Bevel Gear Lube?

Selkire_AWD · Post by **Selkire_AWD** » 02 Sep 2017, 08:53

Replacing front axles to try to eliminate play and clunk sound from driveline. Pulled passenger side axle and the part that was inside the housing is dry (not even a hint of lube). Should there be some lubricant in the bevel gear housing? If so what kind? I see a filler plug but no drain plug. Also there is no sign of leakage, it's like it never had any lube.

Georgeandkira · Post by **Georgeandkira** » 02 Sep 2017, 11:32

How many miles on your '04?

Bevel gear lube is only available from Volvo. Not one of the companies makes a substitute.

I do not know where the drain plug is or if it even has one. Maybe a suction gun is the way to go.

Selkire_AWD · Post by **Selkire_AWD** » 02 Sep 2017, 12:20

134K on the car, was 84K when I purchased in 2013. Must have been drained before I had it if it ever had any to begin with. Does this mean there could be serious damage?

Georgeandkira · Post by **Georgeandkira** » 02 Sep 2017, 14:37

Inconclusive. Again, I've never owned an AWD so I do not know the procedure to check.
Does one open the fill plug and poke a finger in or reach down with a fabricated tool to check level?

If it's not growling like bad bearings I'd guess you caught it in time. Heaven knows there are enough sources for clunks and other sounds.

Were I in your shoes I'd get a bottle of Volvo bevel gear lube and pour it in---I assume up to the bottom of the fill hole or just below.

Post by **abscate** » 04 Sep 2017, 02:18

Here's a thread describing it as s standard 75W-90 hypoid oil and some options other than Volvo

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54987

mrscullini · Post by **mrscullini** » 04 Sep 2017, 06:20

no drain plug, just a fill plug. you can use a might vac or a small pump of sort. pull out what you can and replace until it weeps from the filler.

as stated, use a high quality 75-90 hypoid gear oil that meets the gl-5 standard. this will be printed on the label. that's what the volvo stuff is.

not sure about the axle end being dry and what that means. my gut feel is that that is the way it is designed. can you see a seal or a seal wear ring on the axle? this would give an indication that there was fluid on one side.

Georgeandkira · Post by **Georgeandkira** » 04 Sep 2017, 09:30

It's good to hear that any good 75-90 will work.
Back when I checked, oil companies listed no product for the Volvo bevel gear including Amsoil!

jbeebo · Post by **jbeebo** » 04 Sep 2017, 11:35

are you talking about the small splined pocket where the CV axle splined shaft stub mates to? E.g. right center in this pic of the passenger side 2005 S60 FWD:

On my car this is indeed a sealed pocket, there is a lip seal and an o-ring to seal the CV axle to the transmission housing. On cars from the rust-belt sometimes it's hard to yank out the CV axles because the stub rusts inside this pocket.

When I service axles I clean the stub, polish the seal area, give the splines a light coat of anti-sieze and lightly grease the seal area before insertion.

If you haven't serviced the lip seal or o-ring in a while might as well replace that too. On my car lip seals were 6483112 & 9495018. O-rings were 8632036 (need 2 of these).

Post by **vtl** » 09 Sep 2017, 11:30

Pulling axle out of bevel gear should not result in any oil leaks or wetness on the axle.

Oil inside bevel gear, as others started, GL-5 75w90. 75w110 or even 75w140 wouldn't cause any problems besides increased fuel consumption.