Why can't I just have a normal oil leak?

[Broncobowsher]

My 9" is leaking again. But for some reason I don't have the normal leaks. I saw drips of oil on the ground under the rear end while I was starting to install the new OX joints up front. So I went to the back and looked. I figured that I got a little sand in the pinion seal or something like that. The front side of the diff was dry. Then I figured it was the third member gasket, nope that was dry.

Found the oil leaking on the back of the passenger side where the back cover is welded to the banjos. I just got through fixing a cracked weld on the drivers side in front of the axle. Those were cracks of there own, the hole I ripped in the passenger side axle with my first generation torque arm is still patched and not leaking.

I may have to break down and get a new housing. Not sure how many more times I can keep patching this one back together. Why can't I just have a normal oil leak from a seal or a gasket?

 

[ltatro]

Your to good at fixing the easy ones, if there is such a thing!!

 

[Broncobowsher]

If I was good at fixing normal leaks, the D20 would quit pissing mobil 1 on the floor and I would get the intake to seal one of these days.

 

[BwoncoHowie]

It's that awsome torque and horsepower coming from your engine. You should just trade your engine to me for my '73 gutless factory 302 2v. ;D Then you won't break anything else.


Could the banjo housing be flexing in places where it shouldn't?
Perhaps a strategicly mounted truss could add some rigidity to the vulnerable areas. If the housing is still straight, I would opt for fixing the crack then reinforce the housing.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I suspect that engine power and driver input are contributing to the fatiging of the housing.

I have seen other 9" housings leak from cracks, I can think of 2 others. One of those was my first bronco 10 years ago. The current one has had a very hard life before I ever got it. I found stress cracks all over this truck. When I rebuilt the axles a couple years back I found the dana 30 with all the teeth ripped off had a date code of 1976. The rear end was swapped from a posi to an open diff after it bad failed (I just though the clutches were shot). Now it has 31 spline big bearing axles in a 4.88 geared detroit.

Is this housing stress more then designed? I am sure of it. Maybe that is why they did the big banjo in '77?

As soon as I pick up another case of brake wash, I will clean the gunk off the back and weld it up.