Thread: Old Girl Sally is dripping blood!

I think I must be the very first 'fender owner to face this problem
Pinion seal leak of the Salisbury rear diff in a defender

Now, the long term plan is to re-build this unit with a centre that has been maxidrive broached and make it lockable. I bought all the bits off Brian in Sarina nearly a hundred years ago and I promise it is getting higher on the list.

The leak is too annoying to ignore so I plan on fixing the leak and then worry about the locker later.

Now like usual I have given myself plenty of time to do the job! Need to drive to Cairns tomorrow arvo. I have a new pinion seal but cannot arrange any other parts. I do however have a broad selection of hammers big and small to whack stuff until it works.

This arvo I pulled the pinion nut (counting the turns) and used a puller to remove the pinion flange. It turns out the flange is already wearing a "speedi-sleeve" with a neat groove worn exactly where the seal runs!
(My issue with speedi sleeves is that they are so thin, if the original component has a groove worn, the sleeve will very quickly match the groove! Anyway I digress)

Now since this jigger needs to be sealed and spinning me south tomorrow hands up for the following options:

1/ Bung in a new seal and be done with it
2/ Remove buggered up speedi sleeve, take a light cut to smooth up the original flange on the lathe and hope a new seal will take up the difference.
3/ Original flange is in the vicinity of 47.50mmOD with plenty of meat to the splines. So I could very easily turn the flange down to say ~42.20mmOD then take a slug of 4140 (I have some 50mm round bar in the box of keep-this-bit-it-will-come-in-handy-one-day) Turn a sleeve with a bore ID to match the ~42.20mm to a tight press fit say 1 thou and use appropriate heat to fit it to the pinion flange. Then finish turn the flange to an appropriate OD for the new sleeve. Obviously this is likely the best idea. The current speedi-sleeve in an unworn section measures 48.15mm. Is this a good OD to aim for?

Anyway ramble off

S

Bit late I guess, but next time you need something like this give me a yell and I can organise to get it to you asap even if I have to deliver it personally - my next trip up north won't be too far away, hopefully next year, and probably will be in a 6X6 perentie