Check your diff breather and make sure it's not plugged. If it's plugged it will cause a vacuum and suck grease past the seals into the diff. Happened to me.
Do not buy Marlin Crawler Inner Axle Seals... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter CruisinEveryDay
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Mine lasted for quite a while 
Did a repack at 212k miles w/Marlin seals
Driver's side let go at 269k miles, but that was due to this:
Happened after I hit a refrigerator on the highway
Repacked the driver's side and the passenger side started slowly leaking at 316k miles, so it pretty much lasted 104k miles
I went back to OEM seals because I had them on hand for the last repack (CDAN kit came with them)
Did you use the proper service tool when you did the install?
Did a repack at 212k miles w/Marlin seals
Driver's side let go at 269k miles, but that was due to this:
Happened after I hit a refrigerator on the highway
Repacked the driver's side and the passenger side started slowly leaking at 316k miles, so it pretty much lasted 104k miles
I went back to OEM seals because I had them on hand for the last repack (CDAN kit came with them)
Did you use the proper service tool when you did the install?
- Thread starter
- #23
kbahus: I decided that I am going to go ahead and do the front diff breather extension. This will eliminate the front diff breather clog as a cause. Once I do this do you think I will have to change the inner axle seals or just clean things up, regrease, and change the diff fluid?
Also were you running marlin inner axle seals when this happened to you?
I would prefer not to change out the inner axle seals because I really want to love the Marlin seals...
Did anyone else who extended and or cleaned their breather hoses experience leakage from the marlins after the cleaning/ extending? Thanks for all your help, now I know this baby is going to get fixed right and be one step closer to safe deep water crossings.
Also were you running marlin inner axle seals when this happened to you?
I would prefer not to change out the inner axle seals because I really want to love the Marlin seals...
Did anyone else who extended and or cleaned their breather hoses experience leakage from the marlins after the cleaning/ extending? Thanks for all your help, now I know this baby is going to get fixed right and be one step closer to safe deep water crossings.
Over 40,000 miles on my first 80 series with no issues with the Marlins. And the current truck has over 50,000 with no issues yet on the Marlins. This debate will rage back and forth I figure, but for me the Marlins have worked great thus far. Hopefully haven't jinxed myself for when the front axle rebuild occurs.
- Thread starter
- #25
98 SNAKE EATER: Yes I did. I am hoping the Marlin Crawler seals arent crap and its just the breather hose like kbahus said,"Check your diff breather and make sure it's not plugged. If it's plugged it will cause a vacuum and suck grease past the seals into the diff. Happened to me."
But now that I think about it more I think my problem is the diff fluid flowing into the knuckle, however I could be wrong. The reason I am thinking this is because there is diff fluid that looks to be mixed with grease pouring out of my drivers side front wheel. But I could have both ways cross contamination, but I am fairly sure that I don't just have grease into the differential (i have not drained it yet so I am not sure...)
Please help me with your big brains mudders
But now that I think about it more I think my problem is the diff fluid flowing into the knuckle, however I could be wrong. The reason I am thinking this is because there is diff fluid that looks to be mixed with grease pouring out of my drivers side front wheel. But I could have both ways cross contamination, but I am fairly sure that I don't just have grease into the differential (i have not drained it yet so I am not sure...)
Please help me with your big brains mudders
kbahus: I decided that I am going to go ahead and do the front diff breather extension. This will eliminate the front diff breather clog as a cause. Once I do this do you think I will have to change the inner axle seals or just clean things up, regrease, and change the diff fluid?
Also were you running marlin inner axle seals when this happened to you?
I would prefer not to change out the inner axle seals because I really want to love the Marlin seals...
Did anyone else who extended and or cleaned their breather hoses experience leakage from the marlins after the cleaning/ extending? Thanks for all your help, now I know this baby is going to get fixed right and be one step closer to safe deep water crossings.
Once you have gear oil leaking into the knuckles (regardless of why), replace the inner seals.
It's cheap insurance and there's no point in going that deep into it and not change them out
That being said, if the "grooves" on your axles are deep or rough, this can chew up your seals pretty quick
You may want to mic it and check for burrs
Also, a lot of guys like using the HF type seal driver set.
I personally don't
I'd much rather use a flat tool that only drives the outer ring of the seal (like my SST), not the inner curve like the HF drivers.
They make it too easy for the user to slip and ruin the seal
98 SNAKE EATER: Yes I did. I am hoping the Marlin Crawler seals arent crap and its just the breather hose like kbahus said,"Check your diff breather and make sure it's not plugged. If it's plugged it will cause a vacuum and suck grease past the seals into the diff. Happened to me."
But now that I think about it more I think my problem is the diff fluid flowing into the knuckle, however I could be wrong. The reason I am thinking this is because there is diff fluid that looks to be mixed with grease pouring out of my drivers side front wheel. But I could have both ways cross contamination, but I am fairly sure that I don't just have grease into the differential (i have not drained it yet so I am not sure...)
Please help me with your big brains mudders
I think you've got it backwards.
If the breather is plugged, as the gear oil in the diff heats up, the expanding pressure will have nowhere to go and push its way though the inner seal into your knuckle, contaminating the moly and creating soup
That's what happened to me after I hit the refrigerator and my breather elbow got bent, restricting flow out of the breather tube.
That being said, there's also a vacuum effect that can suck excess moly grease from the knuckle into the diff housing.
This usually happens when you have a warm diff that is quickly cooled by flood waters
That's why I let my rig cooldown naturally for a bit before making my way through deep water crossings.
- Thread starter
- #28
When I inspected my axle there were not any grooves. I will deff replace the inner axle seals and go OEM this time, extend the breather hose, change diff fluid, use an SST driver to install the seals (98 SNAKE EATER: please include more info on this tool and possibly a link to where to buy it), and smooth out any nics I can find. Then repack and re-install. You guys think that if I take all these precautions i'll be good?
Cannon88
In the duck blind...
I made a SST tool similar to 98snakeeater. I used a 2 1/8 hole saw drill attachment, cut the circle, and screwed it to another board. It fits the seal perfectly.
I wouldn't call Marlin, he knows about the issue. Remember he builds mostly for mini-trucks. I believe the material is a bit more rigid and depending on your axle and how much movement its a toss up sometimes if you will have a problem.
I always use OEM parts for the front axle. sometimes aftermarket parts for other stuff
I always use OEM parts for the front axle. sometimes aftermarket parts for other stuff
I have had mine in for a out 10k and are just fine. Could be a lucky one though.
It seems like a coin toss to me. There's no real consistent success or failure from what i'm reading and having in my own experience.
Now one thing I did as an experiment (I don't think i posted this) but when i got the marlin seals i noticed that they use a little metal, almost the size of a paperclip, ring to keep the pressure around the sealing surface on the axle. I had a set of OEM sitting on the bench side by side and the OEM units use a wound spring type of ring. It felt more heavy duty then the marlin "paper clip" so I decided to use one marlin seal as it came and swap out the paperclip ring with the wound OEM ring in the other. The side with the OEM ring has held up and is not leaking, the side with the paperclip is leaking.
Now one thing I did as an experiment (I don't think i posted this) but when i got the marlin seals i noticed that they use a little metal, almost the size of a paperclip, ring to keep the pressure around the sealing surface on the axle. I had a set of OEM sitting on the bench side by side and the OEM units use a wound spring type of ring. It felt more heavy duty then the marlin "paper clip" so I decided to use one marlin seal as it came and swap out the paperclip ring with the wound OEM ring in the other. The side with the OEM ring has held up and is not leaking, the side with the paperclip is leaking.
Had the same bad experience as a lot of people, nursed mine for about 3 oil changes then had enough and went back to oem. I think worn spindle bushings can play a contributing roll in seal failure for both seals tho.
- Thread starter
- #34
Thanks for the pics and all the help guys. Idk what I would do without mud! The only good thing if I had never found ih8mud would be that my list of future mods would be much much shorter (but poorly selected) haha.
Just some food for thought....
You can make the OEM ones seal tighter if need be. The seal tension "spring" can be opened up where the tapered end fits into the non tapered end. Remove the "spring" from the seal. Open it up(look closely, it is there), cut off a CM(metric) or however much you want and "screw" the tapered end back into the non tapered end of the seal "spring". Once you take one apart, you will see what I am speaking of. Keep in mind, this should be done prior to install. Its a bit more difficult once installed on this sized lip seal but it has been done. Trail fix as well if need be.
You can make the OEM ones seal tighter if need be. The seal tension "spring" can be opened up where the tapered end fits into the non tapered end. Remove the "spring" from the seal. Open it up(look closely, it is there), cut off a CM(metric) or however much you want and "screw" the tapered end back into the non tapered end of the seal "spring". Once you take one apart, you will see what I am speaking of. Keep in mind, this should be done prior to install. Its a bit more difficult once installed on this sized lip seal but it has been done. Trail fix as well if need be.
As a matter of fact....this will help explain.
http://rlhudson.com/Shaft Seal Book/images/069_figure50.jpg
http://rlhudson.com/Shaft Seal Book/images/069_figure50.jpg
that's a great idea! Didn't know you could do that.
The marlin seals don't even use a spring, they instead have a wire ring with A slit cut in it. Wonder if you could make a hi-bread seal with a marlin seal and Toyota spring?? Hmmm
%100 correct. This may allow for the greater deflection.
Had a buddy text me today about a premature leaking knuckle, (he just recently regeared). I asked him what inner seals he used... Marlin. 
