Date:         Sun, 21 Sep 2014 18:00:49 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Replaced the axle seal
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

  On my 5sp manual tranny that runs my inline VW powered 84 tin top...  The
left side axle/CV boot has been leaking, dripping,  for quite a while, I
could smell hot oil when I shut off the van and the underside is quite
messy with months of Swepco all over,,,One good thing about having that
Swepco in the tranny is that it is a distinctive blue color and so I had no
problem knowing what was leaking...
  About three weeks ago I topped off the trans with a normal gear oil
(worried that I might be running too low on gear oil)...forget what brand
but it was significantly lower viscosity than the Swepco.  It took about a
quart... and the leak became worse...I was hoping to defer all my work till
the winter season change around here but I had all the  parts and some
time, so I went for the axle shaft seal...using some great write-ups from
the various forums we all know..
    I did the complete job on one side without any special tools at all, no
problems.   It was pretty easy, actually, though I got major oily.

   There was a pool of gear oil under my hanging CV, draining out from the
boot and the CV joint.... At this time, rather than doing a complete
maintenance on the axles and CVs I decided to do that come our first snow
or sleet or freezing rain day..   I did not have any dedicated CV grease
around but I do have some StaLube high temp disc brake wheel bearing
grease, so I packed the CV with that as it hung there...Should be ok for a
month or so, or did I really do something bad here?  The can says this
grease is for high temperature high load bearings and that it has
moly----dysulfide, like the CV grease does...Smells and feels like that CV
stuff...anyhow it is probably better than gear oil was, smiley face...

   So when the weather turns I'll be draining and refilling the tranny with
all Swepco again and doing the CVs up properly, both sides.  I want to make
certain my leak is fixed before I change the oil there because the Swepco
cost about $65 bucks to fill the tranny...

   Don Hanson