Quick question

[Roger Fairclough]

Sorry Frank still not buying that. The seal only works one way? Really?

Nah. Where is all this grease coming from? I don't plaster CV grease round the seal so somehow it had to jump across a gap and through a seal.

Nah
This seal is only tight one way?

Nah? Have you slipped one on a shaft to see how tight they are?

Nah.

I think this is cheap oil that us being broken down mechanically. I'm not missing grease from my hubs either.

Nah

C

Oil seals are either single or twin lipped. Single lip is for internal use such as the one we are discussing and yes, it is one way. If you need to exclude external matter, such as dust or water, then you fit a twin lipped seal. If you look at a TW seal, you will note that the lips are different in design as they do different jobs. The outer seal will stop water in the form of rain or a water crossing or even a garden hose but not a pressure hose.

The grease is coming from the rotation of the CV joint as it spins in the hub. The vortex of air will spray it all over the place.

It would be very difficult to claim "no loss of grease" as from experience it just goes gloop into the drain tin when you remove the outer seals to the hub.

I still reckon it's grease.

Anyway, what were you doing buying cheap oil? I'm thinking of reporting you to the Toyota police for cruelty to LC's.

Roger

 

[Chris]

Well to be fair Roger, I say cheap oil, but I dunno if it is. Like I said, it's not made from the reduced tears from the last living Dodo or anything, but it is to a standard. When I open my swivels, I don't get anything pouring out. I just get CV grease still where I left it when I built the hub up last time. Only if the oil gets thorough into you hub should it gloop out like that. This CV grease is very immobile. That is one of its characteristics. It's anti-sling. If it did fly off then it would be radially into the swivel - away from the centre where the seal is.

I am not convinced that it isn't grease myself. But I am convinced that it's not coming through the inner seal. I have seen no evidence of that anywhere. If any were to get past it would be limited to that which was available in that area and as the grease doesn't move around in the hub,once that was exhausted where would more come from. Know what I mean? The quantities would be really small too. Anyway. I think next job is some different and decent oil on there and see if that makes a difference.

What would you recommend?

Chris

 

[Shayne]

Just a guess but grey usually means waters getting in somewhere , is it possible the leak your seeing is contaminated water escaping because it is so much thinner than the stuff the seal is supposed to prevent escaping ?

 

[Chris]

Sorry Shayne - what leak? I don't have a leak. Just oil changing consistency and colour. Could be water, but not sure where it would be getting in. Been like this ont he last 2 80s I have had. Only common factor has been the oil really.

Chris

 

[Shayne]

I know your not a fan of guesses but perhaps as Roger says the seal is one way to keep things in , perhaps if you can plug the outer seal somehow you might see a difference as i'm inclined to think you rarely see a river without driving into it lol .

 

[Roger Fairclough]

Some time back I disconnected the tie rod and steering rod and then found that the n/side hub was virtually immobile. It was only the strength of the power steering that enabled me to go round bends at all. I stripped the hub and found the lower trunnion bearing to be a mass of rust wallowing in a mix of emulsified grease. I re-built both hubs (the o/side wasn't much better) and decided to make use of the filler plug located on the top of the hub. Every now and again I removed the plug and poured in an amount of diff. oil. The amount wasn't specific, just enough to mix with the grease and thin it out. The benefits, as I saw them, were better sealing to the hub seal and a constant lubrication to the trunnion bearings. Now neither of those points is easily/quickly provable but when I did the same test last week, both hubs revolved freely, without any snatching or stiction.

As I now have a thinned down solution of grease and oil in the hub, it's probable that my shaft seal is on to a hiding to nothing, so as long as the diff level is on the full mark and doesn't look to obnoxious, I will live with it. Certainly over the years the diff. has remained quiet and intact.

As my brother in Law sells Lucas Oils (he builds Harley Davidsons to order ) I have been using their fully synthetic gear oil.

As I have a cup of coffee waiting, I will close for the moment but when my mug is empty I will look for the leaflet on those Yankee seals.



Roger

 

[Roger Fairclough]

OK, mug empty and a quick browse through the library and BINGO.

www.Trail-Gear.com

Browse your way down to "Trail Safe Inner Axle seal" and all will be revealed.

Does anyone know if they have a UK dealer?

Roger

 

[Roger Fairclough]

A quick look at Trail-Gears web shows a UK dealer as:-

Wrex Racing of Steventon Oxfordshire.

I have sent them an email.

Roger

 

[frank rabbets]

I've used at least 3 makes of ep 80/90 oils in my front diff and they all came out gray.

Frank

 

[Chris]

Ha Ha Frank that sounds like a vote for the cheap oil then..

Chris