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Re: Rear axle seals

To: Ajhsys@aol.com, spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Rear axle seals
From: Jeff Boatright <jboatri@emory.edu>
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 16:44:07 -0400
In-reply-to: <43c11c4.24ce1ad9@aol.com>
Reply-to: Jeff Boatright <jboatri@emory.edu>
Sender: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
Allen,

There are a couple of posts about the rear seal and hubs, so look for more
than one.

I bought a very cheap set of pullers from HF. I think it is the $13 set you
speak of. Worked fine, but it's very helpful to: 1) Thoroughly clean off
the packing grease they come in. It is absolutely disgusting (probably
animal fat or worse) and makes the job very difficult. Relube just the
screw with a light oil to retard rust. Use just a little. 2) Cobble up some
rubber bands to keep the arms from flopping all over the place. Otherwise,
you'll need three hands to get the puller on and turn the screw at the same
time. This all will be self-evident when you start the job. Though you can
pull the hub without a puller, it makes the job very easy, and I've found
other uses for the pullers, to the point that it's time to find more rubber
bands!

For replacement, I put the hub in front of a space heater for about 20
minutes and got it warm. I put the seal and bearings in the freezer for
like amount of time. The cold parts pretty much popped right into the hot
hub. I think I used the plastic cap from a spray can as a drift and tapped
on it with a small hammer. It helps to have the hub set in a vice. Don't
squeeze the hub in the vice jaws!! It's easy to squeeze it out of round.
Only light pressure is needed to hold it as you should only be pressing
straight down to drift in the seal and bearings.

Good luck,

Jeff

At 4:11 PM -0400 7/26/99, Ajhsys@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 7/26/99 10:56:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> jboatri@emory.edu writes:
>
> << I've done both rear seals. It's like everything else on these cars -
>  somewhat daunting at first, but no big deal after you've done it one time.
>  Do check the archives; I have a detailed protocol for seal replacment
>there.
>  >>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> Thanks Jeff.  The post in the archives seems very complete. I printed it
>out.
>  How are the seals pressed back in, and is there a trick to how tight to
>make
> the hub nut?
>
> Also, am I better off buying some kind of puller to get the bearing out?
> Harbor freight has a puller set for $13 that is 3" and larger.
> www.harborfreight.com/cpi/taf/DisplayItem.taf?ItemNumber=32184
> That sounds too big, but it looks like it works on smaller things by closing
> the jaws.  They also have a 2# slide hammer/puller that is smaller.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Allen Hefner




Jeffrey H. Boatright, PhD
Senior Editor, Molecular Vision
http://www.molvis.org/molvis
Mailto:jboatri@emory.edu
404-778-4113




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