Ron,
I dont know enough about the history of your car to tell you how necessary it
might be to change your differential fluid. However, unless a previous owner
has been proactive and kind to you and installed a drain plug on the
differential you will need to drop the differential in order to drain the old
fluid out. Not that tough of a job, especially if you have access to a lift.
20 bolts will do the trick. 4 for the differential itself, then the rest for
the driveshaft and halfshafts. If you are not sure of the history of the car
then an added benefit of removing the differential would be your ability to
inspect the differential mounts to make sure they are in decent shape.
You can change the trans fluid without having to remove the trans tunnel. I
have done it by jacking up the drivers side of the car enough for me to get
under it, jacking up all of the car(better if you are draining it) or by doing
it on a lift(best). You will need to purchase a little pump that screws onto
your fluid bottle in order to fill it up.
Come to think of it, you could always attach a hose to the bottom of the pump
and slide it into the differential and pump the old fluid out without removing
the diff. However it is difficult to know if you have gotten all of the fluid
out or not.
I am sure others will have additional information to add.
Cheers,
Aaron
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