front diff seal

[jrowe6]

My front diff is leaking at the back where the front drive shaft goes in. is this the pinion seal?

i went to advance auto and i got a seal, it looks about right but i do not know for sure. the part number is 714675.

what is the best way to get the front driveshaft out? this is my first time doing any work on a drivetrain so i dont know exactly how its all held together. if anyone has done this job before and would be willing to write me out a quick little step by step i would really appreciate it.

 

[Sbyrne97]

hmm this is not a very simple task and is better done by a shop if you haven't done it before.... but if you want to:

the driveshaft is held on by 4 12 point bolts on the diff side and the t-case side. You have to unbolt them (they are torqued with a impact at lbs/inch so you better put some ass on it) to remove the driveshaft...you may be able to remove the ones connected to the driveshaft but it might not be enough room. Then you will see the ujoint which must be taken out...when you take out the u joint you must make sure the end caps don't fall off...When they fall off they will release like 100 small cylindrical bearings and then you have to buy a new u joint. Then you will see the bolt holding the pinion flange (the part that connects the driveshaft to the diff). Unbolt it and then you will be able to pull the flange out, then you must take the seal out of the diff. This will require a seal puller, be careful not to scratch the inside of the diff because that might lead to permanent leaks. Once that seal is out, you must clean it all up and make sure you get it CLEAN. Take the new seal and tap it in with a large socket or seal tapper, and make sure it is flush to the diff housing. Recheck your diff fluid level, then just trace your steps back and whala your done.

seriously though this is a PITA and if you don't have the right tools it will take forever.

 

[Sbyrne97]

also if you choose to remove your driveshaft...mark where it contacts both flanges (diff and Tcase). The driveshaft is weighted and if put on wrong will cause tremendous shaking and hurt your drivetrain and other components

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Any idea what Ford would charge for something like this? Better to take it to an indie shop? Not sure if I want to tackle this. Have leak same place as well. Thanks

 

[96eb96]

True, if you mess this up you are going to need a new diff or complete rebuild.

 

[jrowe6]

i would think under $250. it doesnt look like a very labor intensive job, i just dont have the tools for it. the seal is $10, plus $10 worth of gear oil to filler up and a few hours of labor. i would think like 2 maybe 3 hours tops.

i changed my oil, which was terrible looking, and added about 2 table spoons of power steering fluid with stop leak. idk if theres anything wrong with doing this, someone told me to put brake fluid in it. that apparently will make the seal swell up, the steering fluid with stop leak seems to have slowed the leak, it wasnt a bad leak, it just seeps a little. but its definitely a bit better. i might add a tablespoon of brake fluid and see what that does. at $5 a quart or whatever i can add 1/4 cup of gear oil once a year if thats all it takes. even having been leaking for a few months it still overflowed out the fill hole when i went to drain the old oil so whatever.

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Thanks u are right on. Taking it in Thursday, quoted $200. Also getting recall done for cruise control. Hopefully all goes well.

 

[Xplorer82]

edit.. nevermind, re-read.