This weekend I will be replacing a differential front pinion seal on a 93
XJ6. Having never replaced this particular seal before I would like to
know if there is any call for special tools and what is the easiest way to
replace this seal. Do I have to completely remove the drive shaft? How
about the exhaust? Thank you for any suggestions that might help me in
this weekends project.Greg Otero
93 XJ6
90 XJS
Greg wrote:
This weekend I will be replacing a differential front pinion
seal on a 93
XJ6. Having never replaced this particular seal before I would like to
know if there is any call for special tools and what is the
easiest way to
replace this seal. Do I have to completely remove the drive shaft? How
about the exhaust? Thank you for any suggestions that might help me in
this weekends project.Greg Otero
93 XJ6
90 XJS
Replacement of the differential input shaft seal is not�t something I would
recommend for the casual do-it-yourselfer. I have done this, because when I
had the dealer do the job the mechanic failed to fully seat the seal and did
not remove a wear groove on the input shaft flange sealing surface. As a
result, it continued to leak and I was so annoyed I just did it myself. The
description below is what I did (as best as I can remember it), not
necessarily the perfect way to do it. I will put some pictures in the
Jag-Lovers photo album to illustrate, probably tomorrow.
If the job is done wrong, the leak may not be cured and you also may ruin
the differential pinion shaft bearings. This causes noise and can�t be fixed
without removing the differential, a big expensive job. So consider
carefully and proceed with caution if you want to do this. No guarantees,
even if you do everything right, that your differential will remain quiet
after this procedure because the bearing adjustment is disturbed and it may
not have the same clearances when it goes back together.
There is one special tools that you will have to improvise your way around,
the seal driver. I made one from a plastic garden drainage fitting, I�ll
describe it later. In addition you�ll need a deep socket to remove the
input shaft nut. I used a �� drive 36 mm impact wrench socket that I got at
the NAPA auto parts store, it�s 3 3/8� long and has an inside depth of just
under 3� and an OD of 2�. Your nut may be a different size, you should
check it before buying the socket. I think that some XJ40s have 29 or 30 mm
nuts on the pinion shaft. You�ll also need a long breaker bar or torque
wrench, floor jack, axle stands, seal puller (the type with a long handle
with hooks on a T-bar at the end), center punch, three-jaw gear puller,
steel hammer and rubber or plastic hammer, RTV silicone sealer, 600 grit or
finer wet-or-dry sandpaper, optionally an inch-pound torque wrench, lots of
spray brake cleaner, rags or paper towels, locktite, and replacement
differential lube. And a replacement seal, of course. The main expenses
are the seal and the socket; they cost me about $75 together as I recall.
Raise the rear of the car and place on jack stands, as high as you can get
it. It is advantageous to raise the front to the same level, but not
required. Thoroughly clean the front surface of the differential and the
rear subframe with brake cleaner and rags. You need to get all the sand,
dirt and other muck off so as to avoid contaminating the differential with
it.
Remove the center and rear sections of the exhaust system, by loosening the
clamp bolts, undoing the joints and sliding the components off their mounts.
Liquid Wrench or a similar product will help get the sections sliding
freely. Clean the joints before reassembly.
Using a sharp pointed tool, scribe a line in the bottom undertray of the car
around both ends of the bracket holding the center bearing mount, so you can
put it back in the same position. Put as many index marks on these two
parts as necessary, they must go back in exactly the same position to avoid
vibrations.
Mark the orientation of the flange on the end of the propeller shaft, the
flexible coupling and the differential input shaft flange with paint, punch
marks or other means, to enable reassembly in the same relative position.
Punch marks are best for the differential input flange, you�ll be cleaning
it and paint will come off. Mark the edge of the flexible coupling that
faces toward the front of the car. Note that the flexible coupling can be
put on incorrectly, be sure you have its orientation marked before
disassembly. Photographs might be useful here, too.
Release the parking brake and put the transmission in neutral. Remove the
cotter pin, washer and pivot pin from the parking brake cable saddle.
Remove the three bolts and nuts holding the flanges and flexible coupling
together. They are torqued to 75 ft-lbs on assembly, so you�ll need a
breaker bar or torque wrench and some room for leverage. You�ll need to use
a box-end wrench on the nuts on the differential side, you can brace the end
of the wrench against the lip on the bottom front edge of the rear subframe
and turn the bolt with a socket wrench. Rotate the propeller shaft for each
bolt as necessary. Note which direction the bolts are inserted. The
propeller shaft is now resting on the input shaft extension but can�t be
disconnected yet.
Remove the four bolts holding the center bearing mount to the underside of
the car and carefully disengage the propeller shaft from the pinion shaft by
pulling it forward. The flexible coupling will fall off. Carefully lay the
propeller shaft on the ground and place it out of harms way. The front of
the propeller shaft remains bolted to the transmission.
You can now see the pinion shaft extension and the pinion shaft nut. Clean
this area thoroughly with brake cleaner. Light the area brightly and, using
a center punch or diamond pencil, mark the relative position of the pinion
nut and pinion flange to the pinion shaft. I did this by placing punch
marks immediately adjacent to one another on the inside edge of the top of
the nut and on the adjacent pinion shaft thread. (Don�t break the thread
while doing this, of course � a small but clearly visible mark will be
sufficient.) It is necessary to return the nut to precisely the same
position on the shaft during reassembly. I then punched the inner edge of
the front face of the flange in the same line as the other punch marks, so
as to return the flange to the same position on the pinion shaft splines.
(See pictures)
(to be continued, next message)
Dave Lokensgard
'90 Vanden Plas Majestic (DAVZCAT)
'55 XK140 OTS
Poway, California
1 Like
Here’s a link to the pictures referenced in my post.
http://www.jag-lovers.org/v.htm?1020531133
Good luck!
Dave Lokensgard
'90 Vanden Plas Majestic (DAVZCAT)
'55 XK140 OTS
Poway, California
Looks like I forgot that there are six bolts on the flange coupling, not
three. There’s no need to remove the flexible coupling from the propeller
shaft. Ooops!
Dave Lokensgard
'90 Vanden Plas Majestic (DAVZCAT)
'55 XK140 OTS
Poway, California