Stop. Hey, what's that sound?

[jluyk53]

So I have a question for you gear-heads. Took the CJ out for the first time in 7 months today. Just replaced the rear pinion oil seal and wanted to take her for a test drive.

Drove about half a mile before it started making this awful squealing/screeching noise when I shifted into second. I stopped because it sounded bad. I checked the belt first thinking it sounded like a slipping belt. Nope. That wasn't it. Fired it up again, started off fine in first, but once I hit second it stated making noise again. I'm not sure what it was that was making the noise but it sounded like it was coming from right underneath the front seats.

I wonder if it's the clutch?? Here is a link to a youtube clip of the sound its making. You can here the click of me shifting into second gear and the squealing starts at about the 7 second mark.

http://youtu.be/2oaZMtt-t54

[1955CJ-5]

Weird sound!� If it did not make the sound before you put the seal in, I would suspect the seal....bad seal?� Not fully seated?� installed backwards? Maybe the pinon yoke dust cover is rubbing?

Does it eventually go away as you shift into 3rd?

If you shift into neutral after the sound starts does it continue as you coast?

"Everybody look what's going down"

[jluyk53]

I think the seal went in all the way and was properly seated.

I saw online that there is a felt dust cover of some kind but I didn't see one when I replaced the bad seal. Where would that go in relation to the pinion seal?

I was wondering if the dust cover was rubbing myself. The sound almost has a ring to it like if you tapped the dust cover it would ring a little.

It does the same thing in 3rd.

If its in gear and I push the clutch in it will still do it. If I coast in neutral, it doesn't.

[1955CJ-5]

The felt dust seal fits over the smooth area of the yoke that has the splines cut inside. When the yoke is seated the felt is between the metal dust cover and the pinion seal..

I don't know. something spinning for sure...does applying the brakes lightly change the sound?

It might have something to do with the torque on the pinion yoke nut.

You might try it in low range with the hubs (if you have them) disengaged. If its in the tranny it will probably occur at a similar engine speed, but different road speed...

I'm out of ideas.... fluids all full?

[athawk11]

You would have dropped you drive shaft.  And the noise is coming from below the seats.  Maybe one of the four bolt heads that hold they park brake drum to the companion flange is not properly seated.  Or something got between the brake shoes and the drum.

Tim

[jluyk53]

Looking at the exploded view of the rear end it doesn't show where the felt ring goes. You're saying it goes between the seal and dust cover. That makes sense but when I took the thing apart the first time there wasn't one.

Did this come from the factory with one? It's possible the seal had been replaced before and the felt was forgotten/omitted.

[athawk11]

You can't rely entirely on the manual exploded views, or the verbiage. There are a number of documented omissions and mistakes in the manuals.� Many of these issues have been discussed at length, both here and at the 2A page.

My understanding is the felt seal is normally found on the front of the rear differential and on the front of the transfer case.� These are the two yokes that normally have the dust shields.� The felt seal is tucked tightly up against the inside of the dust shield.�

Whether you have this seal or not, is irrelevant to the squealing noise you mentioned in your first post.

Have you determined if the noise is at the differential or the transfer case?

If at the differential, is the oil seal installed with the flat side out?

[1955CJ-5]

This is how my seal looked, before and after.....

And just for the record, I forgot to put my felt seals in, and I wasn't about to take it apart again....it works just fine without..

[jluyk53]

Yes. Pinion oil seal was installed flat side out. I think it may have been the dust cover spinning or contacting the yoke or differential as there was no felt between it and the pinion oil seal. I have put the felt in place and will be topping off all fluids. We shall see what, if any, difference that makes.

[1955CJ-5]

The dust cover should be a press fit and not free to spin....yours may be bent or distorted...the felt might help for a while...see if you can flatten the dust shield for a tight fit on the yoke....

Let us know what happens!

[Oilleaker1]

You should see a rub mark on the dust seal if that was touching. My guess is the cover moved a bit or you sucked it in further when tightened and that is the noise. John

[p3ferris]

Almost sounds like a throw out bearing

[Carls_jeep]

Hay now, what's that sound? Everybody hear what's going round.

Does it only do it when you use second gear? Does it do it in the other gears. Does it do it all the time?

[jluyk53]

It did it in 2nd and 3rd. I checked the transfer case fluid level. It was pretty low. I wonder if I have a leak. Gotta get some GL-1 lube and fill 'er up.

[1955CJ-5]

If the transfer case is low the transmission probably is too as there are oil passages between the two.  I don't know how low the transmission oil level will go if there is a transfer case leak...