What Is The Best Method To Change Mk4 Xr3I Gearbox Diff Seals?

[Guest spaceman]

I have oil coming out of this where the drive shafts enter the gearbox.

I have replacement seals, what is the best way to change?

Have looked in the Haynes, do I have to take the drive shafts out of the hubs also to allow the other end to come out of the box or is there a cheat?

Thanks guys.

[Guest steelcabby]

is this a mk4??

 

if so, just jack car up. undo and remove the track control arm from the bottm of the hub. put a bucket underneath the gearbox side of the shaft your removing.

 

then what i do is, remove the CV boot from the gearbox end of the joint and slide the shaft out from there. leaveing the spline end in the gearbox. get a nice big screw driver or flat bar and lever the shaft out of the gearbox. nice sudden jolt to pop it out. once popped, it will then come out spilling oil everywhere, hence the bucket. now get a flat screw driver to pull out the old seal. very easy. then knock the new seal in with a nice size bit of flat wood. hit it in square but don't hammer it to death as your ruin the new seal.

 

fitting is reverse of removal and it might pay to look at the old seal before you take it out to see how far it sits in, so you don't worry about weather its in far enough or not. this is the same for both sides by the way.

 

don't forget to top up the gearbox oil chap, else your naff your bearing next.

[Guest spaceman]

Thanks for that steelcabby, very comprehensive and yes it is a mk4.

Once you have pulled back the cv boot from the gearbox side of the driveshaft what connectes the two halves of the driveshaft-circlip?

[Guest steelcabby]

on the gearbox side you don't need to remove the circlip from the joint as it will just slide out free from the spline cup.... your see what i mean when you do it. once the track control arm is off. you can pull to slide the shaft and joint out from the spline cup........ then as stated you will need to lever the spline cup out of the gearbox with a sudden jolt.

[70's lad]

Oh what fun I'm currently having in getting the old diff oil seals out of my stock Mk3 escort cabriolet - & I used to work in a Ford dealership & so this
should be easy for me! It seems on mine 30 years of not being tampered with combined with localised heat as caused my seal casings to weld themselves to the trans casing. Looks like I will need to use the old fashioned hammer & punch to try & tap them round & out. Any further ideas welcome please? Shame I have the new original seals (found in Daventry) ready to go in :-(

 

For info & regarding earlier post I removed my driveshafts complete (once lower TCA pinch bolt & anti roll bar is out of the way) without dismantling the boot - its a bit tight but do-able....

[70's lad]

Just in case anyone was following this or if useful for future hits I just completed this job and may have some handy hints if other folk experience issues like me.

I thought getting some heat on the stuck seal may help. In absence of not having oxy acetylene at-home I carefully used the heat from a paint stripper gun (like a really good hairdryer), I also soaked the seal with wd40 for a couple of days. Then crunch time it wad very stiff but came out

The other (non exhaust) side came out OK but was stiff. Remember to leave one drive shaft in at a time (or use a drift) otherwise Differential will drop within gearbox. Hope this helps.

[Guest Glenn65]

Cheers 70's Lad, I might be dropping my gearbox in my mk3 next winter, but will try add this to a favourites list...

[Guest chris_g99]

How far should the seal sit in? As far in as possible or flush with the edge? Did mine tonight but the old seal was knackered so couldnt really tell where it used to sit

[gingergman]

Not all the way in, one side on mine leaks!

[Guest chris_g99]

Not all the way in, one side on mine leaks!

 

Not the answer i wanted, as that's what i did lol

 

Out of interest which side leaks?

[gingergman]

Passingers side on mine, pushed it in too far!