rear diff axle seal

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

rear diff axle seal

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Basically

-Get rear of car off the ground and remove rear wheels and brake drums (do both seals even if only one is leaking)

-Remove diff cover with a drain pan under it to catch all the oil

-Rotate carrier until you can see the little bolt that goes horizontally into the pin that runs through the spider gears in the diff. Remove that little bolt.

-Slide pin out, and try not to rotate the carrier at all once the pin is out because sometimes then the cupped washers behind the spider gears move out of place and you have to have them in the proper spot when you want to slide the pin back in.

-Have a small magnet handy when you push the axle in and grab the C clip off the end of the axle.

-Pull out axle. Some guys use the inner tip of the axle to pop the seal out of the housing if they don't have a seal puller.

-Carefully tap in the new seal making sure it goes in straight. Put some grease on the rubber part of the seal that runs on the axle shaft.

-Put axle back in, install C clip, pull axle out to "seat" the C clip.

-When both sides are done, put pin back in, put bolt back in, put cover on.

-REMEMBER TO FILL THE DIFF WITH OIL, DON'T LEAVE IT EMPTY LIKE I DID AS A KID WORKING AT THE GAS STATION...... No oil kills the diff in short order, believe me!

JC2+2 · Poncho Master!

Very good tutorial Carl. Another thing to check after installing the new seal. Make sure the spring around the seal lip is still in place. They can dislodge when pounding the seal in without using an actual seal installer, which few of us ever use. It doesn't happen often but can happen. Just check because without the spring the seal won't seal.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Good point about the spring John.

Yeah, most of our seal installers at work in the GM Special Tools section are unused and dusty!

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

doesnt seem to be rocket science

the only tricky part according to your words is the not to rotate the carrier when the pin and bolt is removed

and not to loose the c clip^ when pushing out the axle

what about the brakes ??? dont i have to unassemble the whole pads and back plate ?? or just remove the back plate with the pads assembled

i dont have to disconect the cyl brake line ??

to put in the seal i use a same size socket , and grease it up and tap it i gently

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

You don't have to touch the brakes other than removing the drum, easy peasy!

Install the seal with a driver a touch smaller diameter than the outside diameter of the seal, so the driver doesn't damage the bore of the tube.

And I think you know, but just to be safe, grease only the bore of the seal, not the outer diameter.

If the carrier rotates, it's not the end of the world but I've had it happen where the spider washer fell out and it can be a challenge to get it back in sometimes.

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

so the bore of the seal is the rubber interior surface that touches the axle ?

Carl i like that avatar

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I never put any grease on the seal surface that touches the axle, but did put a bit on the spring of the seal to ensure it stays in place while the seal is being pushed into the axle. I use the flat side of a 2x4 on the face of the seal and tap it in.

Do you need the axle seal part #'s?

-- Edited by seventy2plus2 on Monday 15th of August 2016 08:38:49 PM

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

since 1983 wrote:

so the bore of the seal is the rubber interior surface that touches the axle ?

Carl i like that avatar

Yes, the idea with the little bit of grease is to keep the seal from running dry when you first drive it after installation. Once the diff lube reaches the seal it is lubricated for the rest of it's life. It's a good idea to do that with any seal that starts up dry. And thanks, I wish the avatar was bigger to show the big grin on my face because I finally got to use my car!

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

seventy2plus2 wrote:
I never put any grease on the seal surface that touches the axle, but did put a bit on the spring of the seal to ensure it stays in place while the seal is being pushed into the axle. I use the flat side of a 2x4 on the face of the seal and tap it in.
Do you need the axle seal part #'s?

-- Edited by seventy2plus2 on Monday 15th of August 2016 08:38:49 PM

i have the seals for both sides thanks

Carl you should go and show that strato on 2 door post ,

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

It's had a bit of exposure over there, Todd posted pics of it when it was on Kijiji before I bought it.

I hope to get out with it more next year. We are building a new house and moving off 35 acres to a little lot in town, so it's been a busy summer doing the cleanup and downsizing.

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

here we go 2 stripped bolts on the diff cover....where are my chisels ????

beaucarlo · Guru

try and bang on metric 6 point first.....12mm on a 1/2 in bolt size.....14mm on a 9/16 in. bolt size....

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

i got the seals in no problem but i think when i removed the 1 st axle shaft the carrier rotated a bit

so this is what happened accidently one of the spider gears ( one of the gears the are at each end of the pin ) that gear came out of it s place where it was i put it back in place but my pin would no longer align with the 2 gears and the two holes on top and bottom .........

finally i managed to put back that spider gear in place by pulling out the axle shafts and rotating the axle shaft gears and after a couple tries my pin could align throught with the gears

but i did not see any cup washers as i removed and replaced the spider gear ?????is there something wrong ??

or this diff would not have washers with the spider gear what i saw in this diff was the top hole where the pin goes on then one spider gear then in the midle the two axle meet against the pin then another spider gear finally the bottom hole where the bolt goes in

am i ok here

if yes i will have to retap a cover bolt that broke and fill the diff and go for a ride

how much 80w90 do i put in there ??

thanks Carl or who ever helpes me

-- Edited by since 1983 on Wednesday 17th of August 2016 06:04:52 PM

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

beaucarlo wrote:
try and bang on metric 6 point first.....12mm on a 1/2 in bolt size.....14mm on a 9/16 in. bolt size....

i should of read this before i started confuse confuse

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I think it's a couple litres of gear oil, just fill to the bottom of the fill hole. To determine if you're getting close, you can either try to stick your finger in the hole, or better to use an allen wrench in the hole. Insert the allen key, then turn it down to determine the level. Then pull out and check the level on the allen key.

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

ok or a tye rap that s what i use

i Wonder about the washer and gear issue , or the diff dint have washers there at all ?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I can check the parts book but I would have thought they had washers behind the spider gears. It's a 10 bolt, right?

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

Yes it s 10 Bolt

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I'm not sure what to say, my GM parts book has them in the picture for your diff and also a part number listed.

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

i dont recall seeing washers with the spider gears ,but maybe they fell in the bottom of the casing as i removed the pin

i figure those washers go on top of the gear just before the hole where the pin goes and just Under the gear where the pin hole has the lock bolt ??

i you ever have a scan of the pic let me see

i wll Google a gm 10 bolt pic

thanks

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

yup there are washers there , i will have to find them somewhere ........
ox-usa.com/img/cms/pdfs/GM%2010%20BOLT%20EXPLODED%20VIEW.pdf

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

welll the washers where in place i a can see some very thin washers on top of the gear i was nor shure if those where washers or part of the gear

i shooted some air from the compressor on them to see them turn so then i could confirm they are there so i figure they where stuck on the spider gear when it came off

i guess my gears where more an issue here than the seals them self , that was an esay deal

i just have to retap a bolt cover fill it up like Carl always does

and go

thanks for the help guys

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Good to hear it's working out for you.