Capt_Speed

2014 GT, roughly 50k miles.

Just got an oil change, and while the car was on the lift I noticed a small but noticeable amount of residual oil/liquid on/around the front of the rear housing that the back of the drive shaft fits into.


I'm not positive but I believe there is likely a Seal in the housing of which the driveshaft slids into.
So I'm wondering if around the 50k point, if it is common that maybe that seal (that is, if there is a seal) will start to leak? And if so, is this something I should be concerned about?
Is this something that Ford recommends be replaced around the 50k mark?


Like I said, it is not a huge amount of oil/liquid, and its not covering the whole housing, but just enough that it did catch my eye and brought some concern...


Thanks!!

SpectreH

Any chance the differential has leaked some out of the vent? There was a TSB about that.

redonblackpony

Most likely it is the pinion seal. Very common place to leak especially if you are lowered and did not correct the pinion angle. Mine leaks slightly especially when I'm running it very hard and the fluid gets extremely hot. Nothing to worry about if it's just a few drops.

wvtrain

It's probably the Differential Axle Tube Vent, There is a Ford TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) I have a 2013 GT, I took my car to the Dealership and they cleaned all the Differential Fluid off of the Axle Tube, and installed a Revised Vent that eliminates the problem. If your not getting Differential Fluid drops on the concrete floor where you park. It's the Vent!!!!! I hope this helps you!

SilrBult

If the leak is directly behind the rear "U" joint I suspect it's probably the pinion seal. If you see an oil track coming from the driver's side of the rear axle tube then it may well be the vent. The pinion seal can be replaced without a total disassembly of the differential. It's a bit of a tricky procedure since the 8.8 Ford differential uses a crush sleeve to set pinion bearing preload instead of shims. Shims are more tedious to do on initial set up which is why most differentials today use crush sleeves in order to save time in manufacture. Shims however do make servicing pinion yokes and seals easier. Crush sleeves are considered a one time use item, but with special care the seal or yoke can be replaced as previously stated without total disassembly. This should be covered under the factory powertrain warranty. It may be that an improperly operating vent may cause the seal to leak prematurely. I replaced the factory vent on my '14 GT with the set up used with the TSB regarding the production vent. When I removed the original vent there was a noticeable puff of air from the vent hole indicating some degree of pressure build up. I would suggest replacing the vent with the newer design and see if the leaking stops. I would do this even if the seal is replaced. Good luck.

Capt_Speed

Thanks SilrBult.
Is the factory vent replacement also covered under the factory powertrain warranty, or is only the pinion seal covered?

SilrBult

Probably a question of dealer discretion regarding the vent replacement. In any case it's cheap and easy to do. Ask for part # DR3Z*4022*A. My cost at the local Ford dealer was $7.39. Hope this solves the problem.

Queso256

Hey guys i have a 2013 mustang gt and i installed the 1 pc aluminum driveshaft about a month ago, and just curious if anyone else had this problem and what they did to fix it. Ever since i installed the new driveshaft i a cant help but hear so much noise inside my car. I would be fine if it didn't sound so horrible. I can hear every gear and if I'm just driving really slow and wanna shift to a higher gear i can really hear that driveshaft and its not pretty. I love the difference it made but any advice on maybe making this thing quieter?

Bert

vent is about half way out on the axle tube, so no that would not be dripping from the front of the pinion . . . most likely it is a small pinion seal leak like redonblack said

Is your car lowered, and did you check/set the pinion angle?

The one piece aluminum shaft is much more sensitive to pinion angle than the factory boat-anchor two-piece shaft. That's the main reason for the factory shaft design. The installer should have checked the pinion angle, and at least told you if it is out of range. Should be -1 degree IIRC. You will need an adjustable upper control arm to correct it, if needed.

Queso256

My car is lowered, 1.5" I do have an adjustable upper control arm and he set it to negative 3. He said he did that bc I have lower control arms with relocation brackets. Should I have him set it to negative 1

Bert

As I understand it, the pinion angle has nothing to do with the rear LCA's; it is dependent on the angle of the transmission. I guess it could be influenced by the amount that the rear axle/diff rotates under load, which could be influenced by the rear LCA relo brackets, but it seems like a stretch.

I would call the manufacturer of the driveshaft and ask them specifically about your situation and set-up. Most of them are small companies and they are more than happy to help their customers.

Queso256

Thanks for the advice I will try that out