The Ford Explorer’s rear differential houses the ring and pinion gears which are instrumental in transferring torque from the driveline to the rear axles. Several quarts of gear lubricant fill the differential, held inside by differential cover. Over time, the differential cover gasket, made from RTV silicone, can break down, causing leakage. Replacing the differential cover gasket is a task easily performed in under an hour by anyone with basic automotive repair experience.
Place the drain pan directly under the differential.
Remove the bolts from the lower half of the differential cover and set them aside. Loosen the top bolts and then pull the bottom lip of the differential cover off the differential. You may need to carefully pry it of using the screwdriver. Use caution with the screwdriver so that you do not score the cover or sealing surface on the differential. Allow the fluid to pour out into the drain pan.
Remove the top bolts and take the cover off by hand. Wipe out the inside of the differential with a rag and then wipe off the cover as well.
Scrape any leftover old gasket material from the sealing surfaces on the cover and differential.
Run a pea sized bead all the way around the sealing surface on the differential cover. Allow it to set up per the specific directions on the RTV package.
Press the cover into position on the differential and thread in all the bolts by hand. Tighten the bolts down with the socket set.
Remove the fill plug from the side of the differential using the socket wrench, without a socket.
Fill the differential with the gear lubricant until the fluid inside is at the bottom of the fill hole. Reinstall the fill plug with the socket wrench.
Spray the differential with brake cleaner to remove any leak residue. Wipe it off with a rag when done.
