How hard is it to do the pinion seal?

 

I don't think you are supposed to replace it without getting a new crush sleeve and compressing it to get the correct preload on the pinion bearings. Or at least that is the recommended method.

 

I've had this problem on my '99 for 6 months now, and after some research I'm still not sure if this is DIY or not. I'm worried about getting the correct bearing preload. Any backyard mechanics out there done this repair successfully?

 

I have done it before. Back in the 70's, I bought a used Ford 74 stationwagon with the 400 engine. It had a bad pinion bearing. The rear in this wagon was not the 9". It did not have the removable center section. I disassembled the rear and replaced the bearing. The pinion crush sleeve required a tremendous torque to start the crushing process. I was young and fairly strong and I had my pull handle hanging vertically and I laid on the floor on my back and gripped the side of the car and pushed the pull handle with my foot. It took all of my strength to crush the sleeve.
You might get away with just removing the yoke and replacing the seal without replacing the crush sleeve, but I don't think that is the recommended replacement method.

Summit Racing sells a Richmond Gear video that shows how to set up a rear for about $15. In that video, they use a huge impact wrench to crush the sleeve. They don't really show the details on how they get the crush exactly right. The sleeve is supposed to be crushed until the preload is measured by the torque it takes to turn the pinion without the ring gear installed, something like 25 in lbs as I remember. When I did it, I estimated that amount of torque.

My 74 rear was making a lot of noise from the bad bearing before I replaced it. Afterwards, it had a very slight ring gear singing noise. It held up until I got rid of the car, which was another year of so.

I'd like to state that I am not an expert in this area. I've learned a little over the years by working on a couple of differentials and reading manuals and watching my video. The advice is free and maybe that is what it is worth.

 

I just picked up a seal, crush sleeve, and that self locking nut for my '88 at a local Ford dealer the other day, haven't installed it yet. While the parts lady(yes lady) was looking up the parts the head mechanic came in and I asked him if he knew offhand what the torque on that nut should be. He looked it up and the computer said tighten it until so many inch pounds were required to turn the shaft with just the pinion shaft installed. Obviously no one is going to almost completely disassemble the rear end to do this, so he said to turn the nut 1/8 turn at a time until all the up and down and sideways play is removed and no more, DON'T GET IT TOO TIGHT. He also mentioned it would take 150 foot pounds of torque to crush the crush sleeve. I strongly suggest you replace that self-locking nut along with the crush sleeve and seal. You might get by without replacing the crush sleeve if you don't have the big tools to crush it if the old crush sleeve looks good, about seven dollars for the one I needed. I would check how much play you have before disassembling. Good luck!

 

i just did the pinion seal yesterday on my fj40. its easy. i will have to go look on my truck but im assuming it should be set up the same. pull off the drive shaft flange and the seal will be there, pull it off it will probly resist a bit, but your not re-using it anyways. then grease up the new one and make sure to put alot of grease on the spring (inside of the seal) and i used my water pump pulley i had laying around placed it on top of the seal and then put a piece of wood across it and hit the wood and it put it in perfectly.

this thread might help. http://www.gearinstalls.com/badmonkey.htm

 

The one I crushed took about 400 ft. lbs. to crush.
Maybe they aren't so stiff any more.

 

When i did mine i just marked the position of the pinion nut and drive shaft, replaced the old one and put it all back together no problems. everyone will say to replace crush sleeve and do all this extra work but mine is still goin 30k later

 

This is the kind of info I'm looking for. I know I'm capable of replacing the seal, I just don't want to do something which causes my differential to fail prematurely.

 

SO not to beat a dead horse but all I need to do to replace my seal is drop the drive shaft, remove the yoke / yolk nut whatever it is actually called pull out the flange / shaft that goes into the rear end swap teh seal and put back together...Does any one have any pics of what i will see whn i tear into it?

 

Forget it, took it to a shop, $88.00 I could not pass up to save me some time in this Texas heat....

 

Sounds Great!

 

i have done them before by measure the turning torque on the pinion nut with the wheeles off before u take the pinion nut off, then when u put it back together just make shure it still has the same torque.