Trash Panda
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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.
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.
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