HOW TO: Replace Rear Pinion Seal

[dixie_boysles]

In this How-To, I will be showing you how to replace the rear pinion seal in the 8.8 Rear-end in the event that it is leaking.

Discalimer: Neither I nor FordRangerForum.com takes any responsibility in any damage or actions resulting from this how-to. When performing this how-to, you are doing so at your own risk.

Tools Needed:


safety glasses
gloves (I used Mechanic gloves)
12mm 12-point socket
1/2" drive ratchet
1 1/16" Socket
screwdriver
hammer
vise grips
REALLY big socket or pipe section
caliper set
jack
jack stands
bucket
pipe extension for ratchets
strap
loctite
silver Sharpie


Instructions:

First find a good place to work on your truck, preferably a good flat concrete surface. Chock the front tires and place truck in park and set parking brake.

Then using the rear differential as a jacking point, jack the rear-end of the truck up to desired height and place jackstands under axle at U bolts and remove the jack.

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5043.jpg

Using the Silver Sharpie, mark the position of the driveshaft to the flange by making thin smooth, accurate lines; I made two marks and put a number beside them:

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5047.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5050.jpg

Now using the 12mm 12-point socket, 1/2" drive ratchet and pipe extension, loosen the driveshaft bolts. You will have to undo the parking brake and put in neutral to turn the driveshaft to get to other two bolts of driveshaft. Remember to re-apply the parking brake and put back into the "Park" position when done.

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5046.jpg

Once bolts are out, tie or strap the driveshaft out of the way like so:

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5051.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5052.jpg

Now that the driveshaft is out of the way, time to mark the flange and pinion nut. Again, using the Silver Sharpie, make thin accurate marks marking the position of the nut to the stud to the flange and the position of the flange to the differential housing:

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5053.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5056.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5057.jpg

Then take your calipers and measure the distance the pinion stud protrudes from the nut. My set was not measuring right so I just locked the calipers once i got the distance measured:

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5055.jpg

now place your 1 1/16" socket on the nut and mark its position to the the mark you made on the flange:

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5058.jpg

First place bucket under flange to catch any oil. Using your 1/2" drive ratchet, and making sure your parking brake is set and that you are in park, loosen the nut. You may have to use the pipe extension to get extra leverage on it. Now while turning the socket, COUNT how many revolutions it takes to get the nut off using your marks as references. NOTE: DO NOT LET THE SOCKET COME OFF OF THE NUT OR YOU WILL LOSE COUNT.


http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5059.jpg

Now you must get the flange off. You can do this two ways, you can use a big ass hammer like I did OR use a pulley puller. If you us a hammer make sure you dont hit one side too much to get it off.

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5060.jpg

Time to take the seal out. I used Ford's recommendation of Vise Grips and a hammer and a screwdriver. Take the screwdriver and hammer and raise the lip up of the seal. It will be up against the diff. housing. once you have it lifted up, take the Vise-Grips and tighten them on the lip. Then take a hemmer and hammer the Vise-Grips towards the front of the truck and the seal will pull out.

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5063.jpg

Clean the area up with a rag and now its time to put new seal in. Take a little oil and placing it on the black rubber on the seal like you would do an oil filter seal. Firmly place the seal into place but do not force it in; just get it seated.

Now using the REALLY BIG SOCKET, and a hammer, place the big socket on the seal and hammer it down until the seal lip is flush with the differential housing. Be careful not to hammer one side in too much at one time, it needs to go in equally or you will be buying another seal:

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5066.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5065.jpg
(Sorry this pic is before I hammered it ALL THE WAY DOWN, make sure the lip of the seal is flat against the housing)

And your new seal is in!!

Now put the flange back in using your marks and then use the hammer and REALLY BIG SOCKET to hammer it back into place.

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5067.jpg

Then using the marks on your socket, nut, and flange, put the stud nut back on the same amount of revolutions it took to get it off. Then check to see of your stud distance is the same. It took me almost 17 revolutions to get mine off so I checked the stud depth at the 15 and 16 revolution mark to be certain. Once everything is aligned back up, unstrap driveshaft and bolt it back up. Before putting the bolts in, place a little loctite on them and make certain that you align your driveshaft marks up you made earlier:

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5068.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5069.jpg

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/dixie_boysles/DSCF5070.jpg

Now just put everything up and let the truck down and you are good to go! Now this may/may not be the exact way to do things, but after research and looking at the Ford Workshop manual, this is the way that I did it.

Now you will have some oil that leaked out of your rearend in the bucket. At this time i just put that back in the truck as i drained it in a clean bucket. I will be replacing the rear-end oil soon, so its not a big deal. it it best to replace oil when doing this, but that is a writeup for a different time.

A big thanks to Justin Higgs for his writeup and information as well as STL (Myke) for all the texting help he did.

[Clinton]

Great write up Scotty!!!

[dixie_boysles]

thanks! it didnt take as long as I thought it would. Next is replacing the rear-end oil writeup!

[Clinton]

Being that my truck is lifted I dont have to jack my truck up right?

[dixie_boysles]

probably not!

[Clinton]

Excellent Smithers!

[TurdFX4]

Ok, am I just missing something here or couldnt you just skip the whole marking the nuts and counting revolutions by using a Torque wrench and torquing it down to proper specs? My diff seal was done already, but the garage did it when i took it in for inspection.

Also, what I wouldve done was just change your gear oil while your doing this, seems like a good time to do it.


Edit: Ok , I just read that you said this would be a good time to change the oil too, I missed that, my bad

[dixie_boysles]

lol Turd, well that WOULD be nice, BUT there are no specs for that. This was isn't technically the right way to do it either. It is for us that dont want to pay a shop to do it because of a certain reason.

The reason being is that the bearings are under a certain preload. When that nut is taken off, if you dont put it back right, it messes it up. Dont put the nut on enough, the gears are ate up, and too much the gears get burned up. You are technically supposed to check your bearing preload and all that shit, but I dont know how and if im right, i think the carrier and all has to be removed for that. I followed Toreador4x4's Howto and have been texting him as he was a ford mechanic. This is the way he recommended it. Here is How Ford Says to do it:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/14942986/Pinion%20Seal%20Replacement.pdf

here is a video i found on setting the preload on our rearends:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8APYO2sZyJU

SO after watching thsi video, i think the crush sleeve sets does the preload, and the nut holds it in place. so we just put the nut back where it was. Also as to how accurate this video is, I dk either

[Bwad]

thanks! it didnt take as long as I thought it would. Next is replacing the rear-end oil writeup!

I'm wayyy ahead of you Scott. Haha.
http://www.fordrangerforum.com/how-submissions/17622-how-change-differential-fluid-open-7-5-rearend.html

Great write up man. But what are the side effects of not marking the driveshaft?

[terryduanemiller]

professionally done! nice!

[TurdFX4]

lol Turd, well that WOULD be nice, BUT there are no specs for that. This was isn't technically the right way to do it either. It is for us that dont want to pay a shop to do it because of a certain reason.

The reason being is that the bearings are under a certain preload. When that nut is taken off, if you dont put it back right, it messes it up. Dont put the nut on enough, the gears are ate up, and too much the gears get burned up. You are technically supposed to check your bearing preload and all that shit, but I dont know how and if im right, i think the carrier and all has to be removed for that. I followed Toreador4x4's Howto and have been texting him as he was a ford mechanic. This is the way he recommended it. Here is How Ford Says to do it:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/14942986/Pinion%20Seal%20Replacement.pdf

here is a video i found on setting the preload on our rearends:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8APYO2sZyJU

SO after watching thsi video, i think the crush sleeve sets does the preload, and the nut holds it in place. so we just put the nut back where it was. Also as to how accurate this video is, I dk either

Ok, I was just wondering what the reasoning was. Like I said, i didnt do mine so I didn't know for sure. Great write up though. I desperately need to change my front diff oil, the pinion seal is leaking in that as well.

[azgilamonster]

nice write up and great pics

[dixie_boysles]

I'm wayyy ahead of you Scott. Haha.
http://www.fordrangerforum.com/how-submissions/17622-how-change-differential-fluid-open-7-5-rearend.html

Great write up man. But what are the side effects of not marking the driveshaft?

I'm not sure really, I was told to due it for balancing purposes so I did it lol. ANd heck why not put it back EXACTLY how I took it apart.

professionally done! nice!

thanks!

Ok, I was just wondering what the reasoning was. Like I said, i didnt do mine so I didn't know for sure. Great write up though. I desperately need to change my front diff oil, the pinion seal is leaking in that as well.

Dude, I asked the same question! It looks like it wouldnt matter but apparently it does. RF had one and we didnt, so since I was replacing mine, I figured why not make one for our site. I am by no means an expert on this, just did what i was told and read up about.

[ZWilson07]

Good write up man, Im glad to see you FINALLY decided to replace that leaky seal lol, and I hope yours doesnt start leaking again real soon like mine did. BUt now after the 2nd time its been holding fine, knock on wood. A few things yes you are correct on the preload and that video is a pretty good description. The crush sleeve is putting a certain amount of preload on the bearings and in turn getting correct load on the gears. The reason why so many want you change the crush sleeve out is because its a metal sleeve, and once its crushed its pretty much done for getting the same exact pre load. But that doesn't mean that it CANT be reused. As you know, you, myself, as well as many others have reused theirs atleast once, or even acouple times. I dont recommend it, but like you and myself and others, we really just don't have the time and knowledge to do it. BUt one day here when it warms up I will learn to set up a 8.8.

On the marking and balacing topic, idk why they say to mark the driveshaft to, ive been told the same bs answer but really in that process the only thing you should mark is the just the nut, and pinnion flange area. But every driveshaft shop around shop around says that as long as the 2 driveshaft ends are equal to each other, (like if you took it apart to grease the slip yoke) it needs to be put back exactly on the right tooth so they line up. But I do believe that that whether the driveshaft is rotated one bolt hole or so, it isnt going to matter. I tried to do what you did but after having my driveshaft taking to shops for things like another pinion seal, u joints 2 or 3 times, and stuff like that. Im sure it wasn't "marked" and put back perfectly and I have yet to have problems. I have even went as far as to have my driveshaft rebalanced, and that is done on a shops own seperate machine so I guess in essence the driveshaft is balanced to itself, and has nothing to do with being bolted to our stock 4x4 flanges if that makes sense. But w.e it will be fine either way, but good job, sorry for the long repost, I just havent been on here in awhile. and hope your seal holds better than my first one did. Hope ya had a good thanksgiving with the fam and girl. Zach

[ArmyPilot]

Scott I have heard a picture is worth a thousand words and you did an excellent job.

[ranger101]

Doing this tomorrow but I have questions...

1. On the front diff the filler hole is on the left side of the diff right?
2. Did we ever figure out a torque spec for the nut?

I was just going to use a micrometer and an impact to get it to the factory specs like Scott did.

[lovemud]

nice wright up man easy to fallow

[dixie_boysles]

Doing this tomorrow but I have questions...

1. On the front diff the filler hole is on the left side of the diff right?
2. Did we ever figure out a torque spec for the nut?

I was just going to use a micrometer and an impact to get it to the factory specs like Scott did.

There is not a torque spec on the nut. U just need to put it back the way u took it off unless u wanna drop the axle and replace the crush sleeve with the right preload on the bearings.

[mazda12]

would this be the same process as the front diff seal? pinion seal?

[BILLIBOY]

There is always a certain amount of "run-out" on the diff flange and on the driveshaft flange. They measure this at the factory and install the driveshaft so that the run out is opposite to the run out on the diff. This results in the driveshaft being centered as close as possible. No rotating part is ever absolutely perfect, there is always a bit of out of round to deal with, that is why it is good practice to mark the parts and put them back exactly where they were from the factory.

[quarter pounder]

Just did this to my 2.3l banger. Thank u guys so much for the posts. I had a hell of a time getting that flange and seal off, but they did come off. Replaced the seal and no leaks as of yet.

To those that are skeptical... JUST DO IT. It's not that bad.

[NewShockerGuy]

Just did this to my 2.3l banger. Thank u guys so much for the posts. I had a hell of a time getting that flange and seal off, but they did come off. Replaced the seal and no leaks as of yet.

To those that are skeptical... JUST DO IT. It's not that bad.

Glad I found this thread!

Did you replace JUST the seal? Mine is leaking and I am tired of it...lol Plan on doing this when I get back from vacation.

Any pointers you might have other than what is mentioned here? I also have a 2.3l

Thanks,
-Nigel

[quarter pounder]

Nigel-

There are 2 places where your rear diff fluid can leak from. 1) the pinion seal & 2) the rear diff cover gasket.

After dropping driveshaft, I replaced my pinion seal first. then took off the rear diff cover, drained fluid, lightly cleaned, and reinstalled cover with gasket maker ( I don't think they make a replacement gasket for your rear diff.

An unbalanced driveshaft can cause your pinion seal to leak. My truck was in bad shape so after i removed the driveshaft, I took it to a place in town for them to balance it. Hasn't leaked since my last post!

[dixie_boysles]

Glad I found this thread!

Did you replace JUST the seal? Mine is leaking and I am tired of it...lol Plan on doing this when I get back from vacation.

Any pointers you might have other than what is mentioned here? I also have a 2.3l

Thanks,
-Nigel

That's all I replaced. Just take your time.

Nigel-

There are 2 places where your rear diff fluid can leak from. 1) the pinion seal & 2) the rear diff cover gasket.

After dropping driveshaft, I replaced my pinion seal first. then took off the rear diff cover, drained fluid, lightly cleaned, and reinstalled cover with gasket maker ( I don't think they make a replacement gasket for your rear diff.

An unbalanced driveshaft can cause your pinion seal to leak. My truck was in bad shape so after i removed the driveshaft, I took it to a place in town for them to balance it. Hasn't leaked since my last post!

Yes they do make a new seal for your rear diff cover, its RTV sealant

[Redneckstone]

They actually make a gasket also

[NewShockerGuy]

I replaced the rear seal yesterday. Had more of an issue removing the drive shaft because it was rusted on the flange...lol

AFTER I removed the drive shaft I replaced both the rear seal on the tranmission since mine was all cracked and dripping tranny fluid. And then I replaced the seal. Prior to that though I did put a sleeve kit on the pinion flange... I saw on another forum if there was a line on the piece it's recommended to sleave it. I did and will check tonight to make sure there are no leaks.. (hoping there aren't) I am glad this how to was made!!

I've had that leaking rear diff since I bought the truck over 2 years ago and suspect that it was never changed the entire time the previous owner had it... It never leaked so much as to be a concern but I got tired of seeing a drop here and there in the garage/drive way. I notice it more every time I changed the rear diff fluid as it would always drip more for a couple weeks after I am guessing because there was more fluid in there.

This was the other thread for the sleeve.
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102444


Will update once I get home!

-Nigel

[dio1985]

Hello everyone! Has anyone ever encountered pinion yoke not wanting to fully seat after replacing pinion seal? I have hammered and used impact tool to put yoke back onto pinion shaft but i get to a point where there is about 1/8" gap between flange and diff housing and i cannot get it to move anymore.. Would pinion bearing (not pressed on bearing but 2nd bearing past crush sleeve) cause this to happen? How can i get around this so i can put back together? Any help would be very much appreciated.