[TCR_BRIAN]

Uh...WOW...cobrashoch this is worthy of an emmy.....

As the gears and parts of a rear end rotates at high speed, in and out of grease, a oil mist is created inside the housing. This mist is what lubracates almost ALL the parts in your rear end, (not the ring and pinion)

I think if grease is in the rear end other than gear oil there is a BIG problem. I would think that Grease has to get very hot to create an OIL mist...And by magic it lubricates all the parts except the ring and pinion.....

Axle housing seals are in there to provide a place for the mist to drop out (not all of it though) into a oil liquid.

So the seals create gear oil.....but not all of it....

Thats why some axles have a sprials cut into the axles, to help spin pump that oil back to the center section, and other "makes" pump oil towards the bearing

Some rear ends have the oil in the tubes and the axles pump it into the center? But others pump it out of the center down the axles? If you go in Reverse for a long time it will pump all the fluid, I mean grease the wrong way....Is this right?

In the case of all the 9 inch Fords I've delt with, the bearing is open towards the rear pot and sealed to the outside, and relys on the mist for lube of the bearing. There may be however a sealed bearing out there on 9 inch Fords that I don't know of. No matter,,,,,

Refer to my earlier post of comparing 8 inch, 9 inch, 8.8" and 7.5"...May be a little confused...blykins posted a picture of a 9 inch axle tube with seal inside, and if he showed the axle bearing it would be pressed on the axle, a sealed bearing, after the seal....Which every 9" Ford, drop out center section rear axle that I have ever worked on, read about...etc etc....has had.

Then condensate gets into the oil and on a cold startup that oil mist/water mix will congeal into sledge when it cools

....Uh....No comment.....

if the rear end never gets hot enough to boil off the water out of the oil and vent it off via the housing vent.

So, boiling hot temperatures in the rear is OK, the oil mist doens't go through the vent, only the water.....And with a vent the rear axle is not under pressure by oil or grease.."WHATEVER."

Thats why there is sledge coating inside most used rear ends too.

Not from old gear oil, no filter, clutch material, grease from checking tooth/wear pattern, but because it never got hot enough to boil the water.....

Those bunny hops we all make builds up sludge in your rear end. (sounds perverted now doesn't it?)

Especially if you run the wrong viscosity oil......engine yes, rear axle????

If you don't put axle seals back in a fast cornering car such as a Cobra, live liquid hot grease can and does get to the bearing.

So if you put seals in, oil/grease will get to the bearing, but if you don't put them in oil/grease will get to the bearing....unless you don't go around corners...or will the axle pump keep it in the center....

This does no harm to it at all. Fact is, it may even knock off some off the sledge buildup in the bearing.

So it will get into a sealed bearing....but I thought

Those axle seals help prevent sledge buildup in the wheel bearings and subsequent seal rot.

When a 9 inch Ford leaks oil at the housing ends, most times it's because of a rough housing end, and my silicone trick above will almost allways fix it.

Or changing Axle seals!!!

I've also fixed or slowed down 3rd member gasket leaks on bolts above the oil level in the past by simply clearing the housing vent.

So by clearing the vent, so that it relieves any backpressure that built up in a sealed housing, it stop leaks of too much pressure....

Remember we are talking about a pressurized oil mist here.

That never reaches the vent.....

If you think about what the oil does in a rear end, the things you can and cannot do fits a bit better in place

Atleast we have oil now.....
If the rear end gets a pressurized oil mist, why would a 2000 Cobra R have a pump to cycle the gear oil through the rear diff cooler....And if the rear end needs to boil water, is the cooler to keep it at the boiling point???

In cars such as a Cobra DO NOT run c-clip axles. Way too dangerous.

8.8" is a strong axle, not as strong as a 9", but can be built very strong....It all depends on intentions/output of motor/tranny/gear ratio which will give you required strength needed of rear axle based on torque multiplication factors.....you can run C-Clip eliminators on an 8.8" to prevent this and is a NHRA requirement for Vehicles running I believe 10.99 and quicker you HAVE to run aftermarket axles and C-Clip eliminators....ANYTHING that is in NHRA Rule book is the way to fly as anything else you are just putting you/your car/ and others in danger of something that may fail.............Although if you are planning on going off roading, C-Clip eliminators don't hold up well to side loads..........
I am only writing a response to this so that people see that not all questions are stupid, and not all answers are correct... and vice versa.... everyone makes their own decision based on facts presented or known..... Hope this thread is an example of that...

I have a 9" in my 1967 Mustang Fastback (Eleanor Clone), an 8.8" in my 2001 Mustang GT, my center section is in my brother 1967 Mustang Convertible (He wanted 3.50 posi, instead of 3.00 open)....His car originally had an 8", but we picked up a 9" axle from a 69 Cougar....my father 1965 Mustang Fastback has a 8" 2.73 open (Oh yeah).....I have alot to compare too, this doesn't include the 2 (1989) 5.0's I've had, 1973 Bronco Sport, 1974 Bronco (Parts Truck), 1971 Mach I I pulled my Cleveland out of and 9 inch, 3 1967 (Coupes) (6 cyl's)....numerous friends cars that I work on... etc. etc....not to mention all the cars we build here or have worked on.....Food for thought......
After re-reading your first response I can't even comment anymore, other than call Moser and talk to them again.....
Brian

www.teamcracing.com