Differential Fill Plug Where Is It?

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Fox1809

Fox1809

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I recently purchased a 1976 Dart Sport with a 318 and 4 speed manual transmission. Differential is leaking fluid on passenger side where the axle tube enters the differential. Will try to stop leak with JB Weld SteelStick epoxy putty. Need to refill differential but I don't see any fill plug on the diff cover. There is not much space between diff cover and gas tank. Felt top of diff cover and there does not seem to be a fill plug on the diff cover??
 
Thats not the rear he has if the leak is where the 'axle tubes enter the diff '....he has an 8.25. Does yours have this plug under all the grime?

axle_chrysler_825_2.jpg
 
IIRC the 8.25 has no filler on the carrier itself. Its on the rear cover.
0302.jpg
 
Fox1809 said:
I recently purchased a 1976 Dart Sport with a 318 and 4 speed manual transmission. Differential is leaking fluid on passenger side where the axle tube enters the differential. Will try to stop leak with JB Weld SteelStick epoxy putty. Need to refill differential but I don't see any fill plug on the diff cover. There is not much space between diff cover and gas tank. Felt top of diff cover and there does not seem to be a fill plug on the diff cover??
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I doubt you will get the leak stopped with JB Weld. Are you sure that's where the leak is from? If so, it may have twisted the tube in the housing. About the only real fix will be welding the tubes into the housing.
 
Thank you Dodge71Demon and Pishta for the picture and diagram. My Dart does have a 8.25 like the diagram, but there is NO plug on the cover. What year 8.25 diagram is that? I looked again and there is a round steel plug on the passenger side of the carrier. Cannot put a wrench on it like the picture. There is a square hole in the center of the plug. Looks like a 1/2" drive socket wrench would fit into the hole. If I could take a picture and figure out how to upload picture to a Chrome Book I would.
 
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Have not tried the JB weld yet. If JB Weld does not stop leak, can tube be welded to housing from under the car with everything in place, or does the whole assembly have to be taken out of the car? I am sure the leak is coming from where the axle tube goes in to the housing on the passenger side because I have a drip pan under the car and I have been under the car a few times looking at where the oil drips are coming from.
 
Fox1809 said:
Thank you Dodge71Demon and Pishta for the picture and diagram. My Dart does have a 8.25 like the diagram, but there is NO plug on the cover. What year 8.25 diagram is that? I looked again and there is a round steel plug on the passenger side of the carrier. Cannot put a wrench on it like the picture. There is a square hole in the center of the plug. Looks like a 1/2" drive socket wrench would fit into the hole. If I could take a picture and figure out how to upload picture to a Chrome Book I would.
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Somebody probably put a pipe plug in the (square hole). Be very careful breaking it loose, get a square tool that fits tight in the hole or you'll round it out.

treblig
 
Fox1809 said:
Have not tried the JB weld yet. If JB Weld does not stop leak, can tube be welded to housing from under the car with everything in place, or does the whole assembly have to be taken out of the car? I am sure the leak is coming from where the axle tube goes in to the housing on the passenger side because I have a drip pan under the car and I have been under the car a few times looking at where the oil drips are coming from.
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That plug you described is the fill plug and yes use a ratchet or breaker bar to loosen it.clean it out first so the ratchet gets a good bite on the square hole
 
There have been a few of those "square hole" plugs that were so stuck I had to put my wrench on there then use a long pry bar to put enough pressure on the head of the wrench to keep it from pushing its' way out of the hole making the hole round. Couldn't push hard enough with my hands while I tried to turn the wrench.
Treblig
 
Fox1809 said:
Have not tried the JB weld yet. If JB Weld does not stop leak, can tube be welded to housing from under the car with everything in place, or does the whole assembly have to be taken out of the car? I am sure the leak is coming from where the axle tube goes in to the housing on the passenger side because I have a drip pan under the car and I have been under the car a few times looking at where the oil drips are coming from.
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You can. But you have to get the joint as clean as possible. And weld very carefully to not pull anything out of line.

On any axles that have pressed in tubes I always weld the tubes before I shortened the housings. I've never seen a tube turn in a car like yours. Meaning, the worst offenders of turning tubes in the housing were ladder bar cars.
 
You'll be alright. Just be sure your breaker bar preferably, or ratchet are in the hole all the way. I say breaker bar because you can tap it with a hammer and not do damage like you might to a ratchet.
 
Fox1809 said:
Now I am worried about getting the fill plug out without rounding the square hole.
I looked on Home Depot website and they have plugs without a hole that a wrench will fit onto. Will replace the square hole plug with one of these:
www.homedepot.com/s/pipe%2520plug?NCNI-5
What do you think?
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If you have a long pry bar to can wedge it up under the body somewhere and have someone push against the head of the wrench directly over the plug. A small piece of wood (1 X 4) between the pry bar and the wrench head makes it easier. Sometimes they come right off but when they don't you have to be careful not to make things worse. I've never messed one up using the pry bar method as long as the the wrench square fit nice and snug. The few I did round out (before I learned) I saved by grinding a larger square down until it basically wedged itself into the rounded hole (using a hammer), then lots of pressure and BINGO!!! Treblig
 
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