Rear Pinion Seal Leak on '95 Trans Am
07-29-2006, 09:42 AM
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Rear Pinion Seal Leak on '95 Trans Am The rear pinion seal leaks too much on my car. I just purchased the GM yoke and seal kit. I am 20 years old and have never messed with a rear pinion seal. Does anyone have any suggestions or a write up before I attempt to fix this problem tommorow?
07-29-2006, 08:17 PM
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The pinion nut must be torqed properly once put back on. If you do not torque it properly the preload on the pinion bearings will be wrong and eventuly wipe out your rear all together.
I suggest you mark the nut and pinion with a crayon or touch up paint to make sure you put it back in the EXACT place it came from. Or have a shop or a dealer do it.
I suggest you mark the nut and pinion with a crayon or touch up paint to make sure you put it back in the EXACT place it came from. Or have a shop or a dealer do it.
07-30-2006, 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by GOaT Cheese
I agree with alamantia, it is a very critical opperation. You can destroy your rearend if not done exectly right.
07-30-2006, 06:36 PM
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From FAQ up top:
"One should not attempt to fix a pinion seal leak unless they are familiar with the way a rear end goes together, because pinion depth & crush sleeves are vital to correct setup. Fixing a pinion seal includes removing the driveshaft, pinion nut, washer, yoke, and old seal. The housing should be clean from nicks, and the yoke should be cleaned with a scotchbrite pad to get rid of any unsmooth areas before the new seal is installed. When retightening the pinion nut, it is important not to overcrush the crush sleeve. Pinion bearing preload needs 24-32 inch/lbs tq with a new crush sleeve, or 8-12 inch/lbs if reusing your old sleeve."
This is how I understand how to do this job, when I go to do it later this week:
1) Remove the four bolts that attach the driveshaft to the yoke, and the retainers.
2) Push the driveshaft towards the transmission to separate it from the u-joints. Remove the driveshaft paying attention to which side the counterweight is welded on to. Make sure caps dont fall off the u-joint ends. Remove the yoke with a bearing puller.
3) Mark where the pinion nut is with a paint marker. Remove the pinion nut, remove the washer, and the old yoke.
4) Remove the u-joint from the old yoke and somehow press it into the new yoke, clean a brand new yoke with a scotchbrite pad??
5) Take out the old seal and check the spring (could be the cause of the leak), grease up the new seal and put the new seal in. Install the new yoke with the recently pressed u-joint.
6) Install the washer and bearing nut. Preload the bearing nut based on previous markings.
7) Install the driveshaft into the transmission based on which side the counter weight is on. Attach the driveshaft to the u-joint, install the two retainers and tighten the four bolts.
8) If alcohol hasn't already been consumed, go out and buy yourself a six pack of some tall ones.
Please feel free to make any corrections. Also the FAQ up top helped alot, thanks. But my props go out to: alamantia aka Anthony
"One should not attempt to fix a pinion seal leak unless they are familiar with the way a rear end goes together, because pinion depth & crush sleeves are vital to correct setup. Fixing a pinion seal includes removing the driveshaft, pinion nut, washer, yoke, and old seal. The housing should be clean from nicks, and the yoke should be cleaned with a scotchbrite pad to get rid of any unsmooth areas before the new seal is installed. When retightening the pinion nut, it is important not to overcrush the crush sleeve. Pinion bearing preload needs 24-32 inch/lbs tq with a new crush sleeve, or 8-12 inch/lbs if reusing your old sleeve."
This is how I understand how to do this job, when I go to do it later this week:
1) Remove the four bolts that attach the driveshaft to the yoke, and the retainers.
2) Push the driveshaft towards the transmission to separate it from the u-joints. Remove the driveshaft paying attention to which side the counterweight is welded on to. Make sure caps dont fall off the u-joint ends. Remove the yoke with a bearing puller.
3) Mark where the pinion nut is with a paint marker. Remove the pinion nut, remove the washer, and the old yoke.
4) Remove the u-joint from the old yoke and somehow press it into the new yoke, clean a brand new yoke with a scotchbrite pad??
5) Take out the old seal and check the spring (could be the cause of the leak), grease up the new seal and put the new seal in. Install the new yoke with the recently pressed u-joint.
6) Install the washer and bearing nut. Preload the bearing nut based on previous markings.
7) Install the driveshaft into the transmission based on which side the counter weight is on. Attach the driveshaft to the u-joint, install the two retainers and tighten the four bolts.
8) If alcohol hasn't already been consumed, go out and buy yourself a six pack of some tall ones.
Please feel free to make any corrections. Also the FAQ up top helped alot, thanks. But my props go out to: alamantia aka Anthony
Last edited by marc1130; 07-30-2006 at 07:26 PM.
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07-30-2006, 07:30 PM
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ihave mine replaced 1 a year every 25,000, starts leaking and making
noise, two diff places same thing 25,000 she starts leaking. i dont race my care but i beat on the weekend nights... posi
noise, two diff places same thing 25,000 she starts leaking. i dont race my care but i beat on the weekend nights... posi
07-31-2006, 01:08 AM
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The seal, and its previous seal's before.... most likely have worn a groove into the seal surface on the yoke itself. Its a common thing.........
A cheaper solution is a 'speedy sleeve' from the local NAPA. It fits over the seal surface of your existing yoke. And while you are at it, get a quality pinion seal, to the likes of a "Timken" Seal. Its worth the $12 they get for them.
A cheaper solution is a 'speedy sleeve' from the local NAPA. It fits over the seal surface of your existing yoke. And while you are at it, get a quality pinion seal, to the likes of a "Timken" Seal. Its worth the $12 they get for them.
08-10-2006, 01:54 AM
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The gas station around the corner wanted $250 for this, basically I told them I was never coming back. I'm going to try to fix it myself this weekend. A dial torque wrench is necessary to do this job, not the click type.
08-10-2006, 01:56 AM
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This is what the GM certified tech at the gas station said, Its hard for me to beleive that rubber can wear down metal, especially after taking numerous engineering courses. Maybe its not the rubber but the heat cause by the friction.
I just spent $65 on the GM yoke and seal kit. Here is what the new yoke/seal looks like:
I don't really beleive in cheap solutions. Thanks anyway.
I just spent $65 on the GM yoke and seal kit. Here is what the new yoke/seal looks like:
Originally Posted by chicane
The seal, and its previous seal's before.... most likely have worn a groove into the seal surface on the yoke itself. Its a common thing.........
A cheaper solution is a 'speedy sleeve' from the local NAPA. It fits over the seal surface of your existing yoke. And while you are at it, get a quality pinion seal, to the likes of a "Timken" Seal. Its worth the $12 they get for them.
A cheaper solution is a 'speedy sleeve' from the local NAPA. It fits over the seal surface of your existing yoke. And while you are at it, get a quality pinion seal, to the likes of a "Timken" Seal. Its worth the $12 they get for them.
Last edited by marc1130; 08-10-2006 at 02:53 AM.
08-10-2006, 08:34 AM
#17
Agree with keliente... That looks funny...
Ive replaced the pinion seals on my jeep several times (lifted cherokee), as well as the seal on my 87 TA's old axle. Its not hard. Like mentioned above, just be aware of the pinion nut's resting location.
You will not be able to make much use of a torque wrench doing this. The bearing preload, given in in-lbs, is measured with the differential empty. Correct me if Im wrong here. This means no axles, no carrier. Thats JUST the pinion and its bearings. I have heard of people getting a torque measurment before removing the pinion nut...but even that isnt too accurate.
Best bet is to mark the nut and tighten it back to the same spot.
***Just DONT overtighten! You will crush the crush sleeve more and put too much preload on the bearings...*** Although, if your rear was never re-built, chances are the bearings have loosened up a tad and if you happen to go a hair over, it wont be the end of the world. It should take a good amount of force to get that pinion nut tight... Last time I set up gears, in and 8.8, it was something close to 200 ft-lbs before the sleeve started to crush. So be prepared with alittle muscle.
Justin
Ive replaced the pinion seals on my jeep several times (lifted cherokee), as well as the seal on my 87 TA's old axle. Its not hard. Like mentioned above, just be aware of the pinion nut's resting location.
You will not be able to make much use of a torque wrench doing this. The bearing preload, given in in-lbs, is measured with the differential empty. Correct me if Im wrong here. This means no axles, no carrier. Thats JUST the pinion and its bearings. I have heard of people getting a torque measurment before removing the pinion nut...but even that isnt too accurate.
Best bet is to mark the nut and tighten it back to the same spot.
***Just DONT overtighten! You will crush the crush sleeve more and put too much preload on the bearings...*** Although, if your rear was never re-built, chances are the bearings have loosened up a tad and if you happen to go a hair over, it wont be the end of the world. It should take a good amount of force to get that pinion nut tight... Last time I set up gears, in and 8.8, it was something close to 200 ft-lbs before the sleeve started to crush. So be prepared with alittle muscle.
Justin
08-10-2006, 09:02 AM
#18
Originally Posted by ghettocruiser
You will not be able to make much use of a torque wrench doing this. The bearing preload, given in in-lbs, is measured with the differential empty. Correct me if Im wrong here. This means no axles, no carrier. Thats JUST the pinion and its bearings. I have heard of people getting a torque measurment before removing the pinion nut...but even that isnt too accurate.
08-10-2006, 10:00 AM
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hey Keliente, if one is replacing a pinion seal, is it necessary or needed to replace the pinion bearing and crush sleeve ? i studied your gear install faq for a better idea of how to do it .. But im still hung up .. correct me if im wrong .. it goes . Nut,Yoke washer, Yoke, Seal,Crush sleeve, Bearing . right ?
And if im just replacing the seal, how far do i go ? thanks ..
And if im just replacing the seal, how far do i go ? thanks ..
08-10-2006, 10:10 AM
#20
Lethal, you won't be able to get the pinion bearing race out unless you were completely overhauling the rear end, so no, you wouldn't be changing that bearing during a pinion seal install. You could technically pull out the roller bearing and change that (if it wasn't stuck to the pinion), but it wouldn't do you any good if the race was nicked up. The crush sleeve is between the front and rear pinion bearings.
This is a picture, standing behind the rear end, looking in. As you can see, you would not be able to beat the race out if everything was still inside the rear.
If you are just replacing the seal...simple breakdown - remove driveshaft, mark nut, remove nut, remove washer, remove yoke, and then the pinion seal will be smiling at you. I pop the seal out with a big prybar, clean & lightly sandpaper the housing face, and then install the new seal. Before you reinstall the yoke run a piece of emory cloth across it to take off any small burrs.
This is a picture, standing behind the rear end, looking in. As you can see, you would not be able to beat the race out if everything was still inside the rear.
If you are just replacing the seal...simple breakdown - remove driveshaft, mark nut, remove nut, remove washer, remove yoke, and then the pinion seal will be smiling at you. I pop the seal out with a big prybar, clean & lightly sandpaper the housing face, and then install the new seal. Before you reinstall the yoke run a piece of emory cloth across it to take off any small burrs.