Pinion Oil Seal

REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Raise and support the vehicle safely. Allow the axle to drop to rebound position for working clearance.
3. Remove the rear wheels and brake drums, or calipers if equipped with rear disc brakes. No drag must be present on the axle.
4. Mark the companion flanges and U-joints for correct reinstallation position.
5. Remove the driveshaft.

   Fig. 1: Use a 2-jawed puller to remove the driveshaft companion flange

   Fig. 2: Remove the seal by either prying it out, or grasping the lip edge with locking pliers and tapping it out of the housing

6. Using an inch pound torque wrench and socket on the pinion yoke nut measure the amount of torque needed to maintain differential rotation through several clockwise revolutions. Record the measurement.
7. Use a suitable tool to hold the companion flange. Remove the pinion nut.
8. Place a drain pan under the differential. Clean the area around the seal and mark the yoke-to-pinion relation.
9. Use a 2-jawed puller to remove the companion flange.
10. Remove the seal with a small prybar and/or locking pliers and hammer.

    To install:

11. Thoroughly clean the oil seal bore.

    NOTE: If you are not absolutely certain of the proper seal installation depth, the proper seal driver must be used. If the seal is misaligned or damaged during installation, it must be removed and a new seal installed.

12. Drive the new seal into place with a seal driver such as T83T-4676-A. Coat the seal lip with clean, waterproof wheel bearing grease.
13. Coat the splines with a small amount of wheel bearing grease and install the yoke, aligning the matchmarks. Never hammer the yoke onto the pinion!
14. Install a new nut on the pinion.
15. Hold the yoke with a holding tool. Tighten the pinion nut, taking frequent turning torque readings until the original preload reading is attained. If the original preload reading, that you noted before disassembly, is lower than the specified reading of 8–14 inch lbs. (1–2 Nm) for used bearings; 16–29 inch lbs. (2–3 Nm) for new bearings, keep tightening the pinion nut until the specified reading is reached. If the original preload reading is higher than the specified values, torque the nut just until the original reading is reached.

    WARNING
    Under no circumstances should the nut be backed off to reduce the preload reading! If the preload is exceeded, the yoke and bearing must be removed and a new collapsible spacer must be installed. The entire process of preload adjustment must be repeated.

16. Install the driveshaft using the matchmarks. Torque the nuts to 15 ft. lbs. (20 Nm).
17. Lower the vehicle.
18. Reconnect the negative battery cable.