Drivetrain Seals

[rowland]

I started parking my truck last week at a location that leaves it at a slight nose down slant. Noticed that I'm starting to leave two fair size oil slicks when I do this. Looks like the oil seals on the the T-case front output and my rear axle pinion both dried out and croaked this winter.



I've done the rear t-case seal before, so I know whats involved in that. It's the rear axle seal that worries me. The manual states that I should use "oil seal installation tool C-359" Yeah, that's real helpful. Actually, I'm not too worried about installing the seal so much as messing with the bearing preload, etc when re-installing the yoke. But maybe my fears are unfounded, I've never set up an axle before.



Anybody done this before? Can I swap oil seals and get away scot free?



Isaac

 

[steveinaz]

A common practice around the shop when installing used gears is to match the coast pattern, not the drive pattern. Your pinion bearing "preload" is set with shims, not a crush sleeve, and is probably long gone. Your carrier bearings will have some preload left unless the housing is bent or a bearing is coming apart. If you are reinstalling the same gears nothing(preload)will change.



Use a good imact to remove the pinion nut. The yoke may require some "persuasion" before it comes off. You may find shims between the yoke and the bearing. It just depends on how the pinion was preloaded. You should now be able to remove the seal and reinstall a new one with a large(1 3/4" I think) socket as a install tool.



I always put a little grease on the sealing surface of the yoke and a little silicon on the pinion splines as I have seen them seep here on occasion. I also use red loctite on the pinion nut for final assembly. The book says 250 to 270 ft lbs of torque. I just estimate with the impact. Should be a slight drag on the pinion when done. SteveinAZ

 

[rowland]

Thanks Steve, thats what I was hoping for. The biggest problem is that I am currently living like a hobo in the Northwest Territories and no longer have access to the shop I had in Alaska. In other words, I don't have an impact wrench handy. I remember hanging upside down from a long breaker bar in a driveway in New Mexico for the t-case seal and don't care to repeat that performance. I'll have to check around, surely somebody I know has one.



Isaac