Advice on front axle oil seal setup needed

[5spd]

Anyone who has rebuilt a series 2 front axle (or similar variant) and can offer some advice on the oil seal (s) setup, and use of gear oil or grease in the swivel ball, i'd love a few minutes of your time.  780 569 1812.

After gear oil saturated the brake drum etc, i pulled the drum, hub, stub axle, axle halfshaft.  my first time inside a series axle.  I was surprised to find no seal seperating the axle casing from swivel ball.  so gear oil was moving from axle casing into the swivel ball, out past the swivel ball seal, out the end of the stub axle, and in past the hub seal to the hub bearings.

i am hoping to find that i can install an axle case oil seal into the end of the axle casing, once i confirm this axle arrangement accepts one.  the axle has a nice surface where it looks like a seal should be, but the axle casing doesn't have any visible 'lip' against which a seal should sit.  just the bearing at the end of the axle case.  I think I have found a part number from Paddock 217400, which i think is the right seal.

certainly I know some folks leave those seals out on purpose, while others keep seals in place there, and pack the swivel ball with grease. i'd prefer to go the latter route if i can.

at any rate, i hope i've painted the picture correctly.  any advice will be appreciated.

Chris

[Red90]

You do not want to use grease on a Series axle.  That is only for coiler axles.  The oil should flow free.

It is best to fix the swivel and/or hub seal leaks properly.  This way you know mud and water will not get in.

[5spd]

John, thanks.  i guess the question then remains for me, and maybe you can shed light on it: should a 1959 front axle have an oil seal at the end of the axle tube, keeping the gear oil from the axle separate from the gear oil in the swivel ball?

I am sourcing the remainder of the seals: hub and swivel ball seem simple enough.  but as someone installed Warn free hubs at some point in its life, and there was no felt seal at the end of the axle / stub axle, i'm not sure if i can fit one in.  i think that is the other part of my problem; gear oil moving along the axle and into the warn hub.

Chris

[Red90]

The seal is part number 217400.  It goes into the axle casing with the swivel removed.  It will not help your problem of leaking though.

Do you have a parts catalog and workshop manual?  If not, look at the sticky in the members section.  You can find it that way.  Operation F/14 in the workshop manual.

[Red90]

i think that is the other part of my problem; gear oil moving along the axle and into the warn hub.

There is no seal between the swivel housing and the hub bearings.  The felt seal is just to "help" prevent oil from getting out through the hub cap.  With a freewheeling hub, it should get in there as well.  Oil will slowly wash out the grease in the bearings and this is the intended design.  Make sure you use an OEM hub seal RTC3510 and make sure the sealing surface on the stub axle is not scored or damaged in any way.  If it is, you want a new stub axle or have it sleeved or it will simply leak again.

[5spd]

John, thanks again. 

Chris

[Rambler]

Hi Chris,
While I agree that land rover parts should be used in most situations when refurbishing my S2 hubs last year I found the OEM hub seals RTC3510 made by cortico were a bit small and would rotate in the hub.  The britpart cheaper ones are slightly bigger and with a tap in they fitted better in my hub.  I used a smear of hylomar around the edge of the seal to help stop it leaking.

To help with fitting the seals put them in the freezer overnight or you could heat up the hub.

In terms of the stub axle surface on your Series 2 it should have a push on seal surface (distance piece I believe it is called- 599698) if worn or scored and can be replaced.  Later stub axles are all in one affairs.

The felt outer seal is now called RTC3515

Ian