48 DeSoto Removing hog's head off the diff. to drain. Any warnings!

[MarcDeSoto]

I'm taking off the differential drive pinion carrier off of the pumpkin to drain the oil. Should I take the hog's head to a shop to have new bearings installed or leave it alone if nothing's broken as far as I know?  Any pitfalls to removing the hog's head?  Never done this before.  

[knuckleharley]

MY personal rule number 1 to live by is "If it ain't broke,don't fix it."

[junkers72]

I just recently drained and refilled my 1947 DeSoto . I took 1 of the lowest bolts out that holds the pumpkin to the housing and left it drain out overnight. Cleaned bolt and put a dab of thread sealer on it before re installation. The oil didn’t look to be freckled with glitter and I didn’t recall a previous problem so I refilled with new gear oil and all is well. 

[MarcDeSoto]

I guess you couldn't get your drain plug (or bung) in British off either.  I tried to get the hog's head off today with no results.  I took off every 9/16" nut, but couldn't get it budge, even with hammer and drift, chisels, and floor jack.  So I punted, and thought my rear end is in good condition.  I can always drive it to a garage and let them take the bung out of the bung hole for me.  

[keithb7]

WT heck  is a Hog's Head? Sorry, never heard that term for a car part before. Do I have one? If I do, should I self isolate in the basement for 10 days?

[Los_Control]

Just now, keithb7 said:

WT heck  is a Hog's Head? Sorry, never heard that term for a car part before. Do I have one? If I do, should I self isolate in the basement for 10 days?

LOL is the center section Ring & pinion ... it kinda sorta resembles a Hogs Head and been nick named that for years

 

[junkers72]

1 hour ago, MarcDeSoto said:

I guess you couldn't get your drain plug (or bung) in British off either.  I tried to get the hog's head off today with no results.  I took off every 9/16" nut, but couldn't get it budge, even with hammer and drift, chisels, and floor jack.  So I punted, and thought my rear end is in good condition.  I can always drive it to a garage and let them take the bung out of the bung hole for me.  

I didn’t find a drain plug although I did clean all the cake off the housing and searched real good for one. I even have the 5/16” square socket to get it out if I would have found it. 

[Booger]

No way! theres gotta be a drain plug and a a drive socket wont fit it. You need a Kens tool G17

Edited October 5, 2021 by Booger
speling

[Sniper]

Did you pull the axles out too?  Not going to come out if you don't and be careful, they are heavy.

[TodFitch]

5 minutes ago, Booger said:

No way! theres gotta be a drain plug and a a drive socket wont fit it. You need a Kens tool G7

There is no drain plug on my '33 Plymouth’s rear axle and from what I’ve read it seems like most (all?) Chrysler built vehicles of 1930s and 1940s didn’t have one. The 1936-42 Plymouth factory service manual says:

Quote

Drain and refill the rear axle every 15,000 miles with proper viscosity of Extreme Pressure Hypoid Gear Lubricant. The rear axle may be drained with a suction gun through the filler hole, or by removing two of the lower cap screws which hold the differential carrier in the housing and allowing it to drain. The capacity is 3 1/4 pints.

 

[Booger]

How can you fill it if you can drain it? then siphon or pump fluid out.

[TodFitch]

1 hour ago, Booger said:

How can you fill it if you can drain it? then siphon or pump fluid out.

There is a fill plug. Just no drain plug. So you either pump it out or remove the lower bolts that hold differential to the axle housing to drain it. Once drained, fill it through the fill plug hole.

[Young Ed]

I've also heard some had the plugs on the housing and some on the carrier and people mix and match and end up with 2 sets or none

[MarcDeSoto]

1 hour ago, Sniper said:

Did you pull the axles out too?  Not going to come out if you don't and be careful, they are heavy.

No, I didn't pull the axles out too.  I was wondering about how the gears are connected in there.  Never thought about the wheel axles.  The shop manual doesn't mention anything about how to remove the hog's head. 

 

2 hours ago, junkers72 said:

I didn’t find a drain plug although I did clean all the cake off the housing and searched real good for one. I even have the 5/16” square socket to get it out if I would have found it. 

 The MoPar Master Tech filmstrips don't even mention the removal prodcedure.  Just what to do when the hog's head is out.  I couldn't find my drain plug either because it's recessed and very difficult to see if the diff is dirty.  So, Keith, you have the pumpkin and on the back of the pumpkin you have the hog's head.  The snout of the hog is the round flange that connects to the drive shaft.  And if you look at it at the right angle, it looks just like a hog's head.  Pumpkin and pork,  anyone for a luau?  

[MarcDeSoto]

4 hours ago, keithb7 said:

WT heck  is a Hog's Head? Sorry, never heard that term for a car part before. Do I have one? If I do, should I self isolate in the basement for 10 days?

Self isolation in the basement is not really required, but since it's not Halloween yet, you might want to hide or put a sack over your face until the hog's head is gone.  

[RobertKB]

You might as well pull the axles and take the differential out. You probably will need new inner and outer axle seals anyway. If not, you could get oil over any brake work you do. It’s also a good time to check the axle bearings and races. No point in doing a major restoration and not checking on all parts and replacing as needed. 

[MarcDeSoto]

yes, good idea, but I think I'd rather hand that job over to a good pro to do.  He can do it better than me.  

[Andydodge]

The thing in the centre of the rear axle with 10-12 nuts holding it in a circular fashion onto the rear axle is the "hogs head, third member, differential, pumpkin, crown wheel  & pinion carrier" and various other names BUT will NEVER come away from the stamped rear axle unless and until the wheels, brake drums and rear axles are pulled out at least 4-5 inches from each side so that they, the axles clear the internal splines and sun gears inside the crown wheel carrier.........the axles sit into these internal splines will not allow the crown and pinion carrier to move.............it IS possible to just pull the axles out only 4-5 inches then remove "the whatever we decide to call the thing"......lol......and just get it rebuilt........unless you really know what you are doing then I'd be inclined to get "the whatever its called" checked, rebuilt & adjusted by someone who knows what they are doing and has the tools etc to setup the "thingymabob".........my Oz 2 cents worth........andyd     

[MarcDeSoto]

And I should add that there's nothing wrong with the rear axle and differential in the first place.  I was just trying to drain the old oil and put in fresh new oil.  I'm going to try to remove the bung again with an easy out tool and drain the old oil that way.  If I can't, I'll let a pro do it after I get the car in drivable condition.  

[keithb7]

This may help with the Hog's Head?

 

 

[Kilgore47]

As stated above.  Pull the axels and check the seals and bearings.  When I got the P15 the previous owner said they did a break job.  When I pulled the rear drums I could see that they had indeed done a brake job but they didn't replace the seals.  The new brakes were covered in grease because the old seals were shot.  So I pulled the axels and found that the bearings were shot also.  The bearings were rusted and fell apart when the axels came out.  When I saw the rusty axel bearings that scared me and I thought the pumpkin might be rusty also.  Pulled the pumpkin and all was good there.  Replaced the pinion seal while it was out.  The rear axel bearing grease is an often over looked maintenance item because it doesn't have a grease zerk.  That's on purpose because a grease gun can apply too much pressure and blow the seals.

 

I wonder if you could leave the inner axel seal out and let the rear end grease lubricate the axel bearings.  Latter models did that.

[MarcDeSoto]

Thanks Keith for another great how to video!  but since I'm in So. Calif.  and I will drive mainly on freeways, I like having my 3.73 diff.  It makes cruising the freeways easier.  I hated driving the freeways when I had my 1950 Plymouth with a 4.1 ratio.  But my Plymouth didn't have an overdrive.  

[YukonJack]

On 10/4/2021 at 7:31 PM, Los_Control said:

LOL is the center section Ring & pinion ... it kinda sorta resembles a Hogs Head and been nick named that for years

 

Pumpkin.