Differential Oil Change

I just finished changing the gasket on the differential and have torqued everything.(in the rain, no less!) I am letting the RTV cure before I put the oil back in. One interesting thing happened while I was cleaning the cover. The magnet that is on the inside of the cover popped off! After cleaning everything with rubbing alchohol, I RTV'ed the magnet back in its location. It looks like they did the same thing at the factory. I will be filling it all back up tomorrow. Any hints on checking and getting the correct fluid level?? It is a stock, bare bones, 3.42 axle. It says 15-40mm below?? Anyone have a trick?

Sincerely,
Matt

I just finished changing the gasket on the differential and have torqued everything.(in the rain, no less!) I am letting the RTV cure before I put the oil back in. One interesting thing happened while I was cleaning the cover. The magnet that is on the inside of the cover popped off! After cleaning everything with rubbing alchohol, I RTV'ed the magnet back in its location. It looks like they did the same thing at the factory. I will be filling it all back up tomorrow. Any hints on checking and getting the correct fluid level?? It is a stock, bare bones, 3.42 axle. It says 15-40mm below?? Anyone have a trick?

Sincerely,
Matt

using a hand pump for a qt bottle fill to 1/2inch below the fill hole...approx...

the trick I always use is drain and measure drained fluid ...then on refilling you know just about how much you need...

use a metal rod,,like a coat hanger for a measuring device to stick in the hole to get a reading..


use gasket sealant only on the cover side of gasket,,that way when removing it will come off easy,,,I can get a few cover removals with this...also I make sure the cover is in good condition[exterior] because up here things rust out ...these covers fail here because of this..so painting the cover if rusted is recommended...

make sure that the diff vent is working properly,,,that it is not blocked and can vent...

Thanks for the info jcat! i thought about measuring it, but I did not have a suitable container at hand. The coat hanger thing sounds like a perfect "tool" to use. I will check on the vent to see if it is clear. It has been raining here for the past couple of days, which is really odd here in North Texas so close to the end of summer. I will crawl under there in the morning.
Sincerely,
Matt