AC Owners Club Forum
AC Owners Club Forum => Ace, Aceca & Greyhound Forum => Topic started by: pjbowman on June 06, 2015, 19:00:50
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I'm trying to replace the leaky pinion seal on my Ace. Have the driveshaft disconnected, but there is no way to get an impact wrench on the castle nut that holds the flange to the differential shaft. Does anyone have a trick about how to get the nut off?????? Pretty tight working quarters under there.
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The way I've tackled this in the past is to use a long length of 5cm x 5cm angle iron bolted to two of the holes in the pinion flange. A semicircle of metal is cut out between the two bolt holes to allow access for a socket on the pinion nut. The angle iron can be held to stop the pinion flange rotating while loosening the nut with a long breaker bar on the socket.
If you are replacing an original seal that still has the steel outer they can be very stubborn to get out. I carefully use a small chisel to indent an area on the outer ring and then a punch to further collapse the outer ring and break the grip on the housing. A better method would be to use a puller that fits between the seal and pinion nose but unfortunately I don't have one.
Regards Luke.
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Thanks Luke, that's pretty much the only ideas I could come up with also. How did you get a socket on the pinion nut, there doesn't seem to be enough room on my car to do that. Did you remove the drive shaft completely? Mine is disconnected but just laying there with little room to maneuver between it and the flange.
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Yes, the prop-shaft needs to be completely removed and the pinion nut can be very tight so make sure that the socket is a really good fit.
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What is the 'easiest' way to get the prop shaft out, once disconnected at both ends? Any room to slide it out one end or the other?
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I guess the 'easiest' way is to remove the handbrake and rear most tunnel section and remove the shaft from above. I haven't ever tried removing the prop-shaft with the tunnel still in place.
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Thanks Luke - I was sort of guessing that would be the case!
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OK, I removed the seats, handbrake, carpet, transmission tunnel, drive shaft, and made the brace for the pinion flange. But I cannot get the pinion nut to budge, even with a 3 foot brake bar helping my socket wrench. I'm afraid I'll break the wrench before than nut moves. Should it be this hard? Suggestions? No way to get an impact wrench on the nut. Why is nothing ever easy???
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Not an unusual scenario, it's probably been on there for the last sixty years after all. The last one I did from an Aceca required quite a bit of heat before it shifted.
Also the thread is right handed just in case you were starting to wonder [:)].
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Might it be easier to remove the diff assembly & get it onto a bench, the only issue then is taking out the half/stub shafts after taking off the drive shafts!
Robin
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Luke, do you heat with a propane torch or acetylene torch? And yeah, I was starting to wonder if it was a 'reverse' LH thread - glad you confirmed it is a 'norma'l righty-tighty lefty-loosey! And thanks Robin, although I'm not sure having on the bench would actually make it easier or harder!
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I use an oxy-acetylene torch, as you really need to pin point the heat just on the nut and a propane torch produces too low a temperature and gives more of a spread of heat.
Regards Luke.
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Great, thanks Luke, I will give that a shot! Cheers.
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OK, after basically removing the entire interior, front and rear transmission tunnel covers, making a brace for the pinion flange, and buying a new big ass air impact wrench, I finally have the pinion castle nut off! Now, before I do something stupid, just want to ask - the pinion flag just pulls off the shaft, correct (with a gear puller)? Or does it somehow thread onto the shaft also?
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Yes, the pinion flange just pulls off the splined pinion shaft, once the nut is removed. A simple two leg puller will be fine as it should not be super tight.
Regards Luke.
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Thanks Luke, the flange is off, and I can finally get to the seal! This project has taught me more about how the Ace is put together than I ever hoped to know...but also gave me a good chance to buy some new tools! Now I'm out to get the old seal off and put the new one in, then, as all the Brit manuals say - assembly is the reverse of disassembly.
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Hazaa! After a few hours of beating and chiseling, the old seal is out. Before I go any further, the new seal I have is about half the width of the old one - see the pic below. I got the seal from Ron Leonard a few years back, do I have the right one?
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/2015-06-27%2010.41.01_1.jpg)
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Congratulations! The seal I use is only slightly thinner than the original, the measurements are. OD 2.87" ID 1.75" W 0.50" It should be readily available from most bearing suppliers.
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Are they double lipped seals to stop dust from entering the bearing?
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Mine is only about 5/16" wide. I'm including a couple of other pictures for opinions. I sure don't want to have to do this all over any time soon. Was the seal the same as used on some other cars?
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/2015-06-27%2017.18.01.jpg)[/URL]
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/2015-06-27%2017.18.13.jpg)[/URL]
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Robin, I see what you mean about the dust shield. The seal should go in first, then the dust shield. Looks like the same setup on an Austin Healey 100/3000, but so far I can't find a source for the dust shield. Are they available?
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The original seal is a steel cased double leather lip seal, good luck trying to find one. If your having problems sourcing a modern replacement it's the same one as fitted to early Jaguar XK120's fitted with the ENV axle, therefore you could try Jag specialists.
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I also forgot to add that it's important to inspect the area of the pinion flange where the seal runs. If there are any corrosion pits or a groove you will need to address this before reassembling. Light corrosion can be removed with fine emery paper but a wear groove will need a speedi-sleeve repair.
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Double Lip Seals should be available in Nitrile, early Land Rovers had ENV differentials so you might also check what is available locally, if the shaft is worn then you can fit a 'Speedy Sleeve ' onto the shaft which is a very thin wall sleeve for the seal to run on The should be available locally as well.
We are fitting up some diffs at the present with this set up so will let you know the exact part number shortly!
Robin
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Have Emailed the seal & Speedi Sleeve part numbers to you for reference, the Speedi Sleeves are made by SKF & should be available in USA.
Robin
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Thank you gents! I will look into procuring the proper seal (and will see if I need the sleeve), and report back! Much appreciated.
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Just an update - was able to locate the exact seal replacement thru one of my Jaguar suppliers. It's the same seal as used on the early XK120s with ENV differentials. Also got one of the Speedi-sleeves as recommended by Robin, as you can see there is a worn 'groove' in the flange shaft from 60 years of wear. So starting this weekend, I can start 'offering up' the parts and get the car back together, hopefully without any drama.
The correct pinion seal for the ENV
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/2015-07-02%2015.01.13.jpg)
The flange with worn shaft
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/2015-07-02%2014.58.59.jpg)
And the Speedi-sleeve
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/2653008b-7372-4f0a-a2af-a4f5df9f7153.jpg)
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Good progress on getting things back together! Now I just hope the seal doesn't leak any more...
The new pinion seal in place:
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/11174602_875703942502011_5280774751729578726_o.jpg)
The special AC Pinion Seal Replacement Tool
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/10505211_875703939168678_9032197565577174883_o.jpg)
Preparing to put the Speedi-sleeve on the pinion flange shaft
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/11696502_875703935835345_8493386525780120434_o.jpg)
Sleeve on shaft and ready to install
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/11181786_875704132501992_91862182046149721_o.jpg)
And finally, the flange reinstalled. Can now commence with putting the driveshaft and all the interior back in the car.
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn35/bowmanpj/11722244_875704182501987_7412572478126887802_o.jpg)