85 Club Car DS Axle bolt

[jpmcdo]

Does anyone know if there is a bolt on the passenger side rear axle that would let gear oil drain?

I drained and refilled the transmisson and differntial this weekend and did over do it with fluid. I figured that if I just kept filling until oil came out the fill hole. (DUMB IDEA but I got lazy and besdies a lot of spilling used almost three bottels of lucas gear oil.). Once it was done a friend and I went for a ride in the cart and stopped at another friends home. While standing around talking one noticed fluid steadily dripping fromt he back end so we jumped in and ran back home and jacked it up again. We did notince that as we drove the cart you could see an evenly spaced row of drips on the road. The fluid was coming from near the right axle but it didn't look like the seals. I drained both again and this time put the poroper amount in both. But while draining the fluid my firiend was feeling around and found a bolt on the horizontal plane on the axle was a bit loose. I'm not refering to the bolts that attach the axle to the dif/trans. This is a bolt that is on the horizontal plane of the axle itself. We tightened it down and after replacing the oil drove the cart about a quarter of a mile and no leaks. I also parked it on an incline over night and there were no leaks on the driveway. I took it out again yesterday before heading home and everything was fine.

Is this bolt a pressure sensitvie bolt or was it just loose and we happended to catch it?

Thanks,

Jim

[shadowman]

not sure on an 85 but if it has one its gonna be on pass. side right on the rearend if i remember look good kinda hard to spot.....................

[scottyb]

That rear end takes 30wt motor oil, not gear oil. Hope this helps

[lockman1]

As long as it not leaking anymore, I'm guessing your good to go!
and Scotty's on the right track... The upper should use 30 SAE, and the lower should use 80w-90,
In my buddies 94, he used 80w-90 in both with no ill effects.

Are one of these the leaking bolt your talking about?

The (upper Pass side) transmission fill and drain bolts:



The (lower drivers side) differential fill and drain bolts:

[jpmcdo]

Thanks everyone for replying.

Lockman, the pictures are great but the leak was not coming from any of those three bolts. That's the first place we looked. And I appreciate everyone stating what fluid to use but the Club car maintenance and service manual states in two places, for both the differential and the transmisson, to use 80-90WT API Class GL-3 or 80-90WT AGMA Class 5 EP Gear Lube. To be honest I'm glad I saw that when I got home this evening. I had visions of loading up all my tools, jack stands and floor jack for a fourth trip to where i keep the cart.

The leak, from what we could tell was on the passenger side rear axle tube. But in checking a parts list I bought on Ebay and the Club Car service manual, the bolt we found on the top of the axel tube is not on either exploded view. I would doubt anyone "customized" this axle tube as the cart was stock when I bought it but is it possible it's a newer rear end?

One interesting thing to note on the picture of the lower differntial fill and drain bolts s Lockman posted is mine looks different. My drain plug is on the lower end and the same side as the two fill and drain plugs on the transmission, but there is a rubber plug on the fill hole for the differnetial on the other side and higher. The plug has oil molded on.

Again, is it possible I have a newer model rear end on this cart?

Thanks,

Jim

[lockman1]

Ahhhh... now I think I know what your talking about!

There's a small "bolt like" plug actually on top of the passenger side axle tube, a couple of inches away from the differential... right?

A few years back, I remember someone else having that bolt (plug) leak, and that there were little, to no threads on it,
But, I can't remember if they "just" used some gasket sealer on it, or did something else,
But, whatever they did, it apparently held it in place with no more leaks.

The pics that I posted are of a Kawasaki rear, so, it's a good possibility that you have a Graziano rear end,
It's to my understanding that Club Car started with Graziano rears,
then changed over to Kawasaki somewhere in the mid 80's. (But, don't quote me on that! )

So, No... it's not a newer style, nor, do you have to worry about the one you have,
Graziano rears are made well... It's just a little bit tough to find parts for them anymore.

Hope this helps!

Note: anybody can feel free to correct me if my memory is "off" a bit!

[shadowman]

thats a vent there isn,t it?................................

[lockman1]

Not in the axle tube... I thought there was a vent on top of the trans.

[shadowman]

your right its yamaha that has a vent in the tube......................

[jpmcdo]

Yup thats exactly where the bolt is. My friend thought it was a vent so I assume hes's right. Thanks everyone for your help on this and for identifying that for me. Strange that it isn't in the service manual. So I guess I could have left the extra fluid in just neede to tighten that bolt down. I'll start looking for information on the other transmission types so I know what I have.

Jim