Darn Birfs (1 Viewer)

[Mr.Bryan]

Ok guys, I need to do a repack and need to replace the oil seal. I'm leaking. Problem is I need to take the truck on a trip next weekend and I dont have any time to get it done before it. I've already lost some grease and I am getting a little worried. It hasent been any horridly huge ammount or anything. Its not leaking on the my driveway, its just starting to collect on the inside of the wheel. Is there any quick fix that I can do just to tie it over or give me peace of mind? Is there a way I can shove some grease in there without taking it apart?

-Bryan

 

[CruisinGA]

There is a nut on the back of the knuckle that you can take off to squirt some grease in if you get bored. People disagree on how much grease should be in there, or whether its really even necessary at all.

 

[semlin]

just don't turn too much and you'll be fine!

Up to you, there are a lot of 80's out there long overdue for this service so you may be fine. My mechanic said that leaking on the wheel is the trigger to do the job. He was wrong. My r-s broke before before it ever dripped on the wheel. I had filled the knuckle holes a month earlier. That didn't help.

 

[Rogue]

Pumping grease into the fill hole will not pack the birfield. It will just add some more grease into the cavity. You should probably make some time to fix it.

 

[scottm]

I'm pretty sure grease put in that cavity will sling to the outside and help the wiper seal, but not the internal knuckle.

 

[Gumby]

Bring it by the school here in Naperville. We can stick it on the hoist and get them both knocked out in a couple of hours. The axle seal is cheap and readilly available, a 3lb tub of good grease and you're good to go. I've got the rolls of paper towels, the Safety Kleen tank and the special hub nut socket.

 

[scottm]

A couple hours??? What kind of beer do you like? I work at O'Hare a few times a month, used to keep an apartment there. I'm seriously dreading this overdue repack on both trucks, two jobs make that much time very dear. How many 80s in WCLC?

 

[Beowulf]

Bryan,
If it were me and I had a fairly short trip ( < 500 miles ) that I had to use the Cruiser then I would put 10 good squirts in the plug at the back of the knuckle. As others have said, this doesn't get grease to the area that it needs to (the birfield joint) but if you already have a leak then it will "thicken" the mixture until you can get to the job.

Please don't wait too long or you'll join the increasing long list of guys having to buy new birfield bits & pieces and feeding C-Dan's dog. The darn thing is looking like Cujo.
-B-