For diff service, using naptha (found in the paint aisle in hardware stores) will break down silicone oil. I use a little paint brush cleaning pan and half a cup of naptha with a toothbrush to clean the cup out and gears off. I did remove the silicone o-ring and ring gear seal before applying naptha. Not sure if those can handle sitting in that stuff.
For years, I had just been using paper towels and q-tips to clean out old silicone oil as soap/water doesn't even touch it. Then recently I found that naptha breaks it down. Makes servicing a diff a lot less irritating. It also removes all the grease from the ring/pinion as well.
A good grease to use for the ring/pinion is marine grease or red "sticky" grease. It tends to stay on the gears better vs just having a path cut through the grease and being flung off. I've read that this stuff works well:
https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Oil-10574-Tacky-GREASE/dp/B0049SUK5Y
That tub will last nearly forever. I really need to buy some. lol!
After washing it out with naptha, I spray DA (denatured alcohol, also in the paint aisle) and scrub gently with a toothbrush to remove the naptha before putting it back together and adding oil. When filling with oil, I put a drop of it on the o-rings, then put those in, drop in the shim on the output shaft, put the pin in the output shaft, put a drop on the shim, then put the sun gear on the shaft. I usually put a small blob of the oil on the sun gear in the cup, then I put in the spider gears/shims/cross pins and push those down into the oil so they mesh with the sun gear. Then I let it sit a bit and for the oil to settle. I add more oil until it's at the top of the cross pins, but let it settle after adding as the higher viscosity oil takes a while to settle down into the cup/gears. 500k takes a while... 1M seems to take forever.
For years, I had just been using paper towels and q-tips to clean out old silicone oil as soap/water doesn't even touch it. Then recently I found that naptha breaks it down. Makes servicing a diff a lot less irritating. It also removes all the grease from the ring/pinion as well.
A good grease to use for the ring/pinion is marine grease or red "sticky" grease. It tends to stay on the gears better vs just having a path cut through the grease and being flung off. I've read that this stuff works well:
https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Oil-10574-Tacky-GREASE/dp/B0049SUK5Y
That tub will last nearly forever. I really need to buy some. lol!
After washing it out with naptha, I spray DA (denatured alcohol, also in the paint aisle) and scrub gently with a toothbrush to remove the naptha before putting it back together and adding oil. When filling with oil, I put a drop of it on the o-rings, then put those in, drop in the shim on the output shaft, put the pin in the output shaft, put a drop on the shim, then put the sun gear on the shaft. I usually put a small blob of the oil on the sun gear in the cup, then I put in the spider gears/shims/cross pins and push those down into the oil so they mesh with the sun gear. Then I let it sit a bit and for the oil to settle. I add more oil until it's at the top of the cross pins, but let it settle after adding as the higher viscosity oil takes a while to settle down into the cup/gears. 500k takes a while... 1M seems to take forever.