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My 1970 was low in differential fluid and I filled it up the other day. Now I have noticed that I have a leak appearing on the floor. It is not coming from the differential fill plug but is closer to the front of the car. it is dripping from the area where the main drive shaft u-joints are. It smells like differential fluid. Don't know if it is related to me filling it up or not. It was low when I filled it up. ANy ideas? Thanks
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Re: C3 Transmission leak
Don-----
If, by the front of the car, you mean forward of the location of the filler plug, but still, generally, below the differential "snout" area, then it's pretty sure that the leak is being caused by a worn pinion seal. This is the most common leak point on a Corvette differential.
This seal can be difficultand a bit tricky to replace. First of all, the pinion nut has to be removed and this can be a "bear", especially with the differential installed in the car. Always mark the position of the nut relative to the pinion flange prior to removal and count the threads exposed prior to removal.
After getting the nut off, removal of the pinion flange is relatively easy. Seal replacement is also relatively easy; just pry out the old seal and tap in the new, seating the flange on the snout of the housing.
For re-installation, things get a bit tricky. You need to torque the nut so that as many threads as were originally exposed, continue to be exposed. Then, torque the nut further so that the nut is just a little bit tighter than its original, marked position (i.e. rotate the nut clockwise until it's just past the point of alignment of the marks).
By the way, if the differential was low when you filled it up, it MUST be leaking. The fluid does not get "used up" or depleted due to operation of the vehicle. Without a leak of some sort, there should be, essentially, as much fluid in there now as they installed at the factory.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: C3 Transmission leak
Don; Don't forget to put some sealant on the spline and under the nut and washer for the pinion flange. I use permatex #2 right here because the oil will leak out from under the washer or nut. DavidComment
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Re: C3 Transmission leak
I did mine with the differential in the car. I used a large ajustable wrench to hold the yoke and broke the nut loose with a 3/4 drive breaker bar. Retorque like Joe said, mine seals perfectly nowComment
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