I was inspecting the underside of my '94 z28 and noticed the rear end was leaking.

I have absolutely no knowledge of rear ends yet, but was planning on weighing the idea of changing the ratios later this summer.

Can anyone tell me the most probable failures (gasket?) and maybe a little insite/wisdom about changing rear ends?

Thanks,

Jawnny T

 

Please review the guidelines for posting on "Advanced Tech". Routine maintenance questions regarding a specific "generation" should be posted on the generation specific boards... in this case it belongs on "LT1 Tech".

Moving to LT1 Tech.......

 

If it's just the front of the differential, it's your pinion seal. A slow leak is nothing to be worried about, as it seems to be common from car to car. Mine has developed a slow leak, but it's nothing to be afraid of.

If the cover is leaking, pull it off and replace the fluid and one bottle of GM LSA, and use a new gasket.

 

yep mine leaks there some also, coats the underside real nice if you have a bad leak, and if thats the case, just make sure you check the fluid from time to time. I called up a shop (DTS) that does rear ends and he said it was very very common with these rears, some type of manufacturing flaw or something, he told me that replacing the seal may not help, since the actual casting is the problem.

 

Can you replace the pinion seal very easily or does it require a bunch of special tools and knowhow?

Thanks..

 

My advice would be to save up for a gear swap. I got 4.10's put in for 450 bucks after it was all said and done. It's worth it too. You can really tell a difference.


Chris

 

Cool... So has anyone out there had alot of experience with different rear end ratios? What's the highest you would go with street tires? I want to go to 10" wheels in the rear this summer. What gears could I put in to get the most "bang for my buck"?

John