Pinion seal replacement

[ThomP]

My pinion seal is leaking. I understand I have to disassemble the dirrerential to replace the seal. If I keep track of the shims will I need to adjust the differential when I reassemble it?

 

[Bugeye58]

Tom, you don't have to disassemble the diff. to change the pinion seal.
Mark the flange on the propshaft and the flange on the diff. to make sure they go back together in the same position.
Pull the prop shaft, and remove the nut in the center of the pinion flange. Pull the flange and washer out of the diff. (Don't pull the driveshaft from the trans. Just unhook it at the back and tie it out of the way.)
Hook the seal out, clean the surface and press in the new seal.
Replace the flange, washer and nut, and torque the nut to 140 ft. lbs.
Re-connect the driveshaft, matching the marks you made in step one, check the fluid level, add if necessary, and proceed on your merry way.
You may have to get creative in holding the flange when you remove and reinstall the nut. A couple of bolts through the driveshaft mount holes held with a prybar works pretty good if you don't have the flange holding tool.
Jeff

 

[ThomP]

Bugeye, thanks, that saves a lot of effort. As this differential is awaiting installation into the car, I'll just fabricate a flange tool to make the job easier. 140 ft/lb is a lot of torqure, looks like I'll have to resort to the old "Sears" beam torque wrench for that.

 

[ThomP]

Further update.

Of course the flange the seal rides on is buggered. Anybody had experience with the "Ready Sleeve" or "Speedi-Sleeve" flange repair kits?

 

[Bugeye58]

Thom, those Speedi-Sleeve kits work great. I don't have the part number handy for the pinion flange kit for the Spridget, but I know they're available.
Jeff

 

[Wade Keene]

Can you chuck it up in a lathe and polish it up with some emery cloth progressing to crocus cloth, or is it too buggered?

 

[ThomP]

Tooo buggered. This particular differential must have sat in a back yard for 20+ years. Condensation got the best of the shaft at the seal. The internals of the differential look good.

99149 is the P/N of the sleeve. I'm surprised that NAPA, Chicago Rawhide and Federal Mogul all use the same P/N.

 

[AdamPP]

140 pounds of torque is alot my shop teacher told me to use 120 to make sure not to ruin the crush sleeve. He has used the recommend torque before and ruined the crush sleeves. Best of luck
Regards,
Adam