5000fingers Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 My front diff is leaking on my 2001 Outback wagon (4-cyl). It's probably not a huge problem, the leak is pretty slow, but it's leaking on the exhaust pipe and making a big stink. It's hard for me to see specifically where the front diff is leaking. The Haynes manual doesn't seem to say much about the front diff, so I'm wondering what kinds of issues would cause it to leak, and whether or not this is something I could fix at home. I'm a pretty decent weekend warrior, most repairs don't intimidate me. Any information that you could provide me about how to proceed would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 5, 2016 Share Posted November 5, 2016 verify leak source: usually it's the side axle seals, could also be the diff crush washer, but i doubt it. i've never replaced a crush washer even after 250,000 miles on multiple subarus so that's not likely. you're sure it's not CV grease spitting out from under the band/boot? the grease gets watery with age and can escape easier. assumign it's the side seal: figure out which one it is. they're not bad to replace but if you mis-align the outer cup when reinstalling you'll ruin your front diff. it could be done in an hour but give yourself 4 since it's a first time job and the retaining screw can be a beastly thing to unthread - it's likely not going to want to move. remove axle pin and pull axle off transmission stubby shaft mark the exact location of the large retaining plate. unscrew the retaining plate, keeping track of exactly how many turns it takes to remove it. (make sure you're pulling *out* while unthreading so you know when it's finally disengaged from the threads). replace seal (they are directional seals so make sure you get the right side and install correctly). reinstall and reinstall the retaining plate the exact same number of turns and to the original mark you made to precisely locate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5000fingers Posted November 5, 2016 Author Share Posted November 5, 2016 Good question about the CV boot. There is a torn boot and I'm going to replace it soon. Maybe it's just that? There seems to be a slow leak coming from the front diff though, and the oil burning off the exhaust smells like gear oil. I suppose the CV joint grease might smell the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Burnt CV-joint grease smells like barbequed grasshoppers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 yep, take care of the cv grease first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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