HOW TO: Install rear axle seal kit

[robin.richard]

OK,

Here are a few photos of where I'm at with this task. Needed to replace oil seal on passenger side.

Brake drum removed. Brake cylinder was blown out. I guess I was running on three brakes since I returned from deployment. Notice left side brake pad?!

Bake parts removed.

Bearing cover finally removed.

Stuck spacer, oil seal pulled off.

Now, how do I remove the spacer.? I tried a little heat but no luck. I have also tried PB Blaster, no luck. What tool can you use to get a good grip on this to remove it?

-Rich

[crukab]

A small puller would do it, but I think you can unbolt the backing plate, pull the e-brake cable out, and it should ?? come off over the spacer, then you could tap the spacer from the backside out.
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My Pops:
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In the yard right now:
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[robin.richard]

Do you have any recommendations to keep from marring the spacer? I' m sure that's important so the oil seal does it's job.

-Rich

[BarryL]

[robin.richard]

OK, I got it all apart and cleaned, reassembled but now I'm not sure of the torque for the four 14mm bolts on the carrier. In this thread it says 43 foot lbs. I thought I had read somewhere it was less.

Can someone confirm before I install the drum. Thanks.

-Rich

[EverettB]

Yes, I use 43.

Screws for bearing cover to rear brake back plate - 40-43 ft. lbs.

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[robin.richard]

Everett,

THANKS! I also believe I now know why that seal was leaking. A PO or shop installed the large O seal and the carrier does not have a channel for it. It is a large axle trans with oil slinger spacer combo.

-Rich

[BarryL]

Glad you got it but what ended up working for you?

In this picture your following brake shoe looks seriously thin. Is it or is it an optical illusion?

[Who.Me?]

Hi

I'm about to order the parts to replace the seals on one of my hubs.

I've a couple of questions

Firstly, I can get kits with or without the spacer. The price differential is significant (kits with the spacer are four or five times the price of those without). Should I get the more expensive kit with the spacer, or is it uncommon for them to be the cause of the problem?

I've edited the rest of my post, because I've found a cutaway image of a brake drum that I think answers my question, but to double check...

Is there any need to torque the hub nut straight away after replacing the bearing seals? Does doing so compress the gaskets in any way?

[cdennisg]

If your spacer is in bad shape it is a good idea to replace it. No way to tell its condition until disassembly.

Axle nut needs to be torqued down before filling with gear oil, or the seal will leak. If you aren't going to refill it right away, then you need not torque it right away. But don't forget to do it.
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[j.pickens]

[Who.Me?]

Interesting - the kit I was looking at (from VW Heritage here in the UK) is listed as 'out of stock', but I figured that just that they'd run out. The item also says 'not currently available', so I just rang them and they confirmed that they cannot get them anymore.

This was the kit with the spacer...
https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/311598051S/hub-seal-kit-with-outer-spacer-rear-axle/#esp_pg=2

So that makes the decision for me - I'll have to go for one of the kits without.

Thanks

Andy

[Who.Me?]

Although, having said the above, this place claims to have genuine VW kits with spacers, but they're a lot more expensive... http://www.deimosaircooled.com/products/drivetrain/suspension/rear-axle-seals/311-598-051

and this one...

http://www.coolairvw.co.uk/Item/Shop_by_Vehicle~Sp...r-CB-.html

[DencherD]

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find some 64 -67 rear bearing caps,someone said they could help but that I need the factory part number.For a big nut transmission . Thanks DencherD

[BarryL]

[Bruce Amacker]

Here's how I did this recently on my '66 big nut:

Remove the wheel and drum and disconnect the parking brake cable. The Bentley says you have to unhook it up front to remove the backing plate but that's not true, it pops right off at the lever inside the drum.

Pull the cable and hide it out of the way, it's a slip fit in the backing plate.

Remove the clip from the brake hose and loosen it from it's mount:

Remove the one bolt from the RGB holding the brake line retainer:

Unbolt the 4 bolts from the seal retainer and remove it and the backing plate. Hook the backing plate on the torsion housing using a S hook from a bungee cord. It's not necessary to disconnect the brake hydraulic line. It's necessary to remove the backing plate because oil can/will seep between the BP and the RGB housing mimicking a seal leak.

I used WW seal kits but most of it I don't use, only the seal, small o-ring, and cotter pin. The rest of the stuff is for Type 1s.

Drive the old seal out using a punch.

Clean the housing thoroughly, I bead blast and then brake clean and air. It's sitting next to the old seal.

I put a thin coat of Toyota FIPG on the inner surface where the seal seats, this is a high quality RTV. You may want to use your preferred brand. Being that this is a rubber coated seal this might be overkill, if it's a metal ringed seal this is important.

Set the seal in place, "lip to the lube". That means don't put the bastard in backwards.

Either push it in with a vise, which is what I did, or

Knock it in with a hammer. Either way, use an appropriate driver. Yes, you can sometimes cheat and use a big socket if you have one, but a seal driver kit is cheap and everyone should have one. HF sells them.

Push it in until it seats on the bottom. There's a channel for leakage to run out if it seeps, note the hole is clean.

Clean all surfaces of old sealer, rust, gunk, and whatever. I use a gasket whizzer on the backing plate, but a wire wheel in a drill should work.

Don't use a gasket whizzer on the RGB flange because you'll get abrasive from the disc into the bearing, use only a razor blade or scraper there.

That means both sides of the backing plate, axle flange and seal housing.

Dry everything with brake clean and air.

Cleanliness is critical, no oil film or anything is allowed here because RTV won't stick to an oily surface. Use brake clean on a rag to remove oil film, lacquer thinner or ether will also work. My RGBs were empty and freshly rebuilt, pull your RGB drain plugs if your have oil in them, and let drain until they're really empty and dry.

Put a thin film of FIPG or your favorite RTV on all of the flanges.

I keep studs around for lining shit up, it makes things easy, these are just bolts with the heads cut off. Put a couple of alignment studs in, set the backing plate over the studs and put the seal housing in place using two bolts. The drain hole in the seal housing goes down to line up with the drain hole in the backing plate.

Remove the studs, torque to 43.

Make sure the spacer is perfect- no rot, rust, or pitting, otherwise it will eat the seal.

You have to lube the seal and where the o-ring goes.

You can't tell, but it's wet with lube and there's chassis grease on the surface of the spacer. There's a chamfer on the back of the spacer where the o-ring sits to prevent gear oil from leaking along the axle shaft.

Push it home and reinstall the park cable.

Make sure the drain hole is clear.

Put the brake line, clip and bolt back in.

Don't forget to fill the RGB's!

Notes- the outer bearing outer race is slip fit in the RGB, not press fit. The inner race is an interference fit on the axle stub. The spacer (what the seal rides on) is slip fit. If it's stuck remove the backing plate so you have better access and get a bearing race remover (split style with 2 long bolts) with some adapters/puller/ingenuity to remove it. I wouldn't use much heat.

I also rebuilt my RGBs and put in a Rancho trans after doing a full restoration on this bus. The tranny stuff is page 34-35 in the link below.
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'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[Lost in Space]

Awesome pictorial, Bruce !


I too am doing a big nut on my '66 bus.

My question is, no washer between the small Oring and the inner race of the bearing ?

Basically I see no washers at all in this type assembly, correct ?

[xavi_242]

yes nice tutorial ^^^^
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[BarryL]

[Lost in Space]

Thanks much for the confirmation !