Front Drive Shaft / Differential leak; Oil Seal & dust cover replacement (2 Viewers)

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2001LC

2001LC

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Used the short method (didn't remove grease cap) and had axle out in 20 minutes...sweet. Unfortunately I've got the wrong (to small) oil seal on hand, so I'll be held up.

Meantime I'd like to install the inboard Dust Cover, which I do have a new one on hand. I don't have comparison (missing dust cover), so not sure which way it faces.

I think bump-out of Dust Cover to axle and indentation to differential, as I show in picture. Can anyone confirm or have some pictures?

020.JPG


Is proper Oil Seal seating flush with inner lip of DS differential tube?
In this picture bottom of old oil seal is ~1/4 inch passed, while top is flush with inner lip.

015 A.jpg
 
I remember installing the seal just inside the lip- so long as it's centered properly, should be good to go. I believe I used the old seal to help seat the new one.
 
Thanks. In FSM oil seal looks as if flush with inner lip. But also looks as if driven all the way back. I also use old seal(s) to tap in new ones. One of these days I'll get myself a seal driver kit.

Orientation of Dust Cover is even less clear in FSM. They way I have it oriented in above picture seem proper, but again I'd like some confirmation?
 
The seal doesn't seat all the way back, just a few mm from the lip at the front. If it does need to go back further the dust cover will push it into place when you install the shaft. Mine weeped when it was to far back so I installed it as mentioned with no issues. Make sure the area that the seal sits is clean and corrosion free.
 
Good advise Julian, thanks.

I've never checked a breather. Is pulling cap off hose the best way?
 
2001LC said:
Used the short method (didn't remove grease cap) and had axle out in 20 minutes...sweet. Unfortunately I've got the wrong (to small) oil seal on hand, so I'll be held up.

Meantime I'd like to install the inboard Dust Cover, which I do have a new one on hand. I don't have comparison (missing dust cover), so not sure which way it faces.

I think bump-out of Dust Cover to axle and indentation to differential, as I show in picture. Can anyone confirm or have some pictures?

View attachment 1312904

Is proper Oil Seal seating flush with inner lip of DS differential tube?
In this picture bottom of old oil seal is ~1/4 inch passed, while top is flush with inner lip.

View attachment 1312908
Click to expand...
Can you provide more info on the "short method"? It looks like I have to pull the front diff to replace the front diff mount bushing and getting the axle out in 20 minutes would be awesome. I did search, but for some reason can't find any more info on this. Thanks
 
2001LC said:
Good advise Julian, thanks.

I've never checked a breather. Is pulling cap off hose the best way?
Click to expand...
I found mine fused and blocked in my 05. Pulled the hose off just below the power steering reservoir and replaced with extended hose and 10mic fuel filter as the breather that terminates up on the firewall. Not in favor of the cap type breather.

image.jpeg


image.jpeg


image.jpeg
 
I've not replaced the Ft Differential bushing before. But I'd bet you can do without pulling front drive shafts or differential.

To answer you: Short method is when not removing the axle from the hub so grease cap and outer snap ring aren't removed.
Pull: Wheel, Brake Caliper (hanging to side with brake line on) and ABS wheel sensor (hang to side). Get all lines off knuckle for safety of parts and full motion of knuckle. Then separate upper ball joint from knuckle. Then slid under your truck, use brass drift and 5lb sledge hammer to knock out front drive shaft where it goes into differential.
Tip: Remove bracket from knuckle, leaving on brake line. This keeps from bending or breaking bracket of brake line.
Notes: Per FSM: Oil Seal (if removed) and Inner Snap Ring are not reusable. Point gap of snap ring down during install.

015.JPG
 
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1999 Land Cruiser, Driver Side, Differential Tube, Oil Seal Placement
20170529_163506.jpg

I'm replacing my original CV drive shaft on the DS. I guess I should have looked here before installing my new seal. Oh well. Anyway, I took a picture of the new seal placement which I will try to attach. Basically the original seal seemed to be installed such that it was almost flush (standing a little proud) with the inner lip which is a few millimeters inboard of the end of the diff tube. I didn't want to mess up my new seal so I put it in the freezer so it would shrink a little and hopefully go in easily at the time of install. After I removed the old oil seal, I seem to recall that there was a circular clip that was the next part that was deeper in the diff tube. I don't recall but maybe it had a bearing behind it and the circular clip kept that bearing where it was supposed to be. (I'm guessing on this last sentence ... I don't really recall what was just inboard of the clip inside the diff tube.) Anyway, I found out that a 2" PVC plumbing coupling had an inner diameter that allowed the protruding part of the oil seal to fit inside and then had a nice bearing surface on the main part of the seal. I put about a 12" piece of 2" PVC pipe into the coupling and then I used a flat aluminum Race & Seal Driver that was the approximately same OD as the 2" PVC pipe. I used a Craftsman hammer that has a softer "rubber-ish" red head on one end and harder yellow plastic head on the other end ... it is a lightweight hammer in my opinion. I wiped the ID of the diff tube to make sure it was clean (other than the oil leaking out at the bottom). I got the cold oil seal and coated the OD with some of the diff oil that was leaking out and then I placed the seal in the diff tube and started tapping it in with my stackup of PVC/race driver. I tapped easily and the seal went in easily and then it felt like it seated against something (I assume the circular clip). After I got my PVC driver assembly :) out of the way I could see that the seal was about a quarter of an inch deeper than the previous seal was. It was in there nice and flat and the seal wasn't damaged/bent during the install. I then coated the inside of the tube and seal with Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease (NLGI #2).

1) Do you think it is in too far? If so, does that mean that you think that it is touching something other than the circular clip and may damage whatever that is? A poster above implied that the dust seal would push the oil seal deeper if it needed to. The fact that my oil seal went in easy and seated easily (and I didn't pound it home, just light tapping) and the fact that the seal seems nice and flat makes me think it may be okay ... I just don't recall how radially "tall" the circular clip was and am concerned that the new oil seal could be touching something it isn't supposed to if the circular clip is "short" ... any thoughts?

2) With the oil seal in deeper than original, I'm concerned that the ID of the oil seal may not engage the shoulder of the CV drive shaft and keep dirt/etc. out ... I will attempt to make some measurements to see if I can determine if that would be true but if you already know, that would be great :) Any thoughts?

3) What is behind that circular clip?

4) If you do think it is in too deep, is there a method to remove without damaging it if you don't have the Special Service Tool? i had to special order it from Toyota and they make everyone order in person, no credit card over the phone even if you are a repeat customer ... don't understand that one :-(

5) Also, on a somewhat related issue regarding Ball Joint studs ... Do you recommend a dry fit between the ball joint studs and the mating female tapered holes in the steering knuckle? If not, would you use oil or something like the Mobile 1 Synthetic Grease (#2)?

Thank you!
 
That looks in too far, I done the same thing by mistake and it leaked. I bought a new seal to fix it. Why would you grease the ball joint studs, there is no movement there.
 
Hi Julian,

It seems I may be ordering a new oil seal ... I'm sure I'll wreck the new one I just installed. Regarding the ball joint studs, I was thinking that maybe they wouldn't be so tight next time, possibly. Even though the tapered holes in the steering knuckle (SK) looked totally clean when I removed the SK, those studs were really pressed in tightly ... I guess I thought that putting some grease in there might make them separate more easily in the future.

Thank you,
Keith
 
One thing you'll need to make sure inner snap ring is on and pointed down, before inserting drive shaft axle into differential. I put on a dab of M1 #2 grease to hold snap ring in position. Note: I use M1 gear lub 75W-90 in diff.

BTW: I too "sometimes" grease ball joint shaft, receptor in hole and flat shiny area on knuckle with very thin layer of marine grease. Repels moisture and prevent rust, making next service easier. I do get carried away with greasing parts at times.
 
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Thanks again 2001LC. I guess I need to also locate my diff breather tube and see if it is clogged ... back to searching this incredible forum.
 
SlowBuild said:
@Ironman2011 @Julian Stead or anyone else,

Any advice to remove diff tube oil seal? I might try to tear it out with channel locks. I know I’ll mangle it, which is fine, but I don’t want to damage anything worth keeping.

Thanks
Click to expand...
If you haven't already gotten the seal out, I can't seem to remember for sure but I either used a very small pry bar (came in a set of 4 or 5 from Harbor Freight) or I used a cheap seal puller I found at Harbor Freight or a combination of the two.

One other thing I did once I got the old seal out was to lightly sand the "rusty" first couple of millimeters of the ID of the diff tube to knock down any rusty protrusions so as to not scar the new OD of the new seal when I inserted it (didn't want the new one to leak). I lubed it up as well with Mobil One synthetic grease that you can see in my earlier post on the one I accidentally pushed in too far.

After topping off the diff fluid I haven't had any seepage in 5 months and all else seems to be good!

Good luck!
 
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