Pinion seal leak

[Prairie Dog]

My front pinion seal is leaking but I'm wondering if it's because of the way I park the truck. I always park with the front end at an upward angle so the oil is up against the seal. I park this way for a week or two at a time without moving the truck. Under these conditions, is a leak inevitable?

As a little test, I parked the other way so the back is up ~ we'll see if the rear pinion seal starts leaking.

 

[Wagon]

my truck did and so did my buddys truck I think its somewhat common

 

[MisterBean]

PD,

The 06 2500 QC that I looked at last weekend had a pinion leak at the front of the rear pinion, but this guy parks his nose up exclusively. I pointed it out, he had it fixed. Now all I need is the financing to buy it!!!

Mark

 

[Hoefler]

Does not make a difference on how you park. It is suppose to keep the oil contained, regardless of angle.

 

[Prairie Dog]

PD,
The 06 2500 QC that I looked at last weekend had a pinion leak at the front of the rear pinion, but this guy parks his nose up exclusively. I pointed it out, he had it fixed. Now all I need is the financing to buy it!!!
Mark

My buddy has an 06 with 15K on it and his is leaking too ~ he parks dead level. He's a mechanic and afraid to let dodge fix it under warranty because you just don't know if they'll do it rite or just stuff a new seal in there and not set up the pre-load rite.
I suspect he'll do it himself. .

 

[Bater]

Interesting discussion in this year old thread.



While doing an oil change today I observed that the front pinion seal on my truck was weeping. I too am almost always parked nose up, so rain and snow melt runs out the back of the bed. Would have to agree that the seal is likely designed to hold in that position though.



I guess I should get this changed under warranty, as I assume it's a 100k part. (I am at about 80k. ) On the other hand, I have noted a lot of posts on TDR and elsewhere that suggest it might be best to leave it alone, unless it's really dripping. Will have to noodle on this some...

 

[BLoging]

my 04 started to leak at about 50,000 mile's got it fixed, they put a new seal in. And it was fixed once before under warranty at about 8,000 and had a sleave put in, to make the fix cheaper than putting in a new pinion drive flange. then at about 58,000 miles the seal went out again so the shop that did it at 50k put in a new seal and a new pinion drive flange and it has not leak yet and i have 77k on now.

when it went out at 58k i asked why it went out again and why there was a sleave in there? they told me that it was cheaper to mill down the drive flange ware the seal ride's to make room for a sleave to make a new area for the seal to ride on and to remove the bad area on the drive flange that chewed up the seal!

 

[Prairie Dog]

I know others are convinced otherwise but those kinds of seals are not meant to have oil resting against them all the time. I spoke with some long time mechanics and they clued me in. They will work for a while but eventually they will seap. If you look at every application where this kind of seal is used, the oil fill level is always just below the edge of the seal when level. I know the other argument is the seal is always wet in operation. True, but it works because of the spin that drives oil away.
I park my trk nose up and the front seal leaks slightly. I can clean it up and it will go a couple of thousand miles without even getting damp. Park it nose up for two weeks and it gets damp again. It doesn't use enough oil to even need to add between service intervals.

 

[101st ABN]

Mine weeped from 120k to about 145k and then started to drip and just had it replaced.

 

[JFought]

i about to replace the seal for the third time... ... .
(its beyond weeping)

 

[Bater]

I guess that is one benefit to my old first gen truck. The front driveshaft isn't turning all the time, so the seal is probably less likely to leak.



On the other hand, getting out to lock the hubs is a pain, and I never seem to remember the proper (and smoothest) way to engage the transfer case, neutral, park, etc. Last time I had need to do so on that truck, I had to crack open the owners manual! (You get spoiled with a switch on the dash. )



Andy

 

[S.Morris]

Make sure the differential housing vent is not plugged

 

[Bater]

Pinion Seal Replaced

Had the pinion seal replaced during other warranty and recall work. Tech says the yoke was grooved causing the seal to leak.



Andy