Marlin crawler axle seals with OEM style spring

[gsdog2]

Is this a dumb idea….. Going to do the front axles on the 80 and have the Marlin Crawler inner axle seals. I used them on my 60, but I sold it before I really could tell if they leaked or not. So, with all the bad reviews I read about using them on an 80, I was wondering if I changed out the inner sealing ring with an OEM spring, would they actually work? Or am I just headed for trouble. Looks like the spring on the Marlin seal doesnt set in as much as the stock, wondering if it would pop off. Any thoughts.

 

[1973Guppie]

just use OEM, trust me, mine are leaking like a siv, marlin should really not sell these for the 80 series......

 

[dougfj62]

Spent memorial day weekend replacing my leaky marlin seals. The rework really helps to build your competence on axle repairs. I say go for it.

 

[Wrench]

Is it worth the extra headache?

 

[gsdog2]

Probably not. I'll just use the oem. I did get drilled and slotted rotors though, hopefully I didnt waste cash on those too!

 

[NLXTACY]

Trust Guppie and me and many after us, don't use them. Even Marlin does not recommend for the 80.

 

[Tapage]

Trust Guppie and me and many after us, don't use them. Even Marlin does not recommend for the 80.

unless you have a part time 80

 

[NLXTACY]

unless you have a part time 80

Even then. No benefit over OEM especially if it's a problem everywhere else.

 

[Pin_Head]

The problem is when the axle seal surface is deeply grooved. They will leak if you just replace the seal. Either you leave the OEM seal proud by 1mm or install a different seal that rides at a different location like the Marlin seal. Mine were heavily grooved and I installed Marlin seals 4 years ago. They are still dry as a bone. If you are careless installing any of them they will all leak.

It is a seal; not the space shuttle.

 

[NLXTACY]

^ unfortunately not my case. I did have a mark on the shaft but it was not to the point of being a "groove".

 

[Kernal]

Same experience as Pinhead; deep wear grooves on the axle shafts, installed Marlin seals, no leaks four years later. Prior to that however the OEM seals worked fine for something like 100,000 miles with no leaks until the grooves (apparently) got too deep for that type of seal to work effectively.

 

[jfz80]

Concretejungle tried just that. The OEM spring on a marlin. Still failed within a year

 

[Tapage]

Even then. No benefit over OEM especially if it's a problem everywhere else.

Maybe no benefit .. I mean I had the OEM and Marlins .. just decide to take the leap with the Marlins on my part time 80 and so far no leaks ..

 

[FloridaFJ80]

ordered marlin seals as well.. gonna give them a try and see

 

[concretejungle]

let me save you some time. I tried it and it didn't work.

I had a set of OEM seals and a set of Marlin Seals. So i put one OEM seal on one side and a Marlin seal, with the OEM spring swapped into the marlin seal. It leaked. Quickly.

 

[1ststatecruiser]

no leaks also here after using Marlin on DS due to grove I used OEM on passenger side 14 k now