91 FJ-80 Birf wear - how much is too much? (1 Viewer)

[GorgeFJ80]

Hi guys,

In the middle of my Birf//hub/diff rebuild & wondering how much is too much wear. Images show typical wear on star. Ball & housing look good... What do you think? Money is tight so I was thinking to swap sides but don't want to be stupid since I came this far...

Also, axle seals were leaking pretty bad & typical Birf soup in the knuckle... How far up into the axle housing should I go to get remaining "soup" out?

birf star1

• GorgeFJ80
• Feb 16, 2018

birf star3

• GorgeFJ80
• Feb 16, 2018

birf star4

• GorgeFJ80
• Feb 16, 2018

 

[tacosupreme]

Swap sides and run it for another 30K miles. Clean as much as you can reach, run it for a few hundred miles, then change the diff oil again. She'll be ok. Make sure there are not grooves cut in the shaft where the old seal rides. If there are seat the new seals to avoid the old groove or it will continue leaking into the birfs.

 

[Warpigg]

Can almost guarantee the driver's side axle will have a groove on it. And if you didn't have any axle clicking before then you should be fine with switching sides. Check your spindles for grooves also. I have a groove on my DS spindle where the inside wheel bearing seal sits. Mine doesn't leak but just another thing to make known. I also used a shotgun cleaning rod with some big patchs to go down the axle tubes to get the soup chunkys out. When you drop your diff oil take the fill plug out first then the drain. Sometimes neither want to come out

 

[GorgeFJ80]

Can almost guarantee the driver's side axle will have a groove on it. And if you didn't have any axle clicking before then you should be fine with switching sides. Check your spindles for grooves also. I have a groove on my DS spindle where the inside wheel bearing seal sits. Mine doesn't leak but just another thing to make known. I also used a shotgun cleaning rod with some big patchs to go down the axle tubes to get the soup chunkys out. When you drop your diff oil take the fill plug out first then the drain. Sometimes neither want to come out

Thanks guys, Will take a close look at the shafts & spindles, but don't remember any grooves... yeah the fill plug was seized bad. Made the mistake of starting with a 12pt socket & rounded it off a bit. Got one of those Irwin extractor sockets just in case, will try some heat 1st...

 

[GorgeFJ80]

Hmm, some small grooves in the shafts, how do I "seat the new seals to avoid the old groove" ?

 

[Warpigg]

I know the fill plug from a 87 4runner fits are front diff. I stole one off my dad's since mine was rounded, I'm sure most of the Toyotas are the same. I got mine off with a six point and a big electric impact. I also used the trail gear seals which I think are better and my old axle which had a groove ate the seal in like 1500miles. I had to get new axles.

 

[GorgeFJ80]

Yeah, I'm hoping this groove isn't too bad... was thinking of getting the "heavy duty" seals that Cruiser outfitters had, but hadn't see my axles yet. Here is a pic of the axle...

 

[GorgeFJ80]

also which way faces out on the star race?

 

[Warpigg]

Star race? In the birfield? And yeah that's about what mine looked like and I had to buy new. I went through two seals before I figured it out

 

[GorgeFJ80]

Damn, didn't want to hear that! ...The star is asymmetrical & sits higher in the cage depending on which way it is flipped

 

[iptman]

From the FSM...

 

[GorgeFJ80]

From the FSM...

 

[tacosupreme]

Hmm, some small grooves in the shafts, how do I "seat the new seals to avoid the old groove" ?

Leave it 1/8" from fully seated. I packed mine with grease in the hopes that it would help. 20K miles that way with no birf soup.

 

[Technician1985]

Doesn’t someone make a tool for installing the seal in a place where the groove won’t be?

 

[Funner]

Doesn’t someone make a tool for installing the seal in a place where the groove won’t be?

https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/wits-end-80-series-inner-seal-overdrive-tool.1022476/

 

[tacosupreme]

Wits' End- 80 Series Inner Seal Overdrive Tool

I had no idea such an item existed. You guys really have thought of everything!

 

[GorgeFJ80]

Thanks guys! Here's what I ended up doing: Had a friend who is expert with a TIG & has a lathe lay in a bead of Silicon Bronze Alloy & machine it flush. Got it all back together now. Seems to be working well so far. I was only able to get about a quart of gear oil in the diff due to sludge so will run it a few miles, drain it, top it up & probably repeat till it drains reasonably clean...

 

[GorgeFJ80]

....Also overdrove the seal a bit using a 1-1/16 socket as a seal driver - almost a perfect match for the seal dia..

 

[Rifleman]

Your buddy did a nice job Tig welding that spot, but Just as an FYI, you could have repaired that worn spot with a speedi sleeve too.
SKF Speedi-Sleeve

 

[GorgeFJ80]

Your buddy did a nice job Tig welding that spot, but Just as an FYI, you could have repaired that worn spot with a speedi sleeve too.
SKF Speedi-Sleeve

That looks like a good solution too! ... good to have options -Thanks