I'm working on a 1919 T firetruck.
The right rear wheel has a oil leak and I ordered a "felt set" to fix it so I can drive it in a couple of parades before I start restoring it.
I tore it down today and pulled the roller bearings out of both sides and the side that was leaking had a felt seal between the wheel and the dust cap and nothing behind the bearing. The other side didn't have any seals.
I am thinking the thick felt seal(items 1021-39) I bought from Langs will go into the axle housing then the roller bearing and should have bought the "axle housing cap set(items 1021-2-3) to go on before putting the dust cap back on. Is that correct?
I talked to the previous owner and they never touched the rear end other than add gear oil once in a while so it has been like that for a long time.
David I think you're on the right track about the housing cap set. I bought bought that for my TT firetruck but ended up re-using the old cap as the new one wouldn't even begin to go over the axle housing, but used the new felts anyway.
If you have the larger (heavier) spoked wheels that use, say the 6:00x20 tires and the rims with the lock ring, I found that it seems impossible to find that felt seal that's inside the hub. So I cleaned the crap out of mine and re-used it.
You're on the right track. You also could consider using new modern style neoprene inner seal, particularly since you don't have all the other parts for the felts. Another alternative is to check with suppliers who frequent this forum and see if you can find the missing parts used.
Also note - since you have an oil leak that means the inner felt (not the one your're looking to replace now but the one much further inside just outboard the inner bearing) has failed. You can certainly get away with cleaning things up at the hub bearing on the short term, but when you start your restoration you should pull the rear end apart and change all 6 seals. There is an inner and outer seal at the hub bearing plus another felt just outboard of the inner bearing on each side, total of 6.
Someday I'm gonna figure out better words to use to describe this. The words "inner" and "outer" are just too confusing when there is an inner seal and an outer seal on the outer bearing and only an outer seal on the inner bearing.
Tim, thanks for the response, I was just out looking at it again and there is no way I will be able to get that thick felt seal in before the bearing. The felt seal is about 5/8 to 3/4" thick and when the bearing is inserted without the seal there is only about 1/4" space to the outside edge of the axle housing.
Is it possible the Axle Shaft Bearing Retainer is not pushed in far enough? Or in backwards?
I might try and split one of the seals and use part of it inside of the bearing and another piece of it on the outside of the bearing before I put the dust cap on.
I only have to drive about 15 miles this weekend for the parade.
David, I think splitting the seal might be an option. For that matter, and this slipped my mind, you'll no doubt have to split away some of the felt that goes inside the cap or it too, will not go on enough to get the wheel back on properly. I've even had to do that with my standard T rear ends. For some reason, the aftermarket felts are just waaay too thick.