2019 2WD Rear Differential Fluid Change Write-Up (~47K Miles)

[21rangerCactus]

Just chiming in....I have a 2021 xlt 2wd and I have the drain and fill plug.

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[Tim H.]

Greetings all,

Thought I would do a write-up on a simple, yet important maintenance task on your Ranger. (This guide is geared towards those of us who have never performed this procedure)
The Ford Scheduled Maintenance is "Every 150,000 mi (240,000 km) Change the rear axle fluid."
The rear axle fluid capacity specifications are 3.70pt (1.75L) or (1.85 quarts) for a standard axle ; 3.04pt (1.44L) or (1.52 quarts) for a locking axle.

Supplies Needed :
-1x 6C2Z-4N282-AA (magnetic DRAIN plug) ($2.16 on Fordparts.com)
-1x E8UZ-4N282-A (FILL plug) ($6.41 on Fordparts.com and comes in a 3 pack)
-2x Quart Easy-Pack or bottles of SAE 80W-90 or SAE 75W-90 Gear Oil of your favorite brand (FORD OEM is XY-80W90-QL)
-Fluid drain pan that can hold at least 2L or 2 quarts of fluid
-3/8" Ratchet and extension or 1/2" Ratchet with 1/2"-3/8" adapter
-Torque Wrench set to 20-21 ft/lbs (27.12-28.47Nm) or you can just Ugga Dugga it..
-Old microfiber towels or shop towels

Optional :
-Large cardboard box for extra spill protection
-Nitrile gloves (can't forget about PPE)
-Brake cleaner and rag to clean around the drain/fill plugs

Step One :

-Park on a relatively level surface.
-Locate and clean around your Fill/Drain plugs (if equipped)...Some model years do not have two plugs unfortunately.
The FILL plug is located on the rear differential cover facing the rear of the vehicle. The DRAIN plug is located on the bottom left front of the differential.

Step Two :

-Place your fluid catch pan underneath the differential.
-Use your ratchet and extension/adapter to break loose the FILL plug first. Since the torque spec is only around 20 ft/lbs. it is easy.
-With the plug removed you can stick your finger or a light to inspect the current fluid level and get an idea of the color of your fluid.
I noticed mine was ever so slightly low from the factory and was pleasantly surprised when I wiped my finger on my rag it was not tar black.

Step Three :

-Use your ratchet and extension/adapter to break loose the DRAIN plug. Since the torque spec is only around 20 ft/lbs. it is easy. I let mine drain about 5 minutes or so until the old fluid was barely trickling out.
-Now you can inspect the drain plug for any gunk (likely will have a metallic goo attached to it) or metal shavings.

Step 4 :

-Hand thread your DRAIN plug until it is hand-tight and you can finish the job with your torque wrench set to 20-21 ft/lbs. (specification is 20 but margin of error if you hit 21 I do not forsee an issue).
-Go around to your unplugged FILL hole and use your Easy-Pack or quart bottles of SAE 80W-90 or 75W-90 Gear Oil to fill until it starts running out of the FILL hole.
-Once you see it running out, hand thread your FILL plug until it is hand-tight and you can finish the job with your torque wrench set to 20-21 ft/lbs.

That's it, drive around and make sure you do not observe any leaks! The job would have taken me around 15-20 minutes max if I had not been taking images.

My gear oil did not look terrible at 47,000 miles, so I think I will make my interval every 50,000 miles. I personally would not recommend following Ford's schedule of 125,000 miles.

I just changed my diff fluid today. Took about 20 minutes. As you can see the magnetic plug had lots of debris. The fluid itself looked OK. I refilled with about 1 1/2 bags of 75W90 Valvoline.

 

[adv_ranger]

Greetings all,

Thought I would do a write-up on a simple, yet important maintenance task on your Ranger. (This guide is geared towards those of us who have never performed this procedure)
The Ford Scheduled Maintenance is "Every 150,000 mi (240,000 km) Change the rear axle fluid."
The rear axle fluid capacity specifications are 3.70pt (1.75L) or (1.85 quarts) for a standard axle ; 3.04pt (1.44L) or (1.52 quarts) for a locking axle.

Supplies Needed :
-1x 6C2Z-4N282-AA (magnetic DRAIN plug) ($2.16 on Fordparts.com)
-1x E8UZ-4N282-A (FILL plug) ($6.41 on Fordparts.com and comes in a 3 pack)
-2x Quart Easy-Pack or bottles of SAE 80W-90 or SAE 75W-90 Gear Oil of your favorite brand (FORD OEM is XY-80W90-QL)
-Fluid drain pan that can hold at least 2L or 2 quarts of fluid
-3/8" Ratchet and extension or 1/2" Ratchet with 1/2"-3/8" adapter
-Torque Wrench set to 20-21 ft/lbs (27.12-28.47Nm) or you can just Ugga Dugga it..
-Old microfiber towels or shop towels

Optional :
-Large cardboard box for extra spill protection
-Nitrile gloves (can't forget about PPE)
-Brake cleaner and rag to clean around the drain/fill plugs

Step One :

-Park on a relatively level surface.
-Locate and clean around your Fill/Drain plugs (if equipped)...Some model years do not have two plugs unfortunately.
The FILL plug is located on the rear differential cover facing the rear of the vehicle. The DRAIN plug is located on the bottom left front of the differential.

Step Two :

-Place your fluid catch pan underneath the differential.
-Use your ratchet and extension/adapter to break loose the FILL plug first. Since the torque spec is only around 20 ft/lbs. it is easy.
-With the plug removed you can stick your finger or a light to inspect the current fluid level and get an idea of the color of your fluid.
I noticed mine was ever so slightly low from the factory and was pleasantly surprised when I wiped my finger on my rag it was not tar black.

Step Three :

-Use your ratchet and extension/adapter to break loose the DRAIN plug. Since the torque spec is only around 20 ft/lbs. it is easy. I let mine drain about 5 minutes or so until the old fluid was barely trickling out.
-Now you can inspect the drain plug for any gunk (likely will have a metallic goo attached to it) or metal shavings.

Step 4 :

-Hand thread your DRAIN plug until it is hand-tight and you can finish the job with your torque wrench set to 20-21 ft/lbs. (specification is 20 but margin of error if you hit 21 I do not forsee an issue).
-Go around to your unplugged FILL hole and use your Easy-Pack or quart bottles of SAE 80W-90 or 75W-90 Gear Oil to fill until it starts running out of the FILL hole.
-Once you see it running out, hand thread your FILL plug until it is hand-tight and you can finish the job with your torque wrench set to 20-21 ft/lbs.

That's it, drive around and make sure you do not observe any leaks! The job would have taken me around 15-20 minutes max if I had not been taking images.

My gear oil did not look terrible at 47,000 miles, so I think I will make my interval every 50,000 miles. I personally would not recommend following Ford's schedule of 125,000 miles.

Hi there,

FIrst of all, thanks so much for this step by step guide. I am new to changing diff. oil, and had a few questions. Is it required that I buy new drain and fill plugs? What is the risk of re-using the factory ones? And in what situation would I choose one oil over another (75w-90 vs 80w-90)?

Thanks for the help!

 

[ctechbob]

Hi there,

FIrst of all, thanks so much for this step by step guide. I am new to changing diff. oil, and had a few questions. Is it required that I buy new drain and fill plugs? What is the risk of re-using the factory ones? And in what situation would I choose one oil over another (75w-90 vs 80w-90)?

Thanks for the help!

You can reuse your plugs without issue. I'm on change #3 with my factory plugs.

Synthetic lubes are generally 75W90 whereas conventionals are usually 80W90. Pick whichever you like, the difference will be super minimal. Just make sure the oil is GL5 rated, which, most any name-brand oil will be.

 

[Trash Panda]

Hi there,

FIrst of all, thanks so much for this step by step guide. I am new to changing diff. oil, and had a few questions. Is it required that I buy new drain and fill plugs? What is the risk of re-using the factory ones? And in what situation would I choose one oil over another (75w-90 vs 80w-90)?

Thanks for the help!

I second what Shawn said.

It’s up to you if you want to reuse or buy new plugs. I am a Quality Engineer by trade so I replaced the hardware since it has material on the threads. I would say the risk would be a very slightly higher chance of fluid leak than if you used new hardware.

Gear oil is up to you. I matched the OEM 80w-90 and Amsoil had exactly that. 75w-90 and 80w-90 are pretty interchangeable for your daily application.

 

[Radioman]

I second what Shawn said.

It’s up to you if you want to reuse or buy new plugs. I am a Quality Engineer by trade so I replaced the hardware since it has material on the threads. I would say the risk would be a very slightly higher chance of fluid leak than if you used new hardware.

Gear oil is up to you. I matched the OEM 80w-90 and Amsoil had exactly that. 75w-90 and 80w-90 are pretty interchangeable for your daily application.

I always reuse the plugs. I just either use teflon tape or Permatex sealant. A single tube of Permatex will last you forever.
Edit: I use a wire brush to clean the threads first.

 

[JohnnyO]

Gear oil is up to you. I matched the OEM 80w-90 and Amsoil had exactly that. 75w-90 and 80w-90 are pretty interchangeable for your daily application.

Owner's manual calls for conventional 80w-90. Redline Synthetic 75w-90 was the only synthetic I found that met the Ford Spec in the owner's manual. I'm just sayin'....

 

[ctechbob]

Owner's manual calls for conventional 80w-90. Redline Synthetic 75w-90 was the only synthetic I found that met the Ford Spec in the owner's manual. I'm just sayin'....

Likely because GL5 has been the standard forever now and no one can be bothered with the Ford WSP-M2C197-A spec since it is probably just their number for a GL5 oil.

Use a GL5 rated oil and rest well at night. Either 75W90 or 80W90 will do.

 

[ctechbob]

Also remember. Dana builds these axles for Ford. They're not stuffing 'Ford fluid specific' parts in them. They're building them the same way they'd build stuff for any other OEM.

 

[thewhiteranger]

TRASH PANDA:::: thanks for the great write up I did mine today --- its a 2020 with about 42 k miles on it and oil was not that bad a little gunk on the magnet but not bad at all I think 50 K is a good interval..... FWIW as of now the replacement drain / fill plugs are the same part number both have sealant on them and both have magnets this is from ford dealer the part numbers for both are the same according to the counter guy- he showed me the computer with the diagrams on it I guess two magnets can't hurt anything, and they do re use them if the need to but do add thread sealant ..... thanks again for a great write up.

 

[Trash Panda]

TRASH PANDA:::: thanks for the great write up I did mine today --- its a 2020 with about 42 k miles on it and oil was not that bad a little gunk on the magnet but not bad at all I think 50 K is a good interval..... FWIW as of now the replacement drain / fill plugs are the same part number both have sealant on them and both have magnets this is from ford dealer the part numbers for both are the same according to the counter guy- he showed me the computer with the diagrams on it I guess two magnets can't hurt anything, and they do re use them if the need to but do add thread sealant ..... thanks again for a great write up.

Glad it could help; makes writing these worth it! I don’t think 2 magnets will hurt at all. I did buy spares last year so I’ll have them readily available when I hit 100k miles.

 

[redone17]

Anyone use the Dana suggested 75W-140?

 

[DRVMN]

Great write-up! I changed my fluids a couple months ago (front, rear, and transfer case). The rear was definitely pretty easy. One thing I did was lower/remove the spare tire. It gave me lots of room to work and I was able to fill the differential right from the bottle instead of using a pump. While the spare tire was down, It was also a good time to check the tire pressure and clean off all the dirt/debris from the gravel road I travel on.

The O.E.M. plugs have a sealant on them, and my guess is that is why Ford says to replace them. I cleaned my plugs/threads and then used a chemical resistant sealant when I installed them. I was going to purchase new plugs, but my local dealership did not have them in stock.

The transfer case (for those with 4 x 4) uses crush washers, so I did replace both of those.

 

[Tiger02595]

Anyone use the Dana suggested 75W-140?

I just saw that in the Wrangler TJ owner's manual to use the 75W-140 synthetic for trailer towing. It does look like a few folks are running that in their TJs with the Dana 44.

If I towed a lot or all the time I might go with that 140, but I'll stick to 75W-90 synthetic every 30K.

 

[Titchadesh]

Always grateful for folks taking the time to generate these write-ups, I changed fluid for my front/rear differentials and transfer case and having a step-by-step with photos and discussion on nuances gives a confidence boost!

Cheers

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