Rear pinon seal, seep no more; a Pajero project.

"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97) 04/05/2020 at 16:05 • Filed to: None

7

7

Next up on the list of baseline maintenance projects was changing out gear oil in the rear differential, but first the slightly seeping rear pinion seal needed to be addressed. It didn’t really rise to level of a leak yet, but it would’ve eventually.

This is one of those easy jobs that’s easy to put off, but simply takes a bit of time to take care of.

One the yoke was off and the old seal out, I got to find out if I ordered the right seal and speedy sleeve. The Japanese market parts catalog took me a part number that didn’t exist anymore, and there wasn’t a superseded number that clearly translated into a part number that exists on this continent. The result was more of a multiple choice question. By cross referencing one of those numbers to a North American market Montero configuration that should have the same rear axle (those were also multiple choice, with three or four different sized axles rear axles depending on drive train and market), I elected to order option B of the possibilities . It turned out to be correct. The other way to go would’ve been removing the old seal and using the dimensions to find a new one, but that would’ve been a less socially friendly option via paying a visit to a local seal and bearing supply shop.

I had also ordered a matching speedy sleeve, but the groove in the yoke was very minor, and I determined the new seal was going to end up riding in a different spot than the original anyway, so the executive decision was made to forgo the speedy sleeve option at this time.

Everything got put back together and the pinon nut torqued to spec, and the diff got filled up with just under four quarts of the good enough stuff. The 9.5 inch rear diff on this truck holds more gear lube than one might expect if you’re used to American 1/2 ton trucks and their smaller 8.8 inch diffs.

I did end up borrowing a gear puller from a friend to remove the Yoke last night. In the spirit of social distancing, he left a wiped down tool in his driveway, and I picked it up and left a wiped down six pack of beer from a local brewery. It felt like a ransom exchanged . We chatted for a minute from across his driveway. It was nice to see him, as it was the first social interaction I’ve had with a friend in a couple of weeks now. I miss regular after-work beer drinking with my circle of good friends.

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 04/05/2020 at 16:11

0

What’s a speedy sleeve?

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > VincentMalamute-Kim 04/05/2020 at 16:26

3

A very thin metal sleeve that presses onto a rotating shaft to repair the sealing surface. They can let you repair a sealing surface for a lot less money than buying a whole new part. If you’ve got a big groove worn in shaft where a seal rides, or some other defect in the surface, replacing the seal without fixing the sealing surface can often mean the worn/damaged sealing surface will wear out or damage the new seal quickly enough leaving you with another leak. The installation tool on the left is used to press the sleeve onto the shaft. If you ever need to remove one, you break out the torch and heat up the sleeve to expand it off the shaft.

Longtime Lurker > VincentMalamute-Kim 04/05/2020 at 16:32

1

When the metal the seal rotates(the pinion)  around becomes worn(grooved) it leaks. The speedi sleeve is a band of metal the slides over the pinion to provide a smooth surface for the seal to sit on.

Longtime Lurker > VincentMalamute-Kim 04/05/2020 at 16:35

1

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 04/05/2020 at 16:49

0

Neat. I usually think easy / cheap tricks like this end up costing you more or causing more trouble. How do these fare?

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > VincentMalamute-Kim 04/05/2020 at 17:13

1

These are legit. I widely used them in a bunch of different applications back in the day when I turned wrenches for living as a hydraulic mechanic. In this case, call it $20 speedy sleeve vs. hundreds of dollars for a new driveshaft yoke (and finding that new one for the Pajero might be interesting).

VincentMalamute-Kim > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 04/05/2020 at 17:23

0

Thanks!