Oops bought my gear oil and then looked at the book and it calls for 80w. Can I use 75w?

had the same problem, a fellow soobie nut named MilesFox told me that 75w-90 is perfectly fine.

I run 75W 90 in my 2003 SG Forester diff. It's an R160, same diff as the one in your loyale so it should be fine. 80w is the recommended for the Foz too, but it says 75W can also be used. The average of 75 and 90 is pretty close to 80, anyway. It'll be more efficient when it's hot at any rate with the 75W 90.

Thanks ya'll. I used the 75w and drove it 20 miles to work this morning. It didn't blow up so that's a good sign. I went to drain the rear diff last night but I cannot get the drain or fill plugs to budge. Would it be stupid to hit it with an impact gun to break them loose?

I had that prob too. What I did what put the prking brake on, jacked up the back, and then took a long steel tube (sometimes called a cheater) put it over my rachet, applied force to the longer steel pipe and vola! you REALLY gotta put some elbow grease into it though. I wouldnt recommend an impact gun. 

 

As for the 80w, 75w difference, someone please correct me if im wrong, but the way I understand it is 75w is synthetic(longer lasting, and overall better in my opinion) and 80w is conventional. So actually, you got the better lube

Edited October 16, 201411 yr by Sapper 157

I snapped a 2 foot breaker bar on my 07 wrx's drain plug, using a cheater bar lol. Impact wouldn't even budge it. I'm not sure if its the assembly robot setting the torque on those or if its just tight from the diff being constantly heat cycled. I ended up buying a beefy 3 foot breaker bar to get r done.

75w90 works fine, open diff isn't going to be very picky about the fluid.

I've read that on bobistheoilguy forum 75w represents synthetic oil and 80w represents petroleum product. Did any of you buy a special socket for the drain plugs or just use a 1/2" drive?

Edited October 16, 201411 yr by loyale1993

I've gotten by with a 1/2" breaker bar (IIRC). I do remember using the stock scissor jack to persuade the plug loose only once. Usually tapping the handle with a small sledge is enough. Never had any special socket or anything.

I snapped a 2 foot breaker bar on my 07 wrx's drain plug, using a cheater bar, lol.

Well it worked for me. Im just spit balling here but im pretty sure there is a slight differance between a WRX and a Old Gen soob drain plugs. So maybe thats why yours broke and mine didnt?? 

Usually tapping the handle with a small sledge is enough. Never had any special socket or anything.

Yeah, that works too. I did that for my wagons check plug, but it didnt budge the drain plug so I had to use a lot of elbow grease and a steel pipe over the ratchet.

Well it worked for me. Im just spit balling here but im pretty sure there is a slight differance between a WRX and a Old Gen soob drain plugs. So maybe thats why yours broke and mine didnt?? 

 

I wasn't knocking the cheater bar process, was just commenting that they are on there way tighter than needed from the factory for some reason. The newer ones are definitely torqued tighter but I have had a few RX LSD's where I had to bolt on a mustache bar in order to break them loose (200+ ft/lbs?). The torque specs from the drain/fill plugs from my old and new manuals list only around 35-40ft/lbs iirc.

I wasn't knocking the cheater bar process, was just commenting that they are on there way tighter than needed from the factory for some reason. The newer ones are definitely torqued tighter but I have had a few RX LSD's where I had to bolt on a mustache bar in order to break them loose (200+ ft/lbs?). The torque specs from the drain/fill plugs from my old and new manuals list only around 35-40ft/lbs iirc.

oh ok my bad.

 

good grief! 200ftlbs?! thats carzy!! 

What I did was get a 1/2 inch square drive 2 foot breaker and try to jack the car up off it. That worked brilliantly, came undone immediately. Doing it back up I just gave it a good yank. Been 6 months and hasn't leaked yet.

I've tried using the jack trick and no luck. Also my 1/2" ratchet tends to slip out of the plug if I'm not pushing on it to hold it in there so it gets awkward. I think I will pick up a breaker bar to get more leverage and go from there. I really don't mind adding to my tool collection.  

 I really don't mind adding to my tool collection.  

hahaha yeah nutin wrong with that!

I've tried using the jack trick and no luck. Also my 1/2" ratchet tends to slip out of the plug if I'm not pushing on it to hold it in there so it gets awkward. I think I will pick up a breaker bar to get more leverage and go from there. I really don't mind adding to my tool collection.  

 

Even with a breaker bar you may have the same problem of the bit falling out. Just pull a rag over the socket so it makes a tighter fit.

 

Adding a proper breaker bar to your tool collection definitely opens up the amount of things you can do, even doubles as protection in a sketchy junkyard.   

 

 

My technique... spray with liquid wrench.  Let set a day.   I use a 1/2" breaker bar (not a ratchet).  Sometimes have to use a cheater bar.   Always loosen the fill bolt first... so you know you can re-fill after draining.

  If that does not work, insert an extension into the 1/2 square hole and tap with hammer to 'loosen' the threads.   By tap, I mean whack it good 5-10 times.   More liquid wrench.  Never give up!

A piece of plumbers strap makes a good shim for a better fit with the 1/2 drive.