Front axle rebuild- sos need help! (1 Viewer)

[prpp]

Hi guys, new land cruiser owner and wrencher here.
I am in the process of rebuilding my front axle, and I have gotten stuck. I cant get the seal that goes into the axle to sit right. I damaged both seals trying to get them installed. I am using a driver kit but it seems to bend the seal.

1- What is the correct technique in installing these seals? I am using the jonesys rebuild video and the guy on the vid just taps it in easily.
I also had difficulty removing the seal with a seal puller. I had to destroy the seal to get it out. 2- Is there a better technique?
3- Also what is the part number for the seal in attached pic?

Im afraid i wont get the axle back together again and would really appreciate any pointers

 

[Stumpalama]

Looks like your seal driver is too small in diameter. Marlincrawler.com sells a good tool for this, as it centers the tool on the seal.
If it starts to go cockeyed, you can use a brass drift or socket extension to tap the high side in until straight, then tap in again with the driver.

 

[ajax1]

Put little oil on the outside of the seal to help it out, tap straighter and look at it more to make sure it stays straight

 

[gummycarbs]

I damaged both seals trying to get them installed. I am using a driver kit but it seems to bend the seal.

You're using the flat side of the seal driver, right? The beveled side is for seating bearing races.

 

[mct75]

I put my seals in the freezer, then tapped them in by using an 3/8" drive extension and a hammer. This was not correct, but worked just fine

 

[prpp]

I am also having difficulty removing the seal with the seal puller. I have already resorted to using a screw driver and hammer to destroy the seal but it left some marks on the axle housing itself.

Could anyone give me general pointers on how to effectively use the puller? I have a lisle seal puller w an adjustable head.

 

[prpp]

You're using the flat side of the seal driver, right? The beveled side is for seating bearing races.

Yes i am using the flat side

 

[mct75]

I am also having difficulty removing the seal with the seal puller. I have already resorted to using a screw driver and hammer to destroy the seal but it left some marks on the axle housing itself.

I used some channel lock pliers as a sort of pry bar. Again not correct but it did work.

 

[prpp]

I put my seals in the freezer, then tapped them in by using an 3/8" drive extension and a hammer. This was not correct, but worked just fine

I too put them in the freezer and tried tapping it in with a brass drift but the seal wouldnt stay even seated.. which resulted in that deformation seen in pic.

 

[gummycarbs]

I just did mine for the first time last week. I couldn't get my Lisle seal puller to work until I had completely stripped the knuckle as in your picture. I think an "inside puller" would work and might not damage the seal.

When I installed my seals, I just wiped a bit of grease around the outside, pressed them in lightly by hand, then used a driver larger than the outside diameter of the entire seal.

 

[prpp]

I just did mine for the first time last week. I couldn't get my Lisle seal puller to work until I had completely stripped the knuckle as in your picture. I think an "inside puller" would work and might not damage the seal.

When I installed my seals, I just wiped a bit of grease around the outside, pressed them in lightly by hand, then used a driver larger than the outside diameter of the entire seal.

I will try this method when my new seals arrive.
Does anybody know the part number for the seals?

 

[gummycarbs]

I think it's 90310-35010 / Axle Housing Oil Seal.

 

[jbatx]

I use a wooden dowl and a large dead blow for this sort of thing. I find that the wood is easy on the metal seal and I can lightly tap the dowl with the larger hammer and *gently move the seal into place*. Tap around the edge of the seal watching it closely. Ease it in evenly. ...grease the race before hand. After its in, grease the seal liberally before installing the axle.

Hth
ymmv

 

[jbatx]

...when I say tap, i am holding the hammer head and tapping from perhaps an inch away. Its about control and observing the seal going in evenly

I use a wooden dowl and a large dead blow for this sort of thing. I find that the wood is easy on the metal seal and I can lightly tap the dowl with the larger hammer and *gently move the seal into place*. Tap around the edge of the seal watching it closely. Ease it in evenly. ...grease the race before hand. After its in, grease the seal liberally before installing the axle.

Hth
ymmv

...I don't own a seal driver.

 

[Malleus]

The "school solution" is to use a puller which grabs the seal from the lip side; deep bore installations like this are candidates for slide hammers, ideally. They're unicorns, though. It's too easy to just rip them out. The shells are thin sheet metal, and softer than the bores. They won't damage the bores, but a hard tool will.

Any tool just under the outside diameter of the seal will work as a driver. For this seal, you can use a round, thick piece of wood, if you don't have anything else (just make sure whatever you use is clean, and stays that way). A little thick oil or grease on the face of the tool keeps the seal in contact with the driver, for deep installations. It's really important to apply even pressure when you install seals (and bearings), otherwise they become skewed in the bores and then you're screwed.

 

[nukegoat]

Yeah and if you gouged the mating surface, clean it up with some 1000 grit first.

 

[prpp]

Yeah and if you gouged the mating surface, clean it up with some 1000 grit first.

 

[ppc]

Seals are single use only. By removing them they will be destroyed.

 

[b16]

And yes, those seals are a bitch to remove. Destroyed my HF seal puller getting just 1 out. lol

 

[mudgudgeon]

I have already resorted to using a screw driver and hammer to destroy the seal but it left some marks on the axle housing itself

Definitely clean up any burrs you've made.

I usually gently push the seal in by hand, then drive it in with a scrap of wood. A bit of 2"x1" works well so it is pushing on the very outer edge. Just gently tap it in, so and check you've got it going in straight every few taps. Move the block of wood around the edge as needed to be sure you drive it in evenly.
I prefer a driver to be larger than the seal diameter so you apply force to the outer edge only and don't deform the casing