Went to do some regular maintenance on my 4.0L 08 ranger and front diff plug is missing. Want to replace it asap. Anyone know the specific size and thread of the plug? Should I clean out the diff entirely?

 

It's going to be hard to unbolt it entirely there isn't much clearance under the vehicle to to remove the plate. I think you have to drop the axle entirely. Just take a pump and suck out the old fluid and put in new fluid that's what I did to my truck. I don't know the size to get but just get a replacement, should be the same size as the rest of the drain fill plugs. I would plug that asap though don't want stuff getting in there depending on how long it's been open you could drop the axle and clean everything out.

 

I checked a bare axle in the garage. The fill port uses tapered pipe thread 1/2 NPT. The best choice would be a new plug from Ford with the proper sealant already applied. Another possibility is an ordinary 1/2 NPT pipe plug from your neighborhood hardware store with sealant added.

As mentioned above, a thorough cleaning requires dropping the axle because the cover plate cannot be removed with the diff in place. This wouldn't be a bad idea anyway since the fill plug has been out for an undetermined length of time. The internals need a thorough cleaning AND inspection to see if any permanent damage has occurred.

 

....going over old posts....

So a suction gun is all that's needed for regular front diff maintenance?