Rear End Maintenance

[pontiacgp]

I see a fair number of posts where people are wondering what gears they have or if they have posi. Rear ends take oil to run just like your engine. You wouldn't think of letting your engine run old oil so why is the rear end any different. The oil in the rear end can use up hp and fuel milage and the lack of oil can cause it to fail. If you don't know what is in the rear end then you don't know what the oil is like or even if it's at operating level. Who knows if the oil in the rear has ever been changed. You might want to change your rear end one day and it's always nicer doing it when you want to, not when you have to...It's easy to remove the cover to check what's inside and fill it up with new oil.

 

[marcar1993]

^Agreed. I have changed the fluid in mine before. Now I know its full and clean.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Changing ALL the fluids is on my "To Do" list this summer.
BTW,this is excellent advice.
Guy

 

[Bowiemontecarlo86]

yea i gotta get back there and change out my fluid . Sucks working on the concrete to do it tho.

A little video that might help some of you that dont know how to do it .
http://youtu.be/xrAZia3jmyA

 

[GuysMonteSS]

I got this part scratched off of my "To Do" list,all fluids changed except the brake fluid,and that was done 2 years ago.
Fresh 80W-90 GL5 with a bottle of Ford Anti Slip Additive

New GM SynchroMesh transmission fluid

Fresh Prestone

Power steering got changed also,as well as a new fuel filter

Guy

 

[mobileaudio25]

Very clean underneath guy....

 

[1980PontiacWagon]

I got this part scratched off of my "To Do" list,all fluids changed except the brake fluid,and that was done 2 years ago.
Fresh 80W-90 GL5 with a bottle of Ford Anti Slip Additive

Guy

Guy...few questions
1. do you have a drain plug on your rear? And if not whats the easiest way to get old fluid out, i need to change mine
2. what rear sway bar is that? And do you have any other pictures?

Thanks
1980PontiacWagon

 

[GuysMonteSS]

Theres no drain plug,I used a vacuum fluid drainer that my buddy has at the shop,here;

He adapts it down to a small size hose and it goes in through the fill plug;

It's a PITA to get in,I had to turn the wheel a little bit at a time until it went in all the way.
I dont know who made the sway bar,it was on the car when I bought it,and was likely put on in the late eighties,and it was probably made for an "A" Body Chevelle.
Guy

 

[1980PontiacWagon]

Thanks for the photos...that looks like a nifty little device, i should get one.
And thanks for the info on the sway bar...I need a new sway bar that is more designed for a 9 inch...and not bolted to the lower control arms.

 

[mkube396]

1 thing i will add!!! make shure you can get the fill plug out befor taking the cover off!