Entirely up to you as long as the front diff fluid doesn't get too low. Just open the fill plug and top fluid off to the bottom of the fill plug threads every so often. This can give you time to get the seal kit and tear into it when you have the time.

 

replacing all the seals and rings per side (from kit #12) might be a bit too much for me....have you ever come across a video of the process?

 

Don't depend on other peoples videos as every situation is different. You DON'T have to buy the complete seal kit if you don't want to. Study the manual as to what needs to be done to remove your diff. On a lot of seals the size is shown on the face of the seal. Even if it's not most bearing houses and even some auto supply stores can measure and match up seals and replace only the ones that's are needed. It's a learning process that you take one step at a time. You need to allow the time to work on it, do as the manual says,use videos only for tips and suggestions(some are not always right!)plus have the determination to start and finish the job to begin with. I never built a house before,but built my own from the foundation up(with contracted help) made some mistakes along the way(learning mistakes) did what I was capable of doing and knowing on some things like brick work,roofing,electrical,have enough sense to sub these jobs out. Still living in the same house I built 34 years ago.I wouldn't ever do it again(plus physically can't) but glad I did.. Once you tear into the diff and put it back together and you look back at a job well done,you'll probably look back and say as a lot of people have: "Well that wasn't as hard as I dreaded" If you don't have the time,tools,inclination,then that's the time you let someone that does it for a living take over.

 

So I called around to the bearing supply shops and they seemed confident that they could match the seal. The question they did ask was weather the seals on the front diff were metric. Do you happen to know the answer to that?


on another note, when I called the john deere tractor dealership and told them about the leak and whether they would rebuilt it if I brought it in, they just told me to put in a thicker gear oil and that would stop the leak. I have heard nothing but 'only use demand drive fluid'....a thicker fluid may stop a leak at the seals...but will it kill everything else?


Thanks,


Tim

 

Can't remember for sure but believe they're metric.Just have them measured if they're not printed on the seals. Don't use thicker oil than the Demand Drive Plus as this is what caused some of the problems when adc first came out. They had separate oil for the adc system and pump and Demand Drive for the gear case and this created all sorts of problems with clutch packs. Finally they decided to go with Demand Drive Plus and use it for hub drive models and all centralized models.Whether it's really any different than the old Demand Drive hub fluid,who knows,but problems seemed to be less for the most part.

 

holy man....I wonder if I am using Demand Drive instead of Demand Drive Plus. The guy I bought the quad from gave me a couple of old bottles that were full. I used that to fill the front. I got the maintenance package and didn't even look at the small bottle of demand drive plus. I wonder if that is what is causing the leak.


I will read the bottles carefully when I get home. man that would suck if I caused this issue myself. The dang thing didn't leak until after I made the fluid change.

 

Wouldn't sweat it.. Like I mentioned they went to one oil for both the adc and centralized and also hub activated awd models and called it Demand Drive Plus. As far as much difference in the old Demand Drive versus the Plus.. As far as I know it may just be the labeling.. Did have plenty of people still use the old Demand Drive until they ran out.

 

so I took the outer seals to a bearing and they confirmed the seal is metric. They took all the measurements and wanted to make sure that the inner diameter of the seal was correct. They wanted to know if the front axle was 29mm or 30mm in diameter. I can take it out and drive it down to get it measured, but I figured maybe someone in here already knows.

When I get it all figured out I will post the exact size. It will cost $4 per seal

 

Just get a cheap digital caliper at Harbor Freight,Northern Tools,etc.. Good handy tool to have around..https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...E4vNmQGJuLCIBQ

 

So i think I have everything ready to go...now to tear it all apart and replace this seal. For the loctite (thread locker), should it be medium strength or permanent hold?


thanks again,

Tim