I tried silicone on mine and I couldn't get it to seal. Maybe I didn't get it clean enough? I ended bringing mine in to have axel seal replaced. I think it cost me $250.

 

So there is a seal between the tube and the differential? What kind of sealant did you use originally? Are you sure you used the max oil resistant stuff (not the water pump stuff?)? What kind of surface is between those two parts? Did you use a wide enough bead of sealant?

God I hate the seals on this truck. This will be my third one in the past 6 months. Pinion seal (which I am monitoring because my suspicion is that it is leaking again, but slow), the left front axle seal and now this. Did GM import cheap gaskets and seals like the intake gaskets? This truck only has 106k and I have been replacing rubber parts like crazy even if they have been replaced before.

EDIT: I am going to buy the sealant tonight and I was deciding between two: Permatex Ultra Black Max Oil Resistance and Permatex The Right Stuff One Minute Gasket. They have a new product dedicated to gear oil, but I cannot find it anywhere in real stores. Which one would work better for this application?

 

Problem solved. I actually showed the shop owner this thread on my phone while we were examining the axle to see if that was possible to do that. They were afraid that it wasn't going to work properly by just sliding the axle tube out and they prefer always doing the job completely right the first time. They removed the axle tube from the truck and resealed it with the same RTV they use on transfer cases. Very neat job and stopped the leak completely. Now I don't have to check the level unless it is during an oil change when I check all the fluids. Now I can reduce the emergency supply of gear oil I keep in the trunk to one bottle.

 

well, glad you got that solved.
chasing leaks is a pain in the a$$

 

Thanks

You got that right. Chasing leaks, especially with trucks like this where everything is crammed together like the inside of a computer is a real pain in the rear.

 

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