Pinion Seal

[coastierider]

OK, I need some help getting the correct pinion oil seal, when i removed the yoke there was no pinion seal installed, which explains why the rear diff was covered in a thick oil/dirt sludge.... dont ask me why there wasnt one, cause i have no idea... i went to autozone and they gave me P/N 5778 (Timken), but it's not the right one and Rock Auto has 5 different P/N's, just wondering what the correct seal is..
1961 chevy apache c10



NAPA gave me seal P/N 17727 (SKF)

[Wrenchbender Ret]

From the photo it looks like the seal is still in there. The rubber part may be gone but I think the metal part is stiil there. Get the rest out & see if there is a number on it.
I can look it up tomorrow. It shouldn't be that much of a problem.

[Captainfab]

Yes, your seal is still there, but like Wrenchbender Ret said, the rubber may be gone. I can see in the pic the word 'NATIONAL' on there at about 11 O'clock, so just clean it off and get the number and crossreference it if need be. It also looks like you may need a speedy sleeve on the yoke.

[lakeroadster]

To install a speedy sleeve he would need to remove the pinion from the case, correct?

[Captainfab]

No, the speedy sleeve would be installed onto the seal surface of the yoke.

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

To install a speedy sleeve he would need to remove the pinion from the case, correct?

[dallas71]

Not to steal the thread but is there any gotchas when changing this seal??? I need to change mine but dont know if there is any impact or anything that I have to worry about other than just changing the seal....Can someone enlighten me please!! Thanks

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

No, the speedy sleeve would be installed onto the seal surface of the yoke.

Gotcha, but do you just leave the speedi sleeve installation flange on the sleeve and then install the pinion lip seal?

I have used speedi sleeves for industrial applications, and we always removed the flange... but in this case I guess it would be ok to leave it?

http://www.vsm.skf.com/~/media/Files.../TT08_021.ashx

Thanks,

John

[Captainfab]

For starters, you will need a way to break the nut loose and also a way to hold the yoke to be able to do so. I made a tool from a piece of flat bar to bolt onto the yoke that is long enough to come up against the frame. Then when you tighten the nut back up after replacing the seal, you need to try and get the same preload on the bearings. Just try and get the same feel to is as it was before you removed the yoke. It is better to error towards the loose side rather than too tight. Too tight can eat up the bearings.

Oh, and don't forget to lube the seal area of the yoke before you slide it thru the new seal.

Originally Posted by dallas71

Not to steal the thread but is there any gotchas when changing this seal??? I need to change mine but dont know if there is any impact or anything that I have to worry about other than just changing the seal....Can someone enlighten me please!! Thanks

Most of the time, I have removed the installation flange as directed in the instructions. However it seems to me, the last time I installed a speedy sleeve onto a harmonic balancer, the flange was supposed to stay. Of course, you will need to be sure the flange doesn't interfere with the seal.

Originally Posted by lakeroadster

Gotcha, but do you just leave the speedi sleeve installation flange on the sleeve and then install the pinion lip seal?

I have used speedi sleeves for industrial applications, and we always removed the flange... but in this case I guess it would be ok to leave it?

http://www.vsm.skf.com/~/media/Files.../TT08_021.ashx

Thanks,

John

[chevyrestoguy]

If it's anything like the Seal-Savers I've used in the past, you simply press the new sleeve over the existing machined surface where the old seal used to ride against. It's exactly like the old harmonic balancer sleeves. I have always felt like these were a last-option deal, when you couldn't find a new yoke or balancer.

You might want to see what the cost of a new yoke would be. There's a good chance that the part is long out of circulation and isn't available anymore, but you never know. You might be surprised, and it might be available. Plus, it's GM, and they were really good about not utilizing 1yr-only designs like Ford did. I see NOS rear axle parts all the time on ebay, and you might get lucky.