Rear axle outer oil seal...really seals oil?

[tg470]

After having the dealer replace the rear wheel bearings on my 03 LX, I'm having oil leak problems. Tragically, it did not leak before I started messing with it. Unfortunately, I took the dealer axles and not the whole car so their liability isn't what I wish it was. I know they didn't press the oil seal wipe (I think it's properly called a bearing retainer) to the correct location (170.7mm +/- 1mm) and I had them correct that.

I'm looking at FSM though for "what else could they have screwed up". There's an outer oil seal that I can't quite figure out what it's sealing. No oil should be getting past the seal pressed into the axle housing and the axles appear to be solid so...What oil is it sealing?

 

[JunkCrzr89]

Sounds like the inner seal (inside the housing) may have been boogered during reassembly (when sliding axle shaft back into housing and diff) and is now leaking oil from the diff to the outer seal. Alternatively, your diff breather could be clogged and pressure inside is forcing oil past the seals.

 

[tg470]

I thoroughly explored the diff breather because I rerouted that too. I basically ran it in a clean environment for 30 miles just open (no hose on it). It's confirmed open into the housing.

I've been focused on inner seal (the original dealer install had the bearing retainers just *barely* touching the seals. I think now that the retainers are in the right place, I should be leak free but looking for any other issues that aren't obvious.

 

[AlpineAccess]

The outer seals are really more of a water-intrusion seal if you look at the location of the seal against the shaft. If properly mounted, the rubber/axle seal will be above the level of the oil in the axle tube.

When articulating that dynamic changes, but if the inner seals are doing their job you should not have this issue.

 

[tg470]

The outer seals are really more of a water-intrusion seal if you look at the location of the seal against the shaft. If properly mounted, the rubber/axle seal will be above the level of the oil in the axle tube.

When articulating that dynamic changes, but if the inner seals are doing their job you should not have this issue.

Thank you -- that's been my thinking and appreciate the confirmation.