Pinion leak & rear main leak

[DGamelin]

Replaced the front pinion seal last week, the old one looked fine so did the yoke. Drove to Texas and back about 2400 miles and the seal is leaking again. The rear main double the amount it was leaking. Has any body else dealt with this? The truck only has 50k miles on it.



04. 5 3500 4x4 cc dully 373 6speed 50k

93 2500 2wd xc 354 auto 250k

 

[DieselFiend]

Hey man, my front pinion is leaking. I haven't replaced it yet. Was it difficult? Did you need any special tools? How long did it take you?



Oh, by the way, I'm at 78K and my front one just started leaking.

 

[Kry226]

I'm at 59K and my front is leaking for the second time. The current seal probably has less than 20k on it.



If you do a search, you should find a lot of threads on leaking front pinion seals.

 

[ssanders60]

front pinion seal

Had to replace the front pinion seal on my '03. This was just a few weeks after they

changed the oil in differentials. I suspect that they overfilled it and told

them about my suspicions and told them to be careful and not overfill it

after the repair, fill it like the operator manual instructs.

No, the vent from the differential will not protect the seals against overfilling. The lubricant is propelled toward the seal, also you'll find that

the differential will be almost empty while there may be only slight evidence of the leak. The mileage was 72,916 just out of warranty.

The seal is $17. 30 and the oil was $26. 67 the labor was $105. 00, total

bill tAx and all $159. 40.

 

[DGamelin]

The seal is an easy repair. I own a repair shop and have the tools but when you do it I would just mark the pinion nut on the pinion with a punch or chisel (lightly) and put the nut back where it was, count the turns of the nut when you take it off. When I did it the first time I set it with a inch pound torque wrench. By the book but to make that accurate you have to have the axles out or the drag of the axles will through off your readings. I bought the truck used at 23k miles. The previous owner had just had a complete front to rear amsoil change so I never checked it. The front and rear axles were so over filled they must have jacked the truck up on each end to fill them. So I figured that was the problem. The rear axle was full of metal filings I thought this was from foaming. I was sure to get the level right. The old seal looked fine and so does the yoke. I didn't lose munch oil. I make these trips a lot, when I do they are almost non-stop so when I get out to stretch my legs I look the truck over. The oil being propelled at the seal has to go through the bearing there is no oil relief like some axles. I wonder, it being a reverse cut the oil has a shorter route from oil bath to the pinion and it being synthetic it flows so well it would take less pressure to get by the seal. Driving at high speed the pinion bearing is going so fast that it is like a wall of steal. I don't remember but the last ford we put a front seal in had a reverse cut dana 60 had an oil relief above the pinion I think. I might just be grasping at straws but I think there is a problem here. I talked to a couple of other guys and theirs happen after long high seep drives. I put on 900 miles a day when I make a run. What do you guys think?

 

[MA2LA]

Just an odd thought I had( i get them alot) I was under mine yesterday and I knowticed alot of oil on the pinion area but when i looked further there isa vent tube on that side of the motor witch I'm guessing is the crake case vent and it has been blowing oil everywhere. and from my past work with jeeps I have found if there is an issue with the PCV valve it will cause the rear main to leak sooner than we would like. Then in the latest Issue of TDR thier is a mention of cleaning the filters. ok i'm done

 

[DGamelin]

MA2LA Thanks for the thought. I know the crank case tube is not leaking on the axle, the top of the axle is clean. Very little oil is coming out of the tube. But that does make me wounder about the filters in the crank case vent. I havent had one of them apart yet. That would be a nice fix for the rear main seal.

 

[ssanders60]

Front axle seal

DGAMLIN,



I think you hit the nail on the head, that's why the Manufacturer

instructs you to fill the chunk just below the bolt hole.