Anything and everything Spitfire.

Rear axle, brakes, wheels and tyres.

Whilst changing my halfshaft UJs i noticed an oil leak from my diff. I was wondering just how difficult it would be to replace the oil seals and what it entails??
Pete

Hi Peter
Funny thing is I am just looking at doing the same thing to my diff. It appears (etal Haynes) that this is not too difficult and the main things to note are to mark the relationship of the prop to flange so it goes back where it came from and the mark the flange and diff caseing so these go back in same place. Remove prop shaft. remove the dust cover if fitted to reveal the nut. Some may have a split pin others a nylock nut. MARK THIS NUT AND THE FLANGE. COUNT THE NUMBER OF TURNS REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE NUT AS THIS MUST GO BACK IN EXATLY SAME PLACE. Tap off the flange from spline and prise out the oil seal. Refit new seal having smeared some oil or grease round it to help with sealing and refitting. Refit flange, and nut. Tighten the nut to same number of turns that it came off and until it lines up with marks made eariler. Replace prop shaft. Check and top up oil as you will have lost some.

Go and have a beer and then pop round and do mine.

Trevor

One thing to watch when you change the seal is that the actual drive flange is not rust pitted where it runs on the oil seal, I bought a reconditioned diff from a reputable supplier and had a bad oil leak from the Diff front seal when I put my Vitesse back on the road last summer.

On inspection the part of the flange that rubs on the seal was badly pitted with rust and I had to change the flange for one in better condition.

I struggled to undo the pinion flange nut also, had to borrow a mates portable compressor and air wrench to undo it.

Depends on which seal is the problem, and which diff you have.
If the output shafts (to which the swing axles bolt) are the problem, it is not too difficult to extract the shafts (4 allen-key bolts), but less easy to extract the shaft from the bearing to get at the seal. When reassembling you MUST get the spring clip FULLY engaged in its groove as this is what holds the shaft into the diff. Although some on this board have expressed concern about the quality of them from some suppliers, it is possible to buy exchange output shafts which have a new bearing and seal.
If it is the diff pinion seal (next to the propshaft) it can be done relatively easily, apart from the cramped space, BUT if you have a diff with collapsible pinion pre-load spacer (I THINK this is only 1500 diffs, but am not completely sure, and it may be indicated by having a nyloc nut on rather than castellated nut and split pin) then I would advise against changing the seal as you can mess up the diff bearing preload if you touch the nut.

Can any one tell me what size the nut on the input shaft is? I need to get a socket to fit new oil seal.
Trev

It's Inch and one Eighth on the Vitesse, I think it will be the same on the Herald & Spitfire Trevor.

Regards

Gary

Section : Rear Axle

Diff Oil Seals

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Diff Oil Seals

Diff Oil Seals

Diff Oil Seals

Diff Oil Seals

Diff Oil Seals