Got new Marlin crawler axel seals (1 Viewer)

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Apr 20, 2005
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not the" no", but the F-no CA
I stopped by Marlin's shop yesterday to get a pair of his new HD axle seals. He is really excited about these and talked to me at length about them. I won't actually get them on my rig for a few weeks still but when we were comparing them to an oem seal they really seemed like a great idea. I agree with him when he says they were just waiting to happen. They fit inside the axle tube a litttle different and they make use of almost the whole sealing surface of the axle shaft. After talking to him and him telling me about how the axle typically wears I came home and inspected several axle shafts I have and they all looked just as he described, but this seal should work on them regardless of how worn they are because it doesn't rely on the same area of the shaft as the OEM seal. I can't wait to get some miles on them. If you doubt that your shafts are true, if you run an aftermarket shaft that is heat treated after it's final machining, or if your shafts have a lot of miles on them and tend to leak then these seals could be a good solution for you.
 
X 2. Like you, I have yet to install mine (will wait until next service) but they look good to me, sooo, I bought a set for each of my 3 Cruiser DD's.

John
 
I bought 3 yesterday cuz both my inner seals came out of their pockets. Did you talk to Marlin about why the stock, or other aftermarket seals fail? I was curious if the inner axles weren't centered & were pushing out the seal could cause it. The tech at MC told me it is a very slim possibility that the amount of shims on the knuckle could *hugely affect the inner seal/ shaft.
 
x3
bought a set when they 1st came out...and another after listening to a presentation he gave on the benefits of his design.
no install yet...It must be contagious :D

Has he come out w/an improved rear fj40 axle seal?
 
Yes I bought a set also - these look like the ticket.... I have yet to install mine also...
 
I have installed a pair of these in JB Welda's (Jah Bill) FJ60 last weekend. They are as good as the hype. Excellent product. The outer flange makes it much easier to seat, and the bevel on the inner part of the metal support is a nice design touch that makes them easier to get started without mangling the seal. Two thumbs up.
 
we should start a club, owhy2i = owners who have yet to install
I think that sounds better then "the procrastinators" club :D

Andrew,
I think your still eligible, since you have yet to install in your OWN rig :D


called Marlin and spoke w/Steve and got my answer -
currently they do NOT offer any improved REAR seals...but who knows what's on the horizon w/the mad marlin :D
 
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I'll be in the "future procrastinator" I need to put 30 spline longs in, Marlin seals...and yup...I'm just waiting to get the longs...;p
 
Andrew,
I think your still eligible, since you have yet to install in your OWN rig :D

Yep-no joke. I have built two front axles for my FJ40 over the last few months, and I finished #2 like a week before I heard these were available. With a part time system, these seals look good enough to last the life of the truck.
 
I bought 3 yesterday cuz both my inner seals came out of their pockets. Did you talk to Marlin about why the stock, or other aftermarket seals fail? I was curious if the inner axles weren't centered & were pushing out the seal could cause it. The tech at MC told me it is a very slim possibility that the amount of shims on the knuckle could *hugely affect the inner seal/ shaft.

Yeah I did talk to him about it. We actually got a shaft and a stock seal and his and kind of mocked up what is happening when they are installed.
The way the stock seal is put together there is sort of a spring that keeps the rubber tense on the axle, as the axle rotates, if it is out of center at all then you can see how the seal deforms the side that the shaft is pressing against. On Marlins seal there is a clip instead of a spring and it maintains a round hole for the axle to pass through. Around the opening the seal has a bellow shape that allows the clip to follow the axle shaft and the opening never changes it's shape. This should help dramatically if your axle isn't quite centered.
It also seals against the axle in a slightly different spot, so if you've had leaks in the past from the shaft itself being worn, or pitted for a cruiser that has sat a lot, with the clip moved slightly inboard and the whole sealing surface nearly doubled in length, the problem should be eliminated.
I didn't think to ask about seals that pop out of place, but he did tell me that if there were any problems with axel surface where the seal goes in that I should grind out any burs with a dremel and use a small amount of RTV when I put it in. Also he said it was fine use a socket with an extension run into the open end as a driver to install it.
 
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Just a note about the marlin seals, they are a bitch to remove. As a matter of fact I can't get them out of my housing. Their isn't enough metal to get a hold of with a seal remover or a slide hammer.
 
Just a note about the marlin seals, they are a bitch to remove. As a matter of fact I can't get them out of my housing. Their isn't enough metal to get a hold of with a seal remover or a slide hammer.

Just beat them with a screwdriver until they fold in.
 
I installed a set recently w/new knuckles. Because of the reasons above I didn't worry about centering the knuckles perfectly. The savings in time easily justified 2 x $7.50!
 
Just a note about the marlin seals, they are a bitch to remove. As a matter of fact I can't get them out of my housing. Their isn't enough metal to get a hold of with a seal remover or a slide hammer.

That's cause they want to be in there soo bad:D
 

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