Axle Seal Replacement

[Cratecruncher]

When I bought my '86 Bertone a year ago I noticed a wet area on the drivers side of the final drive case. I asked the previous owner about it and he said he thought it was coming from a weepy drain plug. I thought it might be the axle seal above but the two are so close together it could be either or both.

A few months ago I made a big order with one of our suppliers and threw in an axle seal for $5. Recently there have been a bunch of very positive comments about Redline MTL being THE oil to use in our transaxles. So, knowing I'd been putting off that seal replacement I thought I'd grab a few quarts and kill two birds with one stone.

If you are thinking about doing this job buy, borrow or steal a slidehammer! They really make this job a cinch.

Start by getting things out of the way. After removing the wheel I like to hang the caliper and remove the entire strut from the car. Two lower bolts and three little nuts are all that hold it in place. With all that out of the way I loosened the six allen bolts holding the axle to the stub shaft. They are only 31 ft-lb spec but some folks have trouble here due to corrosion. PB blaster and vice grips on the bolt head can help get them free. Mine were easy to loosen but I still had to use the vice grips LIGHTLY on the brake pads to keep the axle from turning. Seriously, it takes very little pressure to hold the rotor and you don't want to distort or crack your pads.

Now that the axle is separated from the stub shaft it's a good idea to cover the end with foil or plastic wrap to keep dirt from contaminating the grease. Trust me when I say you really don't want to repack CV's unless you absolutely have to.

Before pulling the axle shaft from the transmission drain the lube. Pay close attention to the magnetic drain plug. Here you can see the usual metallic mud but there were also one or two pieces of metal in mine. Not bad so I cleaned it up and reinstalled with some teflon tape just in case John (the PO) was right all along.

Either grab the outer flange of the axle shaft with the jaws or use the bracket that came with your slide hammer. (I couldn't find my slotted bracket so used the jaws.) It only takes one good bang with the weight while pulling on the end of the hammer. Inspect the shaft surface where the lip seal contacts it for grooves. Yes, I've actually seen rubber cut grooves into hardened steel!

Note my fashionable footwear. It was 105F in the shade.

 

[Cratecruncher]

THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM LADY!

As I had suspected, it was the shaft seal. Now that we know we want to replace it let's verify our NEW part will fit before destroying this one.

Ok, looks like we got the right seal and it feels like the OD just matches the ID of the casting so we are cleared for takeoff. I like to grab the rubber part of the old seal and yank it away from the metal carrier so the puller can get a good grip. Make sure you find the little spring bracelet that holds the lip to the shaft surface. Don't want that flailing around in there. Then with a couple of pops of the slide hammer she slips right out.

Here is what is left of the old seal.

Pressing the new seal in requires patience and some practice. Go slow! I like to paint a very light coat of Hylomar or Permatex Form-A-Gasket on both the seal OD and the casting ID. Not only will it guarantee a drip-proof seal it also provides some lubrication when seating the seal. The important thing is to begin seating the seal by hand evenly so there are no high or low areas. The 38mm socket every X1/9 owner has is a good drift for this seal. It fits perfectly. Using a small hammer lightly tap the socket favoring the edges of the seal that appear to be slightly higher. When its perfectly level it just slips in like butter. Drive it as deep as the previous one.

Lastly, slather a bit of axle grease on the axle shaft and seal where they will mate and push the axle in aligning the splines as you push. The last inch or so may require a light rap with the slidehammer. Now the only thing left to do is fill up the transmission with your favorite flavor of motion lotion. I removed my Boones Farm GL-1 and replaced it with some Dom Perignon MTL. Did I mention my expectations for this stuff are in the stratosphere?

So with everything buttoned up I took the X1/9 for a test drive. No leaks to report and the MTL? Well, honestly I can't tell any difference but I haven't had much stick time and my transmission is in pretty good shape. Maybe that MTL will help keep it that way longer than the GL-1.

I usually just mention I did a job in the "What did you do to your X1/9 today?" thread but notice there is a dearth of workshop step by step threads with pictures. With so many new people buying X1/9's and not knowing anything about them I think it's important to share some of this stuff. Let me know if you'd like to see more and if so what we could do to improve the format.

 

[NEG]

Great write up and photos, now can you do a 1300 tutorial please

 

[Cratecruncher]

Thanks NEG. As much as I'd like to follow up with a 1300 version I have two problems. First, I've never done that type joint. Second, I haven't got a 1300!

Maybe someone such as yourself wouldn't mind taking a few pictures next time your into one and write an addendum to this?

It would be nice to have all the major areas covered with graphical tutorials eventually.

 

[JimD]

I added a "box transmission" TAG to the post so it will show up in the Best of Xweb. Nice work Crate!

 

[Cratecruncher]

For my immediate test drive after the seal change I just drove the car about 10 miles to check for oil leaks and funny noises. I've now added another 50 miles of city driving since the lube change to Redline MTL. I do believe it's shifting smoother and a bit quicker, especially into third. Of course, this is all seat of the britches comparisons but I recall the GL-1 making me wait for that third gear to engage. The box feels a little less notchy overall. I don't have to "umph" the stick into reverse anymore. It's just over and down like any other box. Overall, I'd say it was well worth the change. But it takes some time for the lube to work it's way into all the slidey sloshy bits so don't judge too quickly.

 

[EricH]

I don't have to "umph" the stick into reverse anymore.

If you're not already doing this, it is a good practice to shift into first gear before shifting to reverse. That often helps with a clean shift into reverse.

 

[carl]

Stunning write up with great pictures!

When replacing seals like that (in motors) I just use the sheet metal screw method to walk the seal metal ring out of it's hole. For holding the axle while removing the allen bolts I use a cheater bar wedged in amongst the wheel studs with the end wedged on the garage floor keep the axle from turniing.

Since I have installed and removed the engine/gearbox three times since June all bolts, nuts, allen bolts are just waiting to jump off the car.

Thank you so much again for your "axle removal and seal install for dummies" write-up.