TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:37 am

Been surfing the threads and haven't found exactly what I need.

The other day I pulled the engine out of my '89 Westy (2wd) and found a light film of oil all around inside transmission bellhousing. Nothing major, clutch was dry. No leaking between the bellhousing and the engine before the engine was pulled. Is the oily fim normal? Or should I suck it up and replace the input shaft seal? Any tips or tricks to this?

People on the samba said if you change the input shaft seal, you should check the oil slinger behind the seal is press fitted. What does this mean exactly?

Also, there is a leak around the shift input selector, where the shift linkage enters into the transmission. How easy is it to replace? Any tricks?

Finally, the housing around the CV joints seem heavily gunked, but the CV boots are clean as a whistle. I am thinking of replacing the seals and cap around the final drive(?). I have seen the thread that describes this, but I am not sure how necessary it is.

Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:58 am

I replaced the shift shaft oil seal a while back and it was pretty easy. However mine was crumbled and glued into it's seat. I learned after I replaced it that if you unbolt the cover on the opposite side of the selector shaft, and back out the shaft a little, it makes it a lot easier to get the seal out. I used a socket of the same diameter to push in the new seal. While I was in there I replaced the shift shaft linkage with the kit from Van-Cafe. Keep in mind if you buy the kit from them it doesn't come with the boot that surrounds the oil seal. I took a picture of it after I replaced it:

Sat Aug 23, 2008 5:46 pm

Just got home from work and perused the Bible. From what I see, they show a seal puller for both the input shaft seal and the shift selector shaft seal that is used. Thing is they show it when their is no shaft in either and you pry towards the center of the seal.

How easy are these seals going to be to pry out with the shafts still in place? What kind of puller can you use?

Then again, whats going to be the best way of seating the input shaft seal with the shaft in the way?

What kind of grease is recommended to apply in the "groove" of the seal?

Sun Aug 24, 2008 8:15 pm

Bump...........

Any one?

Mon Aug 25, 2008 4:34 pm

Rhinoculips wrote: People on the samba said if you change the input shaft seal, you should check the oil slinger behind the seal is press fitted. What does this mean exactly?

Here are a couple of pictures of the oil slinger.

This first one is the oil slinger as you see from the ring and pinion side of the bellhousing. It's the tube protruding from the bellhousing with the grooved spiral centerbore.

This second one is of the oil slinger, guide sleeve and shaft seal removed from the bellhousing. The oil slinger is simply press fit into the bellhousing. The serrated lip is located on the flywheel side of the bellhousing.

When they say to make sure that the oil slinger is seated, this simply means that you want to be sure that it hasn't moved in it's bore and if it has, give a tap back into place.

Rhinoculips wrote:

How easy are these seals going to be to pry out with the shafts still in place? What kind of puller can you use?

Then again, whats going to be the best way of seating the input shaft seal with the shaft in the way?

I have never replaced one with the bellhousing on the gearbox. The bellhousing is REALLY easy to remove. Four bolts and it come off. A little clean-up on the mating surfaces and sealer and it's ready to reassemble.

Rhinoculips wrote: What kind of grease is recommended to apply in the "groove" of the seal?

A VERY light coating of wheel bearing grease is what I use.