Differential oil change. Series 3 1987 XJ6
 

Hi all!

I am thinking of changing the differential oil, as i can't seem to see any mention of it in the service receipts.

What would be the method best to use and what oil would i need??

Is it a real pain to change? i understand you have to raise etc back? I don't have any car ramps only a floor jack and stands. Will this be ok?

Thank you all.

Chris

1) Smart thinking.

2) Raise the rear, SECURELY, or pain will follow, and ALWAYS remove the FILL plug first. I use 85W140, LSD spec in ALL the early car diffs.

3) Yep, and many strange words will be uttered. Once up, and safe, remove the tin plate thing on the bottom of the cradle, MANY bolts and nuts, 16 from memory, but its been a while. This will give "slightly" better access to the fill plug. FEAR NOT, nothing will spring out and clobber you, just gunk from 30 years of neglect.

4) Alcohol, many gallons, you will need it, and, a sense of humour, #1.

Have fun.

Adding a bit to Grant's sage remarks.....

If possible, raise both ends of the car. Raising just the rear means that a fair bit of fluid will flow forward, away from the drain bole.. Not the end of the world, but it's naturally better to let as much of the old stuff drain out as possible.

The filler plug area will probably be caked with dirt. Clean this away before removing the filler plug.

I use 80/90 weight gear oil, personally.

Getting new oil back into the diff is awkward and messy if you don't have a pump. You'll have to attach a hose to the nipple of the bottles and squeeze the oil in. The diff holds about 2.25 US quarts as I recall

Have lots of rags and wear old clothes. The gear oil is very smelly and the odor is almost impossible to remove from your clothes

Cheers
DD

Hi Grant!

Thank you very much for the info.

When you say securely do you mean have ramps or will jack stands on either side be sufficient?

Also do i need to have the suspension held up? I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the suspension needs to be held in place when raising the rear?? I may be way off and probably am. Apologies for my noobness!

Thanks Doug

is there any paticular brand that you would recommend??? And why do you use 80/90 in particular??

I will wear the worst clothes i can find. Possible the ones my in laws got me for one christmas hahahaha (kidding) (or am i?) :)

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Chris,

Suspension, NAH. The cradle is attached with 4 V Mount rubbers, and YES, they can delaminate and the wheels can stay on the ground as you jack the car.RARE in the big scheme of things, and usually if those mounts are suspect/crappy, all sorts of weird behaviour from the rear end is noticeable when driving and cornering.it,

Safety stands are fine, I modified mine to fit OVER the jacking point pin, so the car CANNOT slide off.

I usually put it up on 4 and do all that is needed in one go.

80/90 will be fine, as Doug suggested, coz I forgot, you dont get our 45c++ Summer Temps.

Brands, never bothered, whatever is either on special, or easily obtainable. The car will NEVER know.

I use ramps at the front and stands at the rear, with wooden blocks drilled to suit the jacking points. To have a level playing ground to work with.
And as Grant says, do all you need to while it is up there. Last time I did oil & filter change, trans fluid change and checked diff oil and greased all the uni's, checked hand brake pads etc. And had a general poke around and snooze on the creeper while under there.

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Shit, I forgot to secure the leaper, she's doing a runner.

Hi Clarke

Thanks so much for the pic. I am a visual person so like to see the results of a plan.

Do you raise the rear from the center or do you raise either side first?

I don't have ramps at the moment so may only be able to get the back up. I may invest in ramps but a bit strapped for cash with christmas etc.

Any advice is appreciated!

Chris

Hi Grant!

Thanks again for the advice.

Like i mentioned to Clarke I dot have ramps so i will have to make do with lifting the back up.

Do you jack from the center back or either side first?

How did you modify the jack stands? Did you make the hole rests yourself?

Thank you!

Always the centre, good chance the car will fall off if you do one side at a time. Seen it before.
I use a block of wood between the tie plate and jack so I don't damage anything. You can stand the car on the wishbones or jacking points, jacking points are more stable and give you more working room.

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If your jack is like mine and not low enough to go under the diff with a block of wood on it I jack each side up one at a time and put a block of wood under each rear tyre.
Then I can lift the car safely from the centre.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...ee4201d326.jpg

Waay back,. long before computers and/or Forums.

1" Galv water pipe, just stashed behind one of the sheds. The ID is SPOT ON for the jacking points, and so I cut a short length off. and welded to the top of the "Standard" safety stand pad.

My view was with the car sitting ONLY on those metal pads, the risk of the car sliding off was just too great for me. Once the car jacking points are inside those tubes, and 2ton sitting firmly on the stands, she aint going anywhere.

Standard "outside the box" that is a MUST to Jaguar ownership, and right up there with alcohol consumption, followed closely by a warped sense of humour.

ALWAYS jack as Clarke has stated, and a helper to position the stands in a good idea.

Thanks so much for the picture!! They help immensely to use noobs!

I initially purchased a jack with stands and sleep all in one but soon realized the need a low profile jack. So i sold mine on offer up and purchased a low profile 3 ton for the price i sold the standard one. The new low profile is rapid pump too! win win.

I may have some hardwood lying around otherwise a quick trip around the corner to dales.

Also keen to make some jack point brackets like Grant has. Maybe out of wood for now. May get creative later with metal :)

Currently raining so will hold out until next weekend. I may do the charcoal canister vacuum hoses first as i have been thinking about them for a week or so and its a simple job thats not smelly hahah

Do i need a hand pump to get the new oil in? I hear its a dog to do???

Thanks again!!

Thank you again Grant! Great info and experience from everyone here. Feel pretty privileged and lucky to have all you Jag Vets to pick brains with.

I may wonder into MAKING my own jack point brackets like yours at some point. Don't have any welding equipment though. SO may need to HIRE a dude for an hour. Will ask my friends and see if they know anyone.

Thank you!

Pumping the oil in works.

I use a length of 3/8 plastic tubing, the clear stuff, and thread it over the RH rear wheel and into the fill hole. The other end is taped to a ladder, or similar, alongside the RHR wheel, and a suitable plastic funnel jammed into the end, with that funnel about 4ft or so off the ground, your chest height is fine, no need to be measuring it, and then gravity can do the hard work.

Pour the oil into the funnel, it will fill quicker than it flows, GOODO, beer time, and top up the funnel as it drains. After the 2ltrs is in, look under car from time to time until the flow out of the fill hole indicates, she be full. Dive under and pull the hose and insert the fill plug. How good you are at that manoeuvre will determine the mess you get into.

We all have our own ways, here is my style.
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Jenga!

I use my Jack stands (I have 4 of them) for all my cars so I don't particularly want the pipe welded to the top. I have little sections of 2x4 with a 1" hole drilled part way through that I put over the pins so it sits nice and secure. I always have various lenthes or 2x4 and 4x4 to put between the floor Jack and the car. The long hose and funnel works fine but get someone to do the pouring into the funnel while you are down under with the plug and a catch pan. Then you can quickly pull the tube and get the plug in when it is full. The larger the catch pan the less that goes on the floor and you.

Jeff

Thats why I placed another pair on the Christmas list for Santa years ago, and they are still standard spec.

BUT

I only have Jags, and ONLY work on Jags, so the standard are only just getting used now with the S and X.



Partaking of the required fluids for the human whilst laying under the car gets very messy, I usually spill more than I take in.

I like Geneo's cribbing. One step past my former methods. Merely chunks of wood stacked under a wheel. I still have a selection of chunks of wood for that purpose.

I prefer ramps when ever possible. Even if a pair got me grief. Damage to steel only not flesh!!! .More of my error than the ramps!!

I've purchased the lube in neat bottles with a pump!!! Brand no big deal As stated, the best deal in $'s does it.

HF probably has a deal on ramps. I've had mine for decades. Source long forgotten .I had to repair one of them. Welded and a bolted strap across the fracture.
Belt and braces!!

I've not used my creeper for decades. More trouble than help. Just "grub duds". I do have a neat ground cloth for that.

Disposable painter's whites???

Caveat' Save the adult beverage for afterwards, an incentive and reward + safety...

Chris:

It ain't hat hard, go for it..

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!
Carl