Pinpointing if Dana 30 leaking from weld or cover

patdugan · Jan 12, 2024

Hi!
I recently replaced the gear oil in the Dana 30 on my TJ. While doing so I reused the Lube Locker gasket I had previously installed and replaced the original differential cover with an aftermarket Spicer branded one.

I noticed after a few days of driving that the differential had a slow leak. I assumed it was because I re-used the gasket instead of replacing it, but then I noticed there appeared to be oil pooling in the circular cut out on the passenger side of the axle directly next to the cover. Any ideas how that might be happening? Possibly just a leak higher up on the cover thats working its way down?

Thanks!
Pat

patdugan · Jan 12, 2024

Looking a bit closer, there appears to be a tiny hole in the weld directly above where the oil is pooling?

macleanflood · Jan 12, 2024

Lube locker gaskets are supposed to be reusable.

Clean off the weld with brake cleaner and see if it returns. Hard to imagine how fluid would leak there...that tube goes into the center housing. But liquids do strange things.

Wonder if the diff cover was warped or the lube locker damaged.

-Mac

patdugan · Jan 12, 2024

macleanflood said:
Lube locker gaskets are supposed to be reusable.

Clean off the weld with brake cleaner and see if it returns. Hard to imagine how fluid would leak there...that tube goes into the center housing. But liquids do strange things.

Wonder if the diff cover was warped or the lube locker damaged.

-Mac

I'll definitely start by cleaning off and monitoring.

At the same time as servicing the differential I also replaced the front lower control arms, which I did by jacking up the front axle by the tube and then supporting each end of the tube with jack stands. I wonder if its possible that hole opened up in the weld while I had the axle tube elevated with the jack?

macleanflood · Jan 12, 2024

Highly improbable but not impossible.

As the old saying goes, if you hear hooves think horses, not zebras.

Much more inclined to blame the gasket or diff cover.

Heck for all we know it's not leaking at all and you just sprayed oil everywhere...I've made some epic messes over the years.

Interesting weld... that's essentially where the factory crimp is to hold the tubes in place. Typically if you want to prevent the tubes rotating you weld around the tube... filling that hole with weld... unless it was ground or drilled out somehow...accomplishes nothing.

Not that I have anything I can say about useless welding...I put a full truss and sleeved my Dana 30. Just because I can.

-Mac

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Pinpointing if Dana 30 leaking from weld or cover

patdugan

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macleanflood

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patdugan

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macleanflood

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