Cleaning gears in third member

Stankoma

Stankoma

Yearly Wheeler
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Wake Forest, NC
What's the best way to cleaning gears/lockers that are installed in a 3rd member that has slight rust, dust, or dirt on them.

Water? Oil? Brake Parts Cleaner? What's a good technique?
 
Ive used kerosene in the past on drop out 3rds (8" 9" 14bolts etc)

If I was leaving the axle is I would probably use brake/carb cleaner and then short change my diff grease next time
 
Stank,

Take the 3rd to self serve carwash and hit it with the low pressure green tire/rim cleaner. That stuff is very caustic and will loosen up the sticky, icky, crud. Then hit it with the high pressure soap, and high pressure rinse (just water). Bring it home and hit it with some WD-40 real good. The last step would then be some parts/brake cleaner.

If any light surface rust remains dont worry its no big deal. Install the 3rd fill it up with cheapo gear lube 75w-90 dino will work. Drive around for 50-100 miles and make the locker work on some gravel/dirt for part of that time.

You want to work the 3rd/locker but you dont want to stress it either. Change the fluid, give it another few hundred miles change it again and inspect the gear lube and drain plug. If all looks good your done. If the lube looks good but you still find some trash on the drain plug repeat until your are happy.

Keep in mind that gears, lockers, bearings and all do wear and some material is to be expected.


Did you get a new 3rd?
 
Thanks, just what I was looking for. I'm gonna be scrapping off all the old gasket soon and that's just gonna get more trash into the 3rd, so I was wondering how liberal I could get cleaning it.
 
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