Changing diff oilseal

[PAASKE]

Hi

I have a 90 Defender 300TDI year 1997 where the rear oilseal on the diff is leaking.

is it a DIY job. is the somthing about the Collapsable bearing spacer i need to take care of.

when I refit the drive flange.

I just changing the oil seal.

but I'm not sure how to assemble the drive flange. Tourqe???

or how do I know when the driveflange nut is all tight

Sorry my English I'm from denmark

Kind regards Bo Paaske (easter)

[Lars L]

Changing on a 90 is a walk in the park. Undo the propshaft, then the big nut on the drive member. Slide off the drive member and pry out the old seal. Apply some grease on the lips of the new seal and install it the correct way by gentle blows around the edges with a hammer or find something like a socket that fits around the edges.

Smear some grease onto the drive member and put everything back in reverse order. That's it. And there is no spacer to worry about.

Also check the surface of the drive member. If it's grooved, you'll likely have to do the job again, so get a new drive member for the next time.

I don't have the torque, but tightening real hard will do.

[PAASKE]

Hi Lars

Thanks for the reply

Bo

[pedro]

I did this yesterday, torqued to 130nm.

[Litch]

I did this last year and to be perfectly honest, undoing and re-torquing the nut is the most awkward thing to do.

If the nut is correctly torqued up (and possibly smeared with Locktite as well) then undoing it can be awkward. As you turn the nut the halfshafts will twist and it is difficult to 'shock' the nut loose (you will have the same problem when doing it up as well). In my case I decided I had two choices.

1. Make up a simple bracket out of a suitable length of steel which is drilled to bolt onto two of the flange-holes allowing the flange to turn until the bracket makes contact with something solid (chassis or floor for instance) and locking the flange into position. Unfortunately I didn't have a suitable piece of steel to hand so I went for option-2.

2. Remove the diff and hold the flange in the vice. Actually a very quick & simple job (especially if you keep all the necessary gaskets in the garage anyway) and the force required to undo the nut proved that (in my case at least) that it would not have come undone any other way.

Before anyone says that removing the diff is a lot of work and just not necessary let me assure the unknowing that it isn't and it was.

The prop is already off. Each halfshaft can be pulled in the time it takes to undo five bolts. Likewise the diff can be removed (drain the oil first of course) after the ring of locknuts have been removed (5-minutes?). Clean the old gasket off and there you are, all done. The most awkward part is lifting the diff into position but I just lay on the back with the diff on my chest and then lift it up and into position, easy. Try to lift it into position at arms length and you will struggle, a trolly jack would help but I prefer my own method.

The other thing to check is that the surface of the flange does not have a groove in it (mine had), if it has then replacement is the only option but luckily very cheap and kits including flange, seal, new locknut etc are available from any LR parts supplier.

[mmgemini]

Before you do the oil seal. Check that the axle breather pipe is clear.

If it is then you will have to change the seal

If you find the breather pipe blocked, then clean the oil off the diff and road test to see if the seal has stopped leaking

HTH

[Dads Toy]

Did mine last year and also found that with a breaker bar on the nut you just wind the vehicle along! Didn't take the diff off just got the wife to stand on the brake pedal. Reckoned if you held both wheels solid then you stood a chance of undoing it - worked a treat. Don't forget to make her a cup of tea as you need a repeat performance when you tighten it up again.

Malcolm