twybrow
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 09:32 PM |
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Please help - removing pinion oil seal on an English diff
Please help. I started trying to change the pinion oil seal tonight, as I had an oil leak. My SVA is Tuesday next week, and from tonights progress, I
think I am going to have to cancel....
After much shouting, and crushing of fingers, I got enough clearance to get the flange off (having marked the nut, thread, and flange, as well as
counting the number of turns to remove). Now I can't get the old pinion seal out. I have tried levering out with a screwdriver, drifting one
side (as Haynes suggests) and tried shouting at it, but it don't budge. It looks pretty rusty to be honest....
I have sprayed a load of WD40 all over the metallic outer, and I am leaving it while I calm down. I wish I'd just left it and dribbled oil all
over mr SVAs floor....! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to tackle it?
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Daddylonglegs
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 09:39 PM |
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Sounds a bit strange. I've recently taken my diff apart and the seal came out really easily. I just hit the metal edge with a small chisel and
then used a small punch to lever it out.
Just be careful how far you whack it though so as not to damage the pinion bearing.
HTH.
JB
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
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corrado vr6
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 09:45 PM |
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Hi mate i had trouble getting the seal out to, i ended up cutting it removing a small piece on the bottom edge with a pair of tin snips and using
pliers and a screwdriver, managed to pull it out!! just make sure nothing falls in the diff
http://r1indy7.wordpress.com/
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twybrow
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 09:51 PM |
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I have tried whacking it (although not sure how hard to hit, as worried about damaging something). Might have to resort to cutting it out. Why do
these things fail once they are at their worst times?!
It feels like I am getting the screw driver in behind the seal, but I was bending the screwdriver, with no visible movement of the seal... 
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paulf
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 09:55 PM |
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Can you screw a self tap into it to give something to pull on? failing this I would just hammer a thin screwdriver through it.
If you worried about debris getting in the diff you could drain and refill it afterwards.
Paul.
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MK chippy
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 10:51 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by corrado vr6
Hi mate i had trouble getting the seal out to, i ended up cutting it removing a small piece on the bottom edge with a pair of tin snips and using
pliers and a screwdriver, managed to pull it out!! just make sure nothing falls in the diff
I did the same ^^^ 
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twybrow
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| posted on 24/3/09 at 11:14 PM |
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Right, with a bit more WD40, and a lot more hitting, I got a face full of oil, and the seal out. Result.
Next, when 'drifting' in the new seal, the Haynes says to make sure the 'face of the seal is flush with the differential
housing'. Does this mean the rubber bit, or the metal bit of the seal? If it is the metal bit (what I would call a face), I am home and dry. If
it is the rubber bit, I am a country mile away!
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procomp
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| posted on 25/3/09 at 07:51 AM |
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Hi
I see you are doing it the bodge way without removing the the complete diff unit from the the axle.
What you HAVE to do to do the job correctly is remove the complete diff unit so that when you re tighten the NEW crush-able spacer you can set the
pre load on the bearings. If you just retighten the nut to where the old one was you will have the oil leak back in a few months. As the reason
it's leaking is the preload has diminished on the bearings and the pinion is rotating off centre Hence the leak past the seal. Not to mention
the preload will still be wrong giving the pinion / crown wheel contact patch in the wrong area.
Cheers Matt
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JAG
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| posted on 25/3/09 at 08:10 AM |
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Matt,
I've got this job to do sometime soon so can you explain a little more.
I hear what you are saying about preload on the bearings but I don't quite see how;
quote:
preload has diminished on the bearings and the pinion is rotating off centre
Surely the pinion can't rotate off centre IF the bearings are good, no matter what the preload does?
Aaahhh unless it's a taper needle roller bearing? 
Have I just answered my own question? 
Justin
Who is this super hero? Sarge? ...No.
Rosemary, the telephone operator? ...No.
Penry, the mild-mannered janitor? ...Could be!
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02GF74
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| posted on 25/3/09 at 08:13 AM |
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^^^ yeah - it struck me too that you are doing this withou removing the diff.
I had leaky halfhsfts so know it is not that big a job - I was doewn to about 10 mins per side by the time I fixed it - see my post about a simple DIY
1/2 shaft remover using bolts and stud extender.
from what I can remember, I don't think I replaced my seal or maybe I did - the seal should sit flush in the recess of the diff - think that is
normal practice as it ensure the rubbber lip is square to the rotating shaft - for shafts that have worn grovves, you would try to not fit the seal
all the way home so that the lip runs on an unused section of shaft.
you would need new diff gasket - if you are in hurry and cannot get one, I can post one off to ya - I thnk I have a couple spare - no promises.
also if you are stuck ofr time with the crush tube, although they shold not be re-used, you can "lengthen" it by hammering on the ends to
thin the metal a bit thus lengthening the tube - you probalby need about 0.2 mm - a tiny amount - this will crush down to correct pre-load - again I
posted about how to measure the preload.
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twybrow
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| posted on 25/3/09 at 08:47 AM |
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Matt et al,
Firsatly, many thanks for the replies - I am very grateful.
I am going for a rough and ready solution without removing the diff, as my SVA is next week, and I don't want to pee oil all over the SVA mans
floor. My plan is to have the diff professionaly looked at/rebuilt after the test next week. I was hoping to bring it to you (ProComp) for a geometry
setup once the car is legal, so maybe I could talk to you about a rear end rebuild at the same time?
The method I am following is the method stipulated in the Haynes for a pinion oil seal change, so I hope it is not too much of a bodge!
The reason the seal was leaking was that the rubber was perished and the spring had failed - it looks like it has been in there for some time judging
by the rust ridge around the seal. I don't think this leak is a reflection of the crush washer being over crushed, but I stand to be
corrected.
So, can you confirm how far in the seal needs to go? It sounds like I shouldn't be going any further than I currently have it, which is the
metal face of the seal is flush with the diff housing - can you confirm this for me please?
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