My New (Used) 2001 Jeep Cherokee Part V

Today it was time to replace the differential oil. Though it’s obvious that the previous owners of my new (used) 2001 Jeep Cherokee took good care of it, it doesn’t hurt to replace all fluids just in case. Also, there was evidence of fluid leakage around the differential’s cover plate.

I first headed to O’Reilly Auto Parts to buy two quarts of gear oil and a tube of Heat Resistant RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanization) silicone to seal the cover plate. O’Reilly Auto Parts have treated me well for many years so I just don’t go anywhere else, unless they don’t have what I need of course. I then drove back home and parked my Jeep on the driveway. I laid two large garbage bags and newspaper under the truck to protect the driveway from any spills and a container to catch the oil. I didn’t jack up the jeep as there was plenty of clearance underneath, but using jacks may make the task easier.

The differential cover plate on my Jeep does not have a drain plug to drain the oil. The two alternatives are to use a suction pump to remove the oil through the filler hole or to remove the cover plate. Even if there’s no leakage around the cover, I recommend removing the cover plate; it’s the perfect time to inspect the gears and make sure the differential is in good working order. In my case, the only option was to remove the cover due to the fluid leakage.

I first loosen and removed all the bolts, except for one each on the upper part to hold the cover loosely attached while it drained. Using a flat tip screwdriver, I carefully pried the cover loose, allowing the oil to drain into the container. After the oil had drained, I removed the cover by removing the upper bolt.

I inspected the gears, looking for metal particles and/or missing gear teeth; to my relief everything looked just fine. Using a clean rag, I wiped all remaining fluid from inside the differential and the cover plate. With the aid of a blade, I remove the old RTV from both mating surfaces and wiped them clean.

After making sure all surfaces were cleaned and dried, I applied the RTV to the cover plate mating surface, installed the cover plate on the differential housing, making sure the bolt holes were aligned correctly and then installed and tighten all the bolts. After waiting for the RTV to cure, I serviced the differential with the gear oil until the oil began to spill out the filler hole. I then reinstalled the filler-hole plug and checked for any evidence of leaks. So far, after driven for a few miles, I haven’t notice any leaks, but must check frequently as slow leaks may not be so obvious to detect.

But for now, I must sit back, relax and think about my next Jeep Cherokee project. See you soon.