On my 04 F-150 Heritage the rear end keeps leaking. I have taken it to the deal three times already, and they have not fixed the problem yet. It leaks form the casting holes that are on each side of the cover plate. And it looks like it is leaking form the plate also.

What should I do? I have taken it to the same dealership for all the repairs. Could the casting on the rear housing be bad causing it to leak so much? I’m running out of miles I’m at 29, xxx miles, I want this thing fixed right.
thanks

It has leaked since I brought the truck, I think that the rear houseing is not made right. It could have been a rejected part that Ford just slap on it. My hood was made in 2002. Should I go back to the same dealer or go to a new one. The last time I took it in they slapped some type of metal epoxy all over it, mainly where the tubes go into the rear end and the casting holes. But some how the oil is leaking out. I look under my truck when I was cleaning it, and found that dirt was sticking to the houseing. I wiped it and found that it was oil. I clean it all off, and I'm going to driving it and and look for oil.

 

It's possible that the oils is coming through the casting. Those are weld plugs, and it's possible that the material is bad in the area. Your dealer's fix obviously didn't work, and if they're a quality shop, they should be replacing the axle now. They tried the band-aid, now it's time for the transplant, IMHO.

Good luck!

-Joe

 

Heh...pull out the drain plug, let all the gear oil out and close it back up. Drive it hard 'till the rear end blows up. Just make sure you kill it before 36000 miles...

Just a thought,
Mike

 

2nd that motion... make them sob's pay

 

Well, a leaking rear diff isn't that big of a deal, as long as you keep the fluids topped off. If you end up not wanting to deal with dealerships though, it's very easy to change your own diff fluid. Undo the bolts, catch the oil, take off the gasket, make a new one, add fluid, and that's it. It's nothing a little more RTV won't take care of

 

Won't fix the leak through the plug welds that hold the tubes into the housing though...

IMHO, the bottom line is that it's a warrantable issue, clearly a manufacturer's defect, and it hasn't been properly repaired. Furthermore, the attempted repair yielded sub-standard workmanship in that the diff cover seal is now leaking. The dealership should stand behind both their shoddy workmanship (the diff cover) and the failed attempt to repair the original problem (leaky welds). Whether it's on their own tab or Ford's warranty, he (the owner) should not have to do a thing.

-Joe

 

Just for the record, if you've had it in for the same problem I would think the warranty period should run longer than the 36 k.

 

put the cover on a flat surface, see if it bent anywhere

 

You need to be sure it's actually leaking. When you pull the cover, that s^^t gets all over the place, it spreads, and it doesn't wash or wear off. Unless you clean everything VERY WELL after you put the cover back on, it will ALWAYS look like it's leaking.

Unless you are seeing it drip off of it, or you are finding spots where you park, give it a THOROUGH cleaning with brake or carb cleaner, and drive it for a while checking to see if it leaks. It may not be leaking at all but still look wet from the last time the cover was off.

 

If the dealer slapped JB weld or whatever over the area in question then this is not an acceptable fix. Take it to another dealer. If they won't help then call the hotline and complain. It almost sounds like casting porosity to me. Sometimes during the casting process core sand will get into the metal cast portion of the part being cast be it Block,cyl head, rear pig. whatever. The sand can then eventually deteriorate and allow a passage through the component and allow fluid to leak out. I am only guessing on your problem. However if the dealer will not fix it and is just jerking you around do not accept their incompetance. Move on to another and COMPLAIN. By law you have rights to acceptable repair. You may take the advice of the fellow that suggested you clean the area real well first. He is right that rear end dope is messy and will stay on parts for a long time and appear to be leaking. Good luck

 

I have the Ford factory (Helms) manual for my 99. Believe it or not, the procedure for fixing this type of leak is to use some kind of epoxy putty (it calls for a particular Fomoco part number, I don't recall it), and then if it continues to leak, they are to replace the housing.

 

triton is correct. my cover has oil on it from the previous owner changing the fluid.looks like a leak but its not. that oil will stay there for years unless you scrub it off with carb/ brake cleaner etc.

 

I agree. Just try to park in the same spot most of the time and look for an oil spot forming. Gear lube is some tough stuff

 

Haha great thread , I got one for yuh - mine started leaking at 170,000- out the center of the diff cover lol. Michigan salt 4 me. Rusted a pin hole dead center. JB-rew WELD and a little grinding sand & paint, I'm golden again.

First time I seen something like that tho..freakin SALT!!..

 

I have a new cover sitting in the garage, along with gear lube and RTV. The cover was only $25 from the dealer. I saw mine was very scaly and I worried about that exact problem. I plan to swap the cover and refill in the spring, (unless the thing starts to leak before that, Brrrr!)

Too many trips to western NY in the winter, and running on the beach in Carolina, I guess.