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Pinion shaft oil seal -Latest to oil leak

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bighealeysource

bighealeysource

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Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

Hey all,
Maybe I should have continued the thread about trying to
figure out where my oil leak was but I found it - it's the
pinion shaft oil seal. Continued to try to find where
the oil was coming from on the rear half of the car and
when I opened the battery box lid on my BN6, there was
a new source of oil collecting on the entire area ! Thought
it might be the seal at the front end of the pinion shaft and
unfortunately I was correct. Put the car on stands, started
it up and put it in gear and watched the oil start a constant
drip right out where the oil seal is located. Thank goodness
I had just filled the diff case as a precaution to getting
the car on the road again. Don't know how much I lost but
would suspect a fair amount. No grinding noises or smelly
bearings so think I still have enough in there but now have
to fix the seal. Looks pretty straight forward to replace
per the manual. Anyone have any tips, advice, hard liquor
I can drink to prepare for this, etc ???? Just what I wanted
to do, replace that oil seal.
Regards,
Mike
 
Re: Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

bighealeysource said:
Hey all,
Maybe I should have continued the thread about trying to
figure out where my oil leak was but I found it - it's the
pinion shaft oil seal. Continued to try to find where
the oil was coming from on the rear half of the car and
when I opened the battery box lid on my BN6, there was
a new source of oil collecting on the entire area ! Thought
it might be the seal at the front end of the pinion shaft and
unfortunately I was correct. Put the car on stands, started
it up and put it in gear and watched the oil start a constant
drip right out where the oil seal is located. Thank goodness
I had just filled the diff case as a precaution to getting
the car on the road again. Don't know how much I lost but
would suspect a fair amount. No grinding noises or smelly
bearings so think I still have enough in there but now have
to fix the seal. Looks pretty straight forward to replace
per the manual. Anyone have any tips, advice, hard liquor
I can drink to prepare for this, etc ???? Just what I wanted
to do, replace that oil seal.
Regards,
Mike
Click to expand...
Stay away from hard liquor when repairing your car...trust me on this. This is about two six-packs, in moderation, if you have help it could be more than two six-packs per person. Be sure car is securely on jack-stands!! Pre-soak new seal in oil for about 24 hours prior to installing.
Other than that...it's pretty much straight forward(your words, not mine).
Patrick
 
Re: Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

You can replace the pinion seal without pulling the differential--simply disconnect the driveshaft flange from the diff flange, and using a pipe wrench and the proper size socket break looke the nut holding the flange in place, remove it and then pick out the old seal.

Reassembly is the reverse of removal.....
 
Re: Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

I'll echo Patrick on making sure the car is really stable. You have to get way under the car and torque that nut (140'/lbs). Without sounding too mellow dramatic, cranking that hard in the wrong direction <span style="font-style: italic">could</span> pull the car off the stands. I made a bar about 24" long to bolt to the differential flange to keep it from rotating, a stout piece of angle iron will work too. I used the floor as the stop.
 
Re: Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

When you install the new seal don't drive it in too far. The end of the pinion 'cone' has a small bevel on its inside--the seal should go in only as far as the inner edge of the bevel. The seal is a rubber material--don't think it needs to be soaked--but put a little grease on the lip to prevent a 'dry start.'
 
Re: Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

Hello bighealeysource,

Looks as though this is part 2. I didn't read this till after I'd replied to your earlier post but no worry.

As GregW says the pinion nut is done up to 140ft/lb so the first thing I would do is to check this is so. The reason I say this is someone may have done it up tighter for some obscure reason.

When you get the drive flange off the pinion check the surface the seal "runs" on. If you can feel a little groove there there is a piece called a "speedi-seal" available at good bearing places that is a thin walled cylinder that presses over the diameter where the seal "runs" and gives you a "new" seal surface.

When you install the new seal make sure it goes in (even at the start) square and tap it in with a plastic faced hammer. It's easy to get it in wrong and even easier to make a mess of it.

You are going to lose some oil doing this so it may be easier to just drain it to start with.

I would smear a little oil on the seal before installation.

Best regards,

bundyrum.
 
Re: Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

Hey y'all,
Thanks to everyone for their advice and words of wisdom on how to replace
this seal. This thread and the one Ed K referenced is why the BCF is so
valuable and thank goodness Basil keeps it going. I could just imagine
the time I would have spent blundering around doing it without any advice
and just with the manual. Or the damage, broken parts and loss of blood
from taking the skin off of every knuckle on both hands !!!!
Regards,
Mike
 
Re: Pinion shaft oil seal -up-date to oil leak

Update- got the old seal out today and believe part of the problem was it
was not put in evenly all around the diameter of the housing. Little
high on one side and low on the other. Got the new one in, put rear end
oil back in and started her up. So far, no leaks !!! Hope this did it
as not a fun job but thanks to everyone's input, one where I got it done
without loss of blood or tools being thrown across the garage !
Thanks all,
Mike
 
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