Be careful around him. He is known to charge $10,000 for an engine then NOT even swap engines, just do minor repairs. He is currently out on bail bond for battery of an officer. Battery on a firefighter was dropped. Nice guy!!!

[@mannyst1nvan]

That pumpkin 🎃 is ripe! She’s a leaker!!!!!!

[@FloridaVanMan]

Yep, service was way overdue and I'd been promising this video for more than a year. 'bout time we gott'er done!