What is the front pinion seal?
What is the front pinion seal?
The pinion seal, also called a pinion shaft, is designed to keep oil in and any water, dirt or debris out. As long as the pinion seal is in place and performing well, the differential will stay in good shape and operate as it is supposed to.
How does a rear pinion seal replacement work?
Rear Pinion Seal Replacement On a differential, the power input from a driveshaft begins with the pinion flange, which the driveshaft bolts to. The pinion flange is splined and bolted to the pinion gear, which transfers power to the ring gear and the two axles driving the wheels.
How do you replace a pinion seal on a hard drive?
If there is a wetness or dripping fluid, that is a fairly advanced leak. Replacing the pinion seal is usually a matter of unbolting the driveshaft and removing the center holding bolt, then using a puller to remove the pinion flange. The seal can then be pulled and a new one installed.
How much does it cost to replace a pinion seal on a Ford Explorer?
For a 2009 Ford Explorer, the labor time to replace the rear pinion seal is around 1 hour. An SKF seal costs about $9, making the job cost about $109. In all cases, a small amount of gear oil would be needed to top off the differential. It is very common to replace the seal in conjunction with a differential service, replacing all the fluid.
What does preload mean on pinion seal bearings?
The pinion gear, however, doesn’t require just a lack of looseness, but that the bearings are tight enough to hold the gear stable under turning forces. The tightness of the bearings is called their preload. The complication to that is that the pinion gear bearing preload is properly set and checked with the ring gear removed.
Why is my rear pinion seal leaking?
Rear main seal leak causes Worn main bearings. If your vehicle has worn main bearings, the crankshaft is able to move excessively inside the bearings which will stretch and move the rear main seal while Clogged or blocked PCV system. Most rear main seals have a lip that rides on the shaft. Engine oil condition. Crankshaft condition. Misalignment issues. Seal coating.
How do you replace front pinion seal?
Slide the pinion yoke off the pinion shaft and set it aside. Using a small flat screwdriver, bend the outer metal ring of the seal to help loosen it then pry it out of the bore. Pack the cavity behind the seal with lithium grease then install the new seal into the bore.
What should it cost to repair a rear axle seal?
Fixing an axle seal can cost anywhere from $150 to several hundred dollars, depending on the make and model of your car. If you detect a leak it’s better to fix it sooner rather than later, as ruining your transmission is an expensive repair.
How serious is a pinion seal leak?
There are two problems to consider with a pinion seal leak. First, obviously you are losing fluid from the diffential. With reduced capacity of differential fluid, your ring and pinion gears lose cooling and lubrication, which will cause the gears and bearings to overheat and can catastrophicly fail.