Drain plug?

[Carlos Murphy]

Is there a drain plug in a 9" Ford diff.?

 

[HOT40ROD]

there is no drain plug in a Ford 9 inch rear. To drain the oil you will have to split the center section from the housing.

You will need to pull the axles. Unbolt the center section and remove the copper washers, which can be a pain. Break the center section loose from the housing and let it drain.

You should remove the center section sow you can get the oil rast of the oil out that is behind the flange.

 

[donsrods]

Hot40 is right, I think the reasoning was that occasionally they want you to pull the center section off and the axles to inspect stuff. Plus, no one ever changes gear lube in a rear axle, at least not most people. For some reason rear ends just keep running and running with very little if any maintenance.

Now, if you are talking about the FILL plug, Ford made two rear axle housings. One had a fill plug on the back and one did not. If you have the one with no fill plug you MUST use a center section (pumpkin, hogs head, whatever you like to call em ) that has a fill plug in the side of it. More than once someone has used a housing with no fill plug and a center section with no fill plug and after it is bolted together they discover there is no way to put gear lube in the housing. Some have resorted to putting the gear lube in through the vent hole, but there is no way to know if you have the correct amount in because you generally fill them up until the lube starts running back out of the threaded hole.

Last week I ordered a new center section for the 9 inch rear in my 27 and I was sure to tell him I needed the one with the fill plug in it. I also asked the guy who is building it for me what is the best gear lube to use, and he said simply to get regular 80-90 wt gear lube like Valvoline, etc. I am getting a limited slip unit, so he said to use the Ford additive he is sending with the new unit.

Don

 

[Bonehead]

Now, if you are talking about the FILL plug, Ford made two rear axle housings. One had a fill plug on the back and one did not. If you have the one with no fill plug you MUST use a center section (pumpkin, hogs head, whatever you like to call em ) that has a fill plug in the side of it. More than once someone has used a housing with no fill plug and a center section with no fill plug and after it is bolted together they discover there is no way to put gear lube in the housing.
Don

I did that jacked it up and poured down the axle tube. One of these days, I'll take it all apart and weld in a plug. Felt pretty dumb when I did that.

 

[donsrods]

Uh, how do you think I know about that little mistake Bonehead?

Don

 

[Gastrick]

If you have it all apart, put a drain plug in it. I have one on the nine inch in my Anglia. You can see it here if you look close.

 

[Carlos Murphy]

Plug

Nice hardware.

Why can't I just install a plug with it together in the car?
Any chips that got inside could be flushed with fresh oil before installing the plug.
The only thing I would need to know is the exact location of the ring gear in conjunction with the location of the hole to be drilled.
Alternative? Drive my truck to heat the oil and suck it out through the fill plug.

 

[Gastrick]

Well, I said "apart" mostly because of the welded bung that is in mine. It would be hard to keep oil residue from seeping into the weld and there is a fire hazard.

 

[Gearhead10]

Whenever I build and jig a housing I weld a 3/4 bung in the bottom rear of the housing. Then I get a plug with a magnet in the end of it and install. I usually weld a fill plug in too if a don't have one.

 

[Carlos Murphy]

bung

Is a bung really necessary? Is the diff housing not thick enough in that area to support a plug properly?

 

[Gastrick]

No, the housing is not thick enough in that area to thread for a plug Carlos. It's no where near as thick as the axle tubes are.

 

[Carlos Murphy]

Sucking...

Well that sucks!
I'm not about to disconnect the drive shaft and brake open the center chunk just to change the freek'n oil...

I have a manual sucker, works like a calking gun but in reverse, I'll give that a try until I decide weather or not to install a posi, then I'll do a bung.

Thanks for the info.
Chuck
(Carlos Murphy)

 

[Carlos Murphy]

Diff oil change

Installed my new Gasser Pie Crust cheaters this A.M., went cruzin fer a bit when I drove buy the local Jiffy Lube...

I membered their TV ad where they said they service boats too...

I rolled in and asked if they could suck my diff? "SURE" they said sooo since I just bought the truck 2 weeks ago and not knowing how long its been since anything was serviced I had them do ALL the fluids.

This sure beats the hell out of pulling the center chunk of my 9" just to change oil like someone sajested.