This spring I put new axel bearings inner seal and sleeves in my T when I put it together I bought the modern outside seals everything on the right side is fine the left side keep leaking grease around the outside of the seal and getting into brake drum and it gets slung all over the wheel, I took,it apart twice and cannot see anything wrong the O rings inside the seal look fine but it keeps getting by them
John, how much oil do you have in the diff? If you overfill it can get by even the new seals. I have mine about an inch below the filler hole and that works for me, but i know not all T's have the same hole location...just my 2 cents.
on the axle where the old seal rode, is the axle worn a small diamiter? If the oil is leaking around the outside of the seal, I believe
Loctite has an expanding sealing liquid.
I would look real close at the axle for wear areas and the end of the axle tube for what would be appear rough and worn
Let us know what you find.
True John, To much oil in case. An old cure was to drill a small hole in the underside of the axle tube toward the center of its length to allow excess oil to leak out.
Tyrone, the worn axle concern was my first thoughts as well. There was a point when Henry changed the location of the fill hole. I believe prior to the change the thought was to run the oil an inch below the bottom of the filler hole. Then after the change to fill to the bottom of the filler hole. I believe this change is detailed in the encyclopedia on the MTFCA site.
Ford "T" differentials were designed for grease, one to one-and-a-half pounds of #1,1.5 or #2 grease. There never was any "seals" as with the nonflowing grease it would not migrate to the outer axles and on to the wheels. In the early days where outer axles would leak was because of a warn bushing at the rear of the transmission and allowing engine oil to flow down the tube and fill up the pumpkin and this would eventually leak out the ends. A jobber quick fix was to insert a dam of three felts pushed up into the housing, it is believed today those felts are required. There never was any outer seals only dust felts to prevent dust from getting in and not to seal lubricant in. The outer rollers were greased through the grease fitting and the inner was lubed from the differential lubrication. The outer axles were never designed for seals these are only after market parts where oils are used. The threaded plug in the diff housing in many manuals is referred to as a "grease" plug. Original differentials were very loosely fitted some as much as .030 - 040 back lash, to-day we look for .003 .005. I believe that grease is the appropriate lubrication and I use a #1.5 NLGI weight (National Lubricating Grease Institute). # 1 and #1.5 grease is a little difficult to find and you may have to go to a marine store to find it. It is used in the gear boxes of large outboard engines. There were no means to drain the housings some people drill and tap a drain hole. Grease was installed for life with no means to change. Fiew people to-day ever change the differential oil. To avoid perpetual hassles I recommend draining the oil by vacuum pump or opening the housing and replacing with #1 or #1.5 grease.
One thought comes to mind with the modern seal..some axles housings need to have the end chamfered a bit for the seal to slide over without damaging the O-rings...if yours wasn't, and if it went on fairly tight, this might be the cause. Just wondering.
I packed the pumpkin full of grease. I mean full. Used the O ring seal. No leaks. My solution.
Could be crankcase oil migrating from the crankcase by the universal joint into the rear end as well. Pull the plug and check if the level is to high. Jim
I take it you did not put the new improved inner neoprene seals in before the bearing and the sleeve?
What year car are you working on? There are 2 different ODs on rear axle housings. I forget what year they changed, IIRC around 1919, but I could be wrong. The earlier ones were slightly smaller than the later ones. If you have the earlier housing and happened to put on a later (larger) seal, it could leak.
Putting too grease in the outer bearings will force the grease out as the bearing and axle turns.
It is a 1923, I did install new inner seals when I changed bearings, my engine oil never gets low so I don't think it is running back through the tube, I would assume if the oil level is too high it would leak out both sides? Not just one
The left side is notorious for leaking, often it's called by a failing babbitt thrust washer on the left side, I think. There's more load on the LH thrust, it'll fail first - then the sideways movement of the differential tends to pump oil out the left side. I may be wrong, but if you haven't done a major overhaul of the axle, it's due time -you may lose your transmission brake the next time you're driving.. You need bronze thrust washers. They won't break.
I had the problem where the keyway on the axle extended so far inward that it was into the area where the seal mated . I had to fill it in with JB weld (sp?). This was with those modern seals.
Had exactly the same deal on one I did, Ray. It wasn't that I was into the keyway so much, it was that the offending keyway is cut .25 longer on this one axle. As you described the JB Weld did a good working and good looking job.
Regards,
Scott