Need Info on Pinion Seal Replacement

[e50095]

Hey guys, I'd appreciate it if someone could guide me through the cogent points of replacing the pinion seal on my 7 1/4 sure grip rear. I suppose the first question is do I need to put a prybar in the guts somewhere to keep the pinion from spinning while I remove the bolt? Second, do i need a seal driver or will light taps with a hammer get it installed okay? and third, is there a torque setting when I go to put the nut back on the pinion?

I appreciate the benefit of your experience.....47 years old and never had the need to do a pinion seal before....

thanks.....

Ken in Pa.

 

[67Dart273]

The procedure is right in the shop manual---you have one? What year model we workin on?

You can remove the pinion nut with an impact, or a homemade or even a pipe wrench on the pinion flange

Most these axles use a crush sleeve to set pinion bearing preload, it's extremely important not to "eff" that up.

So far as the driver, I would not be afraid to use whatever piece of pipe/ large socket, etc that you can get around the OD of the seal

The basics are

Remove rear drums to remove drag.

Use a small torque wrench to measure pinion drag

Remove yoke, seal, replace seal, replace yoke, and tighten nut to (they say) 210 lb lbs.

I always undertightened, and worked "up" for safety. I always marked the pinion nut flat with paint, etc, so I knew what flat it tightened to so that I had a reference.

Rotate the pinion several times, to "seat" check drag on torque wrench with your initial reading.

 

[fishy68]

As 67Dart said an impact works great to get the pinion nut off but if you don't have one I'd try to find something to hold the yoke with (large pipe wrench maybe) rather than sticking something in the carrier to hold it. Less chance of damaging anything IMO. Put some shellac sealer on the O.D. of the seal too. It's rare but I have seen them leak around the o.d. and the shellac makes them slide in easier. If you use a small plastic or hard rubber hammer and are real careful you don't even need any sort of a seal driver. Getting it started without distorting it is the only hard part. Once it's started you can work your way around it tapping it in place until it's fully seated

 

[Supershafts]

Count the number of turns you make to remove the nut, and when you put it back you use blue locktite on the threads of the nut and some on the pin threads, put the nut back on the same number of turns and then go 5 degrees more.

Otherwise the other option is to dissemble the diff and replace the crush sleeve and pre load that to 8" lbs

 

[pntastar69]

Remove rear drums to remove drag.

Pinion preload should be checked w/out the axles as well. No drag whatsoever.

 

[Supershafts]

Pinion pre-load is pinion pre-load, and should be checked with ONLY the pinion. Then there is carrier pre-load, so you need to remove, drums, axles and carrier

 

[Abodybomber]

Good info,Super shafts. Always,used the impact.