Pinion seal replacement

[Ian]

Guys,

 

I am going to put new axles in today to see if I can get rid of the vibration from the rear. I was under the car yesterday and noticed a little leakage from the pinion seal. I know the nut is on real tight, but is it OK to take the yoke off and replace the seal and then reattach the yoke? Or do you have to replace the crush collar any time you take the nut off?

 

Thanks,

Ian

[wallaby]

Ian, it sounds as if you've entered one of those projects that isn't easily resolved....and throwing money at it seems to better the odds that you'll find the problem. I went through the same process with my brakes; they work well but the pedal is real low. I think I replaced every component except the pedal itself, and I can brag that everything is new, but the gremlin with the low pedal was never found.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here, except that replacing parts that work doesn't fix anything. My "do it myself" attitude sometimes gets in the way of logic, and I have found that sometimes my money is better spent with experts that have the equipment and knowhow. Sometimes it's a hard pill to swallow.

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I'd recommend having a ring & pinion or differential shop look at your vibration problem. It couldn't hurt to get an opinion. I found lots of shops in my area by looking through the phone book. Most of them advertise in the off-road or 4x4 section. Axles don't come cheap and yours might be fine?

Before you start tearing everything apart, have you listened to the assembly with a stethoscope, or even a screwdriver handle against your ear and the tip on the screwdriver on the object in question? You can hear grumblings pretty clearly and tell if one axle bearing sounds worse than the other. It might not tell you what's wrong, but it can often tell you what isn't wrong.

[Ian]

Wallaby I hear you there, but I already got the axles They were only $209 at summit and they are 35 years old If they do not fix it then it is off to the shop to get looked at and to get gears and a posi!

 

Thanks,

Ian

[502ci]

Wallaby I hear you there, but I already got the axles They were only $209 at summit and they are 35 years old If they do not fix it then it is off to the shop to get looked at and to get gears and a posi!

 

Thanks,

Ian

I`m not sure which axles you purchased...stock or aftermarket.

 

Moser has decent C-clip axle that doesn`t taper down like the factory style ones do. They run $235.00 at Summit, and are like 25% to 30% stronger. You can see in the photo how they are even in diameter all the way down.

 

 

 

"I was under the car yesterday and noticed a little leakage from the pinion seal. I know the nut is on real tight, but is it OK to take the yoke off and replace the seal and then reattach the yoke? Or do you have to replace the crush collar any time you take the nut off?"

 

I was always told to replace the crush sleeve...but I tried to get away without doing it when I replaced my pinion...now I got a leaker .

 

I would not mess with it you might make it worse.

[Ian]

I got these they are a little beefier than the stock ones. I got them in with out problem. I deceided to wait on the pinion seal for now.

 

Ian

 

[big gear head]

If you have a vibration and a pinion seal leak then you need to look at the pinion bearings. Most pinion seal leaks come from worn out pinion bearings. If you have any movement in the pinion besides rotational movement then you have a bearing problem. Hold the yoke and see if you can move it up and down or in and out. If it moves even the slightest amount then you need to replace the bearings.

 

If it turns out that the bearings are good then you can replace the seal without going into the rear end any farther. Remove the nut and the yoke. Knock out the seal and clean the area in the end of the housing where the seal goes. You didn't mention which rear end you have, so I'm assuming it is a 12 bolt. The new seals that are made for the 12 bolt are too deep. When you drive it in you need to leave it out about 1/16 to 1/8 inch from being bottomed out. Use RTV sealant around the outside of the seal before you drive it in. Use some grease on the rubber lip of the seal before installing the yoke. Smear some RTV sealant into the splines of the yoke before you put it on so that oil doesn't seap out through them. Put the nut on with red Loctite and torque it to 150 foot pounds. This should have you fixed up.

 

If you find that the bearings are bad then there is a lot more to fixing that. You might want to take it to a shop that has experience with rear ends. The bearing preload will have to be set and the contact pattern needs to be checked after it is assembled.

[Andy's Auto]

Vibrations can be tough to diagnose but there are a few ways to get a better idea of where the source is.

 

For starters, when does the car vibrate? If the car gets a little touchy on acceletation but smooths out when you let off the gas, your vibration is most likely in the drive shaft. If the vibration is speed specific, tires, rims, and or bent axles might be the culprit. Is the vibation in the wheel or the seat of your pants?

 

Pinion seals are easily replaced without touching the crush collar. The key is lookig at the seal surface on the yoke. If it is grooved it will need relacement. It is amazing what a piece of rubber can do to a piece of cast iron after thirty or so odd years.

 

Andy

[wallaby]

...or you can install a "Speedy-sleeve" on your old yoke and make it better than new.