April 4, 200817 yr Replacing the front axles on my 2000 OBW. Installing new seals. Problem: After 110K enough corrosion had occurred around the old seals that it is proving very difficult to install the new seals, even with a quality seal installation tool. Tips?
April 4, 200817 yr Inside or outside seal? Axle side or nut side? Try some scotchbrite and elbow grease. The problem is at the lip where the seal starts in - sort of a corrosion "burr". That has to go. you could also try a small rat-tail file and drag it around on the edge to clean up the edge. Clean well if you take something off the edge and lube the seal outside edges before driving the seal in. Dirt is the bearing's major enemy. Did you take the housing OFF the car or is it still on? If "off" and you can, take the bearing back out before cleaning the corrosion. Otherwise, you can try some solvent to flush the opening (and of course, you would need to re-lube the bearing) 1st class PITA problem
April 4, 200817 yr Author Inside or outside seal? Axle side or nut side? Try some scotchbrite and elbow grease. The problem is at the lip where the seal starts in - sort of a corrosion "burr". That has to go. you could also try a small rat-tail file and drag it around on the edge to clean up the edge. Clean well if you take something off the edge and lube the seal outside edges before driving the seal in. Dirt is the bearing's major enemy. Did you take the housing OFF the car or is it still on? If "off" and you can, take the bearing back out before cleaning the corrosion. Otherwise, you can try some solvent to flush the opening (and of course, you would need to re-lube the bearing) 1st class PITA problem Axle side. Housing still attached to control arm etc.
April 4, 200817 yr careful cleaning is all I can suggest - try a rag in the hole to pick up the crud when you swing the file around the edge. about 45 degrees to the edge of the housing should work. Don't go down past bare metal if you can avoid it. It's not difficult but it will take a bit of time. you still need to clean everything afterwards anyway. try not to take the grease out of the bearing you want to just hold the file and work it in a circle - not back and forth. you just want to take off the burr, not file the surface
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