What oil for differential?

[AndyT]

How much, and what grade oil do I put in the differential of my '85 Electric?

I bought a new gasket. Do you recommend sealant too? What type?

Thanks for all the great info you guys provide.

[NO NO NO E-Z-GO!]

EDIT
Thought I was in a different section.
EDIT

[phasetim]

straight 30w oil.. you don't want 10w, it needs to be weighted.. you can put a little lucas oil to make it catch better..

[caddymankc]

Would thicker oil make for a more limited slip rear?With remote control cars you can put thicker oil in the diffs, and it will act almost like a posi.

[phasetim]

If you to thick with the oil, it stops slinging properly. Your upper gears will dry out, and you will basically destroy your rear end. I imagine a certain amount thicker might be fine, but that could be a dangerous test. A r/c rear end doesn't cost $1000 + for the parts alone. Mixing the lucas oil stabilizer helps it catch and sling more reliably, aside from that I don't know anything to help it perform better. Maybe someone else here does.

[AndyT]

So, 30-weight it is...

How much? There's not a dip-stick in there, and I don't think filling it to the brim would be good, either. My guess is that you don't want it high enough to flow into the motor.

There's probably some standard quantity (maybe a quart?) stated in the service manuals, which I don't have.

Thanks again.

[phasetim]

there is a drain hole, and a fill hole... tilt is to where the fill hole can get as much as possible... (jack up one side) and squirt it in, until it starts running out..

[NO NO NO E-Z-GO!]

E-Z-GO electric rear ends do not have a drain hole. You have to remove the backing plate. I have never jacked one up to drain it, but I supposed that would work too. However, the hole has a lip to the inside and it would be impossible to get it all out.

I usually remove the backing plate and clean it really well with a good gasket remover. Do the same do the differential housing. Then use a good gasket maker and put the plate back on the housing. Allow it to dry for at least a few hours before putting any oil back in it.

I don't necessarily believe the "heavier weight oil = limited slip characteristics" theory. It may work in a small thing such as an R/C car, but we are talking about a vehicle with axle gears the side of the entire rear end of the R/C. Plus, it has +/-1,000 pounds on it all the time. Unless you run asphalt tar in there, I think you had better stick to the SAE30.

PS: I always mix my rear end oils with Lucas stabilizer.

[AndyT]

Thanks for clarifying the fact that there is no drain hole... I couldn't find any hole that was not covered. All I see on the differential is a large "set screw" type plug in the top that fits a large Allen wrench, and a hole on the back plate (maybe 3/4") that has a plastic plug that looks like it just pops in.

Back to how much? When I took the back plate off I captured the oil but didn't measure it. I don't think it was more than a quart, though. But I also don't know if it had the right amount, either. Do I fill through the top, or through the back plate? Do I fill to the bottom of the hole in the back plate?

[NO NO NO E-Z-GO!]

Put the backing plate on and park the cart on level ground. Fill it until oil comes out the fill hole.