Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2011 19:43:55 -0800
Reply-To: Aaron Robinson <a.robinson.lists@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Aaron Robinson <a.robinson.lists@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Drive flange oil seal failure
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Hello all.
As they always state in the financial world: past performance does not
guarantee future results. That disclaimer applies quite well for me in the
vanagon repair world.
Fresh off a successful oil leak fix, I decided to fix the leaking drive
flange seal. I ordered up the parts and was off to the races. I went ahead
and ordered up some new CV bolts, the flange cap, circlips, and an oil seal.
Everything came apart quite easily including the drive flange. I cleaned it
all up and put it all back together. I took it for a test drive and lo and
behold, it's still leaking.
A good visual set of instructions are at:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249639&highlight=oil+flange
Anyone have any tips on doing it right? I think my failing was probably
getting the seal back in. Here's what I did:
- Take it all apart & Clean it all up nicely with a paper towel and brake
cleaner. Flange looked good. I used a nylon bush and cleaner to on the area
of the flange that the seal contacted to remove all grime.
- Oil the seal up with a little 20W50 I happened to have around.
- Insert seal by hand.
- Tap seal in the rest of the way with a smallish deep socket until it was
flush(I think think is where I probably should have done it "right" with
some sort of press? I didn't have a large enough socket to press the entire
seal uniformly).
- Reinsert drive flange, concave washer (pressing out) and circlip.
Unfortunately it didn't work. I'm torn between doing it again and having
someone else do it for $140. I was hoping to take the van for a nice
shakedown over the cascades drive, but I don't think that's going to happen
this weekend. If anyone has suggestions on how to do it better and pehaps
suggestions as to why it failed to seal, please let me know. I think it
could do it in half the time, but I'd rather not throw good time & parts
combined with poor mechanical abilities only to have it leak again.
Thanks!
Aaron
'87 $$agon
