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rear differential and transfer case gear lube

129K views 123 replies 35 participants last post by  Tacorav 
#1 · (Edited)
[update: DIY Rear Differential fluid change :
http://www.rav4world.com/forums/99-...ial-transfer-case-gear-lube-3.html#post921323
http://www.rav4world.com/forums/99-...ial-transfer-case-gear-lube-2.html#post921106
]
[
Update: DIY Transfer Case fluid change:
http://www.rav4world.com/forums/99-4-3-mechanical/90542-rear-differential-transfer-case-gear-lube-3.html#post921385
]

[update: new pump
May be this pump would work better i.e. less messy, less waste:http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Filters/Mini-Fuel-Transfer-Pump/8466443.p
]
Dealer is quoting me about $105 + tax for this service.
Seems a bit steep given that the gear lube costs less than $10. I need just a liter for this job. I really think the fluid is fine but just doing the maintenance to keep warranty.

Would you use Canadian Tire brand Motomaster brand of 80w90 fluid ($7 a litre) ? I want to use AMSoil but seems to be a rarity in Ottawa.
I am waiting for an AMSOil dealer to get back to me. The Toyota dealers do not sell this gear lube by the quart/gallon since they buy it in bulk.

Would you recommend that I do the job myself. I have changed engine oil , coolant and tranmission fluid before on my Mazda6, just to give you an idea of my skill level.
 
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#81 ·
Good information.....I was just under my Rav changing the tranny fluid a few days ago and saw a drain bolt which I now know is my transfer case gear box. I've never changed that fluid yet and I've got 105,000 kms so I guess I'm due! :)


Since my rear diff was replaced already, I should be good for fluid there but the front will get done soon.
I'll post a few pics of the wooden ramps I made for oil undercoating when I do the job. Very easy to work underneath it when using them.
 
#82 ·
Changed the front and rear diff fluid today. I used motomaster synthetic gear case oil 75w90.
The front fill hole was easy to access with an allen key and the fluid wasn't too bad looking after draining. The magnet was full though with black crap. Glad I got in there.
The rear fill hole was a bi!ch to get at! I had to remove the two bolts where the muffler and tail pipe are connected to move the tail pipe out of the way. They came off easy.
It seemed the rear diff took more fluid than the front. Either way , I filled them until fluid started to come out the fill hole.
I added a few pics of my wooden ramps I made. I used rough 2x10 lumber and re-enforced them underneath. They are lots strong, I think I could drive a school bus on these! :)
 

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#83 ·
Getting ready to do this job this weekend. Got a 5 litre jug of Motomaster 80W90 conventional gear oil (made by Shell Canada). Going to have to look into finding a decent pump. Would a turkey baster work to fill the cases?
 
#84 ·
Five litres...you do know the rear diff and transfer case only take about 1/2 litre each, right?

As for turkey baster, you are in for a real mess if you try it. The angle of the dangle is limited, lol. It's worth it to invest <$10 in a little fluid pump like this one, pretty common at auto parts stores:
 
#89 ·
Done. Although that was an easy task, a couple of observations:

1. My RAV has very low mileage (13,200 kms), but the rear diff fluid was dark grey and gross. Lots of gunk on the metallic plug. As others have noted, the front fluid was less dirty.

2. I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but gear oil smells disgusting. Whether it's the used oil or the fresh stuff, plug your nose. It actually made me a little sick to my stomach.
 
#92 ·
Just wondering since most people seem to just pump in fluid till it starts flowing out, how much are they really putting in?This is how I was shown years ago.I drained and measured mine and it came out to exactly .5qts per the maual so that is what I put in.None really flowed out when I removed the fill hose.thanks
 
#93 ·
The service manual says the spec is 0 to 5mm from the lip of the fill plug, when checked with vehicle level. I used slightly more than .5-quart measured, and then a little bit drained out when I leveled the car. Could have tried to hit exactly .5-quart on the refill, but with some in the hose and pump, hard to get it exact--easier just to fill and let drain to hit the 0-mm end of the spec.
 
#94 ·
just wanted to add, I had no problems with the hex bolts here!
 
#96 ·
#97 ·
With so many different type if gear oils, it gets rather confusing. Some uyse Valvoline, Mobil 1, Royal Purple, etc....I'm still trying to decide which would best fit my application.
My rav4 get about 5k yr, standard driving. No towing.. But the diff and transfer oil has never been changed out. It now sat at 50,000 miles. I would like to replace it, to know it was done..
Being in Indiana, we get all kind of weathers.

So what would be a good recommendation of brand to cover all that? Beside oem..
 
#98 ·
just did both of those recently myself - can't go wrong with amsoil or red line. I used amsoil but I prefer red line
 
#102 ·
for the diff or the t-case? anyway I think I bought 3 since they all use the same fluid, and I use it in other cars as well
 
#108 ·
It's been a couple years since I changed the factory-fill rear diff and transfer case oil and I wanted to see the condition of the oil this time around. When I changed it the first time, the rear oil came out black and gross and the front was pretty clean. I loosened the drain plug on the rear case and this time the oil came very clean and still golden in color. Put the plug back in and just topped up what cam out.
No need for a full change and I'm not even checking the front. Obviously, there is a lot of break-in occurring on the factory-fill and it is a good idea to get that oil out asap.
 
#110 ·
I attempted to change the gear oil myself probably in the spring time frame, even had the vehicle on all 4 jack stands, but I couldn't reach/loosen the filler plugs on either one. Fast forward to today, I dropped the vehicle off at a local shop near work, told them to use the Valvoline Synthetic 75W90 gear oil I bought, and picked it up this afternoon after paying only $20. The mechanic said the oil out of the transfer case was definitely nastier than the rear differential. Saved me a lot of hassle.
 
#111 ·
Tips removing Transfer Case Fill Bolt & Rear Differential Fill Bolt



The problem with the transfer case fill bolt is that there is not enough room to fit a regular allen hex socket in due to the way the transfer case housing is sticking out. To get to the fill bolt you need use a allen hex key cut down to 1/2 inch wide to reach that confine work space using also a tube to get some torque to break the bolt loose.

For the rear differential fill bolt there is the problem with the exhaust pipe in the way. You need a 2 inch socket extension to clear over the exhaust pipe. In areas where there is salt used in winter to melt snow the fill bolt hex hole will be rusted so you need to hammer the socket in to clear the hole of rust. If you do not hammer the socket into the fill bolt hole you will surely strip the bolt head. Same with the drain plug which will have even more rust since it is lower to the ground.

Hope this will help others that struggle with this.
 
#113 ·
Hi,
I know this is an old thread but just wanted to thank everyone on the instruction how to replace the transfer case/differential fluid.

just replaced our rear differential, the hardest part I found is removing the filler bolt as there's no space for it :( but as suggested using a 2 inch socket extension really work :D

Will be scheduling the transfer case fluid replacement tomorrow unless the Rear sway link we ordered come in, then that will be the first :D

also planning to replace the front axle left seal and transmission fluid. still debating if I'm going to drop the pan and replace the filter. I talked to the dealership parts and they said that the transmission filter/strainer does not need to be replaced, just drain and fill. I will post a question on the other post (Transmission filter replacement how's the third party compared to the original) :D

Thank you again.
 
#114 ·
Hi,
I know this is an old thread but just wanted to thank everyone on the instruction how to replace the transfer case/differential fluid.

just replaced our rear differential, the hardest part I found is removing the filler bolt as there's no space for it :( but as suggested using a 2 inch socket extension really work :D

Will be scheduling the transfer case fluid replacement tomorrow unless the Rear sway link we ordered come in, then that will be the first :D

also planning to replace the front axle left seal and transmission fluid. still debating if I'm going to drop the pan and replace the filter. I talked to the dealership parts and they said that the transmission filter/strainer does not need to be replaced, just drain and fill. I will post a question on the other post (Transmission filter replacement how's the third party compared to the original) :D

Thank you again.

The filter on the 4 cylinder has a strainer unlike the V6. Don't throw away that filter because it is worth $50 unlike the cheaper price in the US.
Dropping the pan is a lot of work but there should be caution if you are doing this. The pan bolts have fine threads and can snap easily. You should not use any power tools removing or installing the pan bolts. A nut driver should be used to ensure you do not over torque these bolts. I used a lot of penetrating oil when removing the pan bolts very slowly. Also blue thread locker should be used. I had to torque them tighter the next day. I am not sure if it is worth dropping the pan on a 4 cylinder but on my V6 there was not that much crud. Maybe because it was because I had low mileage.
 
#115 ·
Thanks for the feedback. Leaning to just do a drain and fill. Saw the post on removing the rest of dirty transmission fluid via the return hose. Thinking of doing that with just drain and fill without opening. At least able to replace most of the dirty fluid.

Still debating if I'm going to tackle the axle seal or just have someone do it. Haha.

Thanks again.
 
#116 ·
Thanks for the feedback. Leaning to just do a drain and fill. Saw the post on removing the rest of dirty transmission fluid via the return hose. Thinking of doing that with just drain and fill without opening. At least able to replace most of the dirty fluid.

Still debating if I'm going to tackle the axle seal or just have someone do it. Haha.

Thanks again.

I did the return line flush. If you have low mileage from the last transmission oil change and the oil is not burnt I say this is a great way to go. The oil will come out like brand new and stay clean for a very long time.
 
#119 ·
Just finished the transfer case Fluid replacement, the fluid is not as bad as the rear differential. The rear differential is more dark brown to blackish :D the transfer case fluid is more on the light to dark brown.

We are about to do the rear sway link as we received the parts from Amazon. When we opened the package, there's only one hahah :D Amazon separated the order and ship one that is already available :) will wait for the other one to do it at the same time.

for the transmission oi, it's more dark brown to black already. You don't even notice the reddish or brownish pink anymore :D so it's really time to replace it. We removed the plastic cover on the front so I can have more visibility on the leak. it seems to be leaking for some time and we just didn't notice it until we have the stain on the garage floor as the oil I'm assuming saturated the plastic cover and dripped :(. Sprayed the Transaxle with Brake cleaner to clean up the dirt and will monitor where the link is coming from after driving it for a while. Hopefully the dealership diagnostic is correct that the leak is coming from the Axle LH as you can't even see where it's coming from because of all the dirt and grime hahaha :D

So we are good for another 50K to 100K for the transfer Case and Differential Fluids.

Wish us luck..
 
#120 ·
I know this is an old thread, but like me there is always somebody new doing the rear axle, and transfer case drain/refill. So here's my take as of 9/11/2019: I went with the Toyota recommended 80-90 conventional gear oil. I used Valvoline 1qt. container, and an Atwood gear oil pump from Walmart. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Attwood-Gear-Lube-Pump/16351021 which worked perfectly, and only cost $4.87. The only issue with it is the pick-up tube does not reach all the way to the bottom of the gear oil bottle. I fixed that issue by getting a piece of vinyl tubing that fits the outside of the pump where the supplied pick-up tube goes. This allowed me to reach all the way to the bottom of the bottle. This little pump even has a cap that screws onto the output end fitting which helps keep oil from leaking out of the tubing when you done pumping.

I didn't have any problem removing any of the 4 plugs. I used a 3/8" drive 10mm hex socket on a 3/8" ratchet with a 2ft cheater pipe over the ratchet handle to break the plugs free. I was able to use the socket on the 3/8"ratchet on the one plug that is has a tight clearance where others needed to use a cut off hex wrench. Even my 3/8" torque wrench fit the tight spot. I bought new crush washers for all the plugs from a Toyota dealer. I highly recommend replacing the crush washers with new ones even though you may be able to reuse the old ones. They were $1.64ea. Cheap insurance IMO. Part # 12157-10010. All 4 plugs use the same crush washer.

In conclusion: This job turned out to be easier than I originally thought. I was lucky enough to have the use of a friends vehicle hoist which makes this job much easier than using jack stands and "flatbacking" the wrenching. I was able to do both fills with one qt. of oil although I bought two in case I spilled some which is probably a good idea as you never know. If you don't have a 3/8" dr. 10 mm hex socket, Home Depot has a cheap one. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-8-in-Drive-10-mm-Hex-Bit-Socket-H3DHBS10MM/202913545

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#121 ·
I know this is an old thread, but like me there is always somebody new doing the rear axle, and transfer case drain/refill. So here's my take as of 9/11/2019: I went with the Toyota recommended 80-90 conventional gear oil. I used Valvoline 1qt. container, and an Atwood gear oil pump from Walmart. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Attwood-Gear-Lube-Pump/16351021 which worked perfectly, and only cost $4.87. The only issue with it is the pick-up tube does not reach all the way to the bottom of the gear oil bottle. I fixed that issue by getting a piece of vinyl tubing that fits the outside of the pump where the supplied pick-up tube goes. This allowed me to reach all the way to the bottom of the bottle. This little pump even has a cap that screws onto the output end fitting which helps keep oil from leaking out of the tubing when you done pumping.

I didn't have any problem removing any of the 4 plugs. I used a 3/8" drive 10mm hex socket on a 3/8" ratchet with a 2ft cheater pipe over the ratchet handle to break the plugs free. I was able to use the socket on the 3/8"ratchet on the one plug that is has a tight clearance where others needed to use a cut off hex wrench. Even my 3/8" torque wrench fit the tight spot. I bought new crush washers for all the plugs from a Toyota dealer. I highly recommend replacing the crush washers with new ones even though you may be able to reuse the old ones. They were $1.64ea. Cheap insurance IMO. Part # 12157-10010. All 4 plugs use the same crush washer.

In conclusion: This job turned out to be easier than I originally thought. I was lucky enough to have the use of a friends vehicle hoist which makes this job much easier than using jack stands and "flatbacking" the wrenching. I was able to do both fills with one qt. of oil although I bought two in case I spilled some which is probably a good idea as you never know. If you don't have a 3/8" dr. 10 mm hex socket, Home Depot has a cheap one. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-8-in-Drive-10-mm-Hex-Bit-Socket-H3DHBS10MM/202913545

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One thing that is very important is not to over fill. You must check the fluid level on a level surface and not when the vehicle is on jack stands or ramps. Over filling will cause the seal to leak.
 
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