TC Output Seal Replacement

[Ryan_M]

On a whim I decided to attack the steady ooze of transmission fluid that's been dripping from the back of the e-brake. Figured I'd pop the ol' seal off the output shaft and slap a new one on. 3 hours later I finally have managed to chisel, drill, pry, hammer, and chip the old seal into a thousand little bits all over the garage floor. I'm pretty certain every finger and both hands are bleeding.

Anyways, now that the little bugger is out I really am not looking forward to repeating this project anytime soon.

I'm posting a pic of the output shaft. Anybody see anything alarming that I should deal with before I put it all back together? I'm curious about that paper looking gasket that the new seal will butt up against.

I also want to confirm which direction the new seal slides in. The rubber seal is tapered - does the wide side go towards the TC case?

Anything else I should watch out for?

I rebuilt the tranny during the initial overhaul but never did anything with the transfer case. I figured I'd save that for another long winter. Since the rate of the leak seemed to be steadily increasing I thought it was best to tackle this seal now, even if only to hold me over until snow flies and Jeep season is over.

[Carls_jeep]

I'm not sure what you mean by the seal is tapered. The OD of the seal should be the same diameter from front to back. The flat side of the seal goes toward the outside and the open side with the rubber lip goes toward the inside of the transfer case. Please show a photo of the wear area on the yoke because that is where the seal rides and if it is worn with a groove in it the seal will still leak. If the yoke has a groove worn in it you will have to use a speedie sleeve on it or replace the yoke. If the rear output yoke is leaking it's a good bet the front drive yoke is leaking too.

[athawk11]

I coated the paper gasket and the seal edge with a very small amount of Permatex 2.� Also, remember to use some on the splines.

Unfortunately, I have the same affliction as you.� As Carl mentions, if the surface is grooved on the yoke, a new seal may help for a short while, but your problem will quickly return.� I was just looking for speedy sleeves yesterday.

Tim

[Ryan_M]

The yoke looks OK (I think). The seal is the type that does not have an open side. I'm pretty sure the side shown in pic #2 goes towards the TC, right?

[bretto]

Yes you want the tapered side pointing into the tcase or funneling in if you will.  One thing I did on mine after I had it together and found it leaked with a new seal was to find where the seal rode on the yoke.  All seals may not land in the same spot on the yoke.  So I drew a few lines on the yoke with a sharpie and reinstalled the yoke.  Gave it a few turns and pulled it back out.  This showed exactly where the sealing surface was for that seal.  I found that it was hitting in a bad spot on the yoke.  I then just seated the seal in a bit further in the tcase so it hit a better spot on the yoke.  Mine doesn't leak now.

[Quebec Jeep]

The Papas goes into the mamas and it should do it freely and easy.
I used this rules for any oil seal that I need to replace. On TC, diff, crankshaft....

So the Yoke is easier to enter in your picture #1 since it don't go against the rubber lip.

[Carls_jeep]

Yes, side #2 goes toward the T?C and the wear area on the yoke looks ok in the photo.

[Ryan_M]

I appreciate the answers. I still question myself on what often seems obvious. It's much easier to ask for clarification online when bored at work than it is to blow an entire sunny weekend redoing something that's wrong 

And thanks to Pascal's colorful explanation I'll never forget it.

[PaulS]

I haven't tried removing the TC seal set, but it looks a lot like the pinion seal on the axles. (Especially the way the yoke comes out leaving a space between the shaft and the seal.)� I got that out with this tool:
.

The smaller one (6") didn't work very well, but I was just able to squeeze the tip of the bigger one (12") between the pinion shaft and the seal.� Once the tip is behind the seal, a couple whacks with a hammer, and the seal popped right out.

-Paul

[Ryan_M]

I'm really battling with this output seal. I can't get it to seat in any further than what is pictured. I already destroyed one new seal from banging on it. I'm using a 2" socket and a hammer. The TC bore feels smooth. Is it supposed to go in any further than this or just to that "lip" that's visible in the photo from my first post above? Seems like it needs to go in further in order for the yoke to fit on properly.

[Quebec Jeep]

I used a piece of PVC tubing that fit the seal size and a 4oz rubber hammer.

It should go further. There should be a felt between the seal and the yoke.

Advise...always take picture before removing things. Then you would see How far in it was.

You can screw the yoke and take the chance take it will push the seal where it should but this is not the way i would go.

[Ryan_M]

I used a piece of PVC tubing that fit the seal size and a 4oz rubber hammer.

It should go further. There should be a felt between the seal and the yoke.

Advise...always take picture before removing things. Then you would see How far in it was.

You can screw the yoke and take the chance take it will push the seal where it should but this is not the way i would go.

Yes, I almost religiously take "before" pics prior to every project - I have thousands. But, of course, I neglected to do so here.

I started with a PVC pipe and it broke. I moved up to a socket and 3lb hammer and it still won't budge any further. In fact, the first seal bent inward and the second one is starting to do the same.

I also tried putting the yoke on and screwing it down in hopes of pushing in the seal. In the process I destroyed both the seal and the flange on the yoke. The flange bent backwards without moving the seal. Now I will be ordering a new yoke.

Something just doesn't seem right. I'm thinking the seal is going as far as that lip on the inner bore of the TC and stopping. Does anyone else know if their TC has that same lip?

I've been to 5 parts stores today plus scouring the web trying to see if maybe I have the wrong seal. Everything I'm reading and hearing says I have the right one but it just won't seat.


EDIT:
I just found this pic from last year. I redid the e-brake but I did not replace the seal on my initial rebuild. It should have looked the same a couple days ago as it does in this old pic. The seal definitely slides back further but it appears to be a different type of seal. It does not have a flat face like my new ones. Unfortunately, the one pictured here is has been reduced to a pile of metal crumbs.

[Ryan_M]

I pulled the seal again. I am now the proud owner of an actual seal puller. It reduces a 2 hour screwdriver job to about 15 seconds. At this point I probably would have paid $1000 for it but the parts store let me have it for $10.97.

There is no doubt my seals are stopping at that lip. Can anyone tell me if that lip is part of the case or could it be part of the old seal still stuck in there? I'm afraid to start prying on it and causing damage to something that is supposed to be there.

[RedWilly]

From the looks of the picture I would say that part of the old seal is still there. It does not look like a machined "lip".

[Ryan_M]

For those of you have been following my ramblings of a mad man here on this thread - that IS the remnant of the old seal stuck in there. I just pried it out and the new seal pounded right in, just as it should. Go figure.

In collateral damage I figure this mistake cost me over $100 more than it should have (destroyed yoke for which I will have a replacement shipped overnight, 2 seals, etc) plus time and aggravation. Half the battle is even knowing what you're looking at to begin with. Live and learn.....