Front diff flange - should I replace this?

[inside]

Doing a front pinion seal and just inspecting the diff flange. Would you replace this? I think I should just so I know it's done and it's only $40. Is there a rule for this type of thing? The grooves don't "look" too bad.

http://aciai.me/i/OwDM6.jpg

http://aciai.me/i/ruMCn.jpg

[87County]

don't replace - just fix...

speedisleeves are your friend

Speedi-Sleeve shaft repair kits (http://vsm.skf.com/en-US/Automotive/KitsAndTools/SpeediSleeve.aspx)

(from your local friendly bearing shop)

and, when done, it will be better than new

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Chances are the seal was ok and it was leaking round those grooves!

You can sometimes get away without replacing the flange by simply not pushing the deal all the way home, this overtime creating another groove!

I have no experience with speedisleeves.

R
J

Sent using Forum Runner

[Graeme]

I had one polished that had been worse. Only a few thou removed so standard seal was fine.

[clubagreenie]

You can also pull the spring off and separate and cut it shorter a few mm and rejoin.

[strangy]

Pics dont look too bad, can you catch or feel you fingure nail in them?
From the pic I would use some 1200 wet and dry and quick polish and refit. Seen much worse refitted.



You can also pull the spring off and separate and cut it shorter a few mm and rejoin

DONT do this.

cheers

[vnx205]

You can sometimes get away without replacing the flange by simply not pushing the deal all the way home, this overtime creating another groove!


About 100,000 km ago I replaced the rear pinion seal on a flange with deeper grooves than that. I cut a couple of gaskets to go behind the seal so that it ran on a part of the flange that had never been used.

It leaked briefly a few years later when the diff breather became blocked, but stopped again immediately when I cleaned the breather.

[justinc]

Yes, it looks fine but try and position the new seal in a different spot, hard I know but you may be able to jag it.

JC

[clubagreenie]

I've been doing it for 20+ years...

Why not ? Especially with a multi-lipped seal.

[strangy]

I've been doing it for 20+ years...

Why not ? Especially with a multi-lipped seal.

It's a cover up bodge job.
Because the seal profile, contact area and pressure is altered. It will make the damage worse, shorten the seal life and is just plain bodgey. It's the classic "spend hours but not a $" approach, which temporarily hides poor maintenance. Same as adding thicker oils to noisy old motors.

[camel_landy]

I'm with '87County', just get it re-sleved... ;)

M

[goingbush]

If you thought of replacing it with a "new only $40 " flange you'd be better off using the one you have as is, as the new one no doubt is Britpart, (or can't you say that word here)

[Killer]

As a general rule, if you can feel your finger nail catch when you scrape it across the seal surface, then it needs work. Either replace or sleeve it. A speedi sleeve will probably cost you more than the quoted $40 for a new flange. I was qoted $50 for a speedi sleeve a while back.

Cheers, Mick.

[Rick Fischer]

From the photos, the seal marks simply look like normal polishing of the shaft by the seal.

If you cannot feel anything, with a finger nail and/or you cant see anything with a 3x glass then it is probably OK. Alternatively lay the edge of a 6" rule across it [or the straight edge of a feeler gauge] (with you in the shade and look out into the sunlight) and if you can't see any deep groove it will be OK. Gitts seals can easily absorb a few thou.

RF

[strangy]

Off topic a little, just re read my post re Clubagreenie and it reads like I am having a go at you.
Sorry not intended at you personally, too late to edit the response.

[inside]

Thanks guys, I ended up reusing it. There was nothing really I could feel with my nails and it looked just cosmetic. I did what Justin suggested and tried seating the seal in a different place, so it's a couple of mm out from where it was so should be running on a different part of the flange. No leaks yet in my 5km test drive, we'll see how it goes.

[clubagreenie]

It's ok.

I usually do it on 3 lipped seals when the spring is between lips on a flat area. It actually flattens out the seal and makes a wider flat area. Similar to other harder rotary seals for higher pressure hydraulic applications that don't cope with the high speed rotation of the hubs but do cope with pressure due to surface area/pressure behind the seal area.

You have to pick the right seal though, I should have clarified earlier.