ORION Transfer case - shaft seals leaking, front and rear (1 Viewer)

[bOxcrash]

Hello,
Have an ORION Transfer case on a 73/74 Landcruiser and the front and rear driveshaft seals appear to be leaking; leaking all down the front housing, the back seal output shaft and collecting at the hex/allen drain plug on the bottom and leaking pretty good. Creates a nice drip and pooling on the floor(or flat drip pan or cardboard, depends on what is there lately)

The plug might also be leaking....TBD at this time, since I have not planned to drain yet....looks cross threaded. I sure hope it is not, and hope its just the angle of the case in relation to the drain plugs flat surface, additionally some loctite or rtv on the threads to be sure it does not leak going back in.

I am assuming these just use Toyota OEM seals...since I could not find anything searching the WWW's for Orion specific seals.

Front housing seal, leaking seal where drive shaft input into transfer case, would that seal be typical OEM Toyota seal?
OEM PN# 9031138134 or 9031138047?

Then the rear one output shaft seal is leaking as well.
Possibly OEM PN# 9031145001 or 9031145018?

Anywhere good to find these? Or local Toyota dealer should carry these?
Thanks a bunch for any help, and really appreciate all the help you guys provide.

 

[spotcruiser]

Standard gaskets and seals as far as I recall. AA says to use their front output gasket IIRC, as it affects bearing preload, but you can use pretty much any gasket as long as you check output shaft preload and adjust as necessary when you are done. The double output seal mod is a good idea. RTV on the output shaft splines is also a good idea. If it looks like the idler shaft O-rings are leaking, those are easy to replace. I've used aftermarket gasket kits that several vendors sell, which typically include drain plug seals and speedo seals that are nice to do while you're at it. Probably best to go OEM for the seals.

You may want to look at that front output bearing, also. If the shaft seems to have excess play, it's not difficult to replace the bearing.

 

[Poser]

Front output seal is 90311-38047; same as the front and rear differentials.

Rear output seal is 90311-45001.

Get new stake nuts, 90179-20061.

 

[bOxcrash]

Thanks guys. Good deal, appreciate it!

I will check play as well, but hopefully that is all good....I am about ready to be done working on this thing....but I think from what I gathered that never ends.... :/

 

[bOxcrash]

Tapping into the experience of others who have done it, in doing this anything I need to be aware of or take note of?
Rumor has it 1.4 qts of 75W-90 synth is what it should take to refill after doing the seals and putting back in drain plug.

Aside from me marking everything in its current orientation before removing I am just going to disconnect the driveshaft at the unput, zap off(hopefully) the front stake nut on the input side, clean and pop out the seal and put in the new one.
I am also planning on removing the front housing and replacing that gasket as well with the same one, anything I need to align or worry about there or just as long as I mark and note positions, etc. should be apart and back together since its been working for miles and just all leaking?

The back output seal, about the same thing for the most part, since the prop shaft should already be aligned no need to re-align anything there?
Thanks much, I like to make sure I am adequately prepared as far as what to expect.

 

[spotcruiser]

None of it is difficult. Drain the xfer first, of course. Pay attention to the orientation of the shift collar in the front output when you put it back together. I like to take a dremel with a straight grinding bit to the stake on the stake nuts before turning them off. A strong impact wrench might spin them right off, but I find that grinding out most of the staked portion makes it easier. I use a piece of flat bar, drilled for a drive flange, to hold the flange stationary while I turn off the stake nut. Are you going to drop the xfer? You mention the input (or unput), but you can't get to the input seal without dropping the xfer.

The stake nut for the input shaft of the Orion is not a stake nut. It's a special nylock nut from AA. I reuse mine with red lock-tight and have had no issues. You might choose to replace it, so you may need to contact AA.

While you have the front extension off it's a good time to install one of Georg Esterer's strengthening rings, if you're so inclined.

Check the seal surface of the brake drum before you reinstall it. If it's grooved, you can install a speedi-sleeve.

Anyway, it takes just as little more gear oil than stock (however much that is), I think, because it's a little deeper than stock. Just fill to the bottom of the fill plug, of course. I just use 85-90 dino. I don't know that it requires anything more expensive than that.

 

[spotcruiser]

By the way, the Orion is a heavy SOB, so use a jack or get friends to help if you drop it out of the truck.

 

[Poser]

Drain the transmission....

 

[bOxcrash]

None of it is difficult. Drain the xfer first, of course. Pay attention to the orientation of the shift collar in the front output when you put it back together. I like to take a dremel with a straight grinding bit to the stake on the stake nuts before turning them off. A strong impact wrench might spin them right off, but I find that grinding out most of the staked portion makes it easier. I use a piece of flat bar, drilled for a drive flange, to hold the flange stationary while I turn off the stake nut. Are you going to drop the xfer? You mention the input (or unput), but you can't get to the input seal without dropping the xfer.

The stake nut for the input shaft of the Orion is not a stake nut. It's a special nylock nut from AA. I reuse mine with red lock-tight and have had no issues. You might choose to replace it, so you may need to contact AA.

While you have the front extension off it's a good time to install one of Georg Esterer's strengthening rings, if you're so inclined.

Check the seal surface of the brake drum before you reinstall it. If it's grooved, you can install a speedi-sleeve.

Anyway, it takes just as little more gear oil than stock (however much that is), I think, because it's a little deeper than stock. Just fill to the bottom of the fill plug, of course. I just use 85-90 dino. I don't know that it requires anything more expensive than that.

Thanks this is good info that will help me...........especially on dropping the case to get at the rear seal going to the driveshaft for dif.

 

[reddingcruiser]

By the way, the Orion is a heavy SOB, so use a jack or get friends to help if you drop it out of the truck.

Heavy is an understatement . Just had mine out last weekend to replace a leaking seal at the tranny adapter. With a tranny jack and two people it's a beast to man-handle while stabbing the input gear.

 

[spotcruiser]

Come to think of it, this may not apply to you. I have an NV4500 in front of my transfer, so I forget what it was like with the H42. The NV4500 adapter has a larger spud shaft and nut. Yeah, you should just have the original tranny output shaft and stake nut. Ignore this previous statement I made.

The stake nut for the input shaft of the Orion is not a stake nut. It's a special nylock nut from AA. I reuse mine with red lock-tight and have had no issues. You might choose to replace it, so you may need to contact AA.

 

[spotcruiser]

I bought a relatively inexpensive tranny jack from Harbor Freight the last time I did this and made an adapter to fit the Orion. I was amazed how much easier the job was with the tranny jack. It only took about 1/2 hour from start to finish, by myself, to reinstall the Orion.

Heavy is an understatement . Just had mine out last weekend to replace a leaking seal at the tranny adapter. With a tranny jack and two people it's a beast to man-handle while stabbing the input gear.

 

[bOxcrash]

So mine actually has a castle nut 1 1/16" with a cotter pin.
It had a metal cotter pin which was rusting and I have a steel 5/32 that will fit it or a 1/8 stainless, but it was a northern salt vehicle before so maybe steel will be ok to use again...rather stainless...

Anyway, will the 75 ft lbs torque work on that one(found it for the AA Transfer Case Nut) ?
Thanks again!

 

[spotcruiser]

My OEM manual lists 80-101 ft-lbs for transmission output shaft nut (3 and 4 speed) and 102-123 ft-lbs for transfer case front output/rear output nuts.

So mine actually has a castle nut 1 1/16" with a cotter pin.
It had a metal cotter pin which was rusting and I have a steel 5/32 that will fit it or a 1/8 stainless, but it was a northern salt vehicle before so maybe steel will be ok to use again...rather stainless...

Anyway, will the 75 ft lbs torque work on that one(found it for the AA Transfer Case Nut) ?
Thanks again!

 

[bOxcrash]

Awesome, thanks again!
Really appreciate the assistance, or letting me use you guys as a sounding board to make sure its done the right way.

Also I was going to buy OEM bolts for the drive shaft/u-joint to input flange on the transfer case, looks like those might not be available anymore.

Previous builder used some kind of bolts that I could not loosen(tried everything heating up first, pb blaster and rust off, etc.) needless to say I hade to cut the heads off of them.

Can I use any hardened stainless bolts with same thread and pitch or should I use something specific?
Or maybe where I can find a updated PN# for those 4 bolts?

This is a 1 1/16" castle nut

 

[spotcruiser]

Use the correct hardware. I'll try to find a number. You should verify the size, as there were 10 and 11mm used. Cruiser Outfitters

It looks like the OEM numbers are 90101-11468 for 11mm bolts, 90101-10264 for 10mm bolts.

I'm not sure which nut/washer is which, but probably 94512-01000 for 11mm washer, 90206-11085 for 10mm washer, 94110-51000 for 11mm nut, and 90170-11205 for 10mm nut. It's a starting point, at least.

SOR has some. Page 092.

 

[bOxcrash]

Awesome thanks!
That would be great on the PN#'s
No idea how I can ever thank you guys, I imagine you are sick of me, but I so appreciate it, no idea how much...

Yes, I def want to use the right hardware, totally agree there. Thanks on the sizes...and you are talking threads, M10 or M11 ?

 

[reddingcruiser]

That is not an OEM companion flange and likely not metric. Looks just like my AA adapter flange for my 700R4 and from the pic that is definitely NOT mated to a 700R4.

 

[reddingcruiser]

Darn mouse!

I'm curious as to why it has that companion flange if this is a stock setup. Stock Flange and u-joint should fit just fine. How about a pic of the end of the drive shaft to confirm?

 

[bOxcrash]

Yeah I can do that later today.

No its an Orion transfer case, with a Gen I Chevy V-8 350 in it and an auto trans.....the driveshaft back appears to be stock...aside from the Orion transfer case

Previous builder built trucks, a custom truck shop, US trucks so I do not think he 100% knew what he was doing and mixed alot of stuff together.

I found some interesting combinations throughout my endeavors and asked why would anyone do it that way..........