PJ wrote:
>My question is, if I purchase the axle in the ebay listing and it's not as
>perfect as hoped (the seller said the items is already boxed up) once I look
>at it, how could I go about "touching up" the machined surface - basically
>where the rusty part meets the shiny part in the ebay pics.
>short of buying a lathe (hah!) and machining it down a hair, can I chuck this
>shaft into a drill press or something and polish it somehow to get a nice,
>even and leak free seal?
I've dealt with leaky seals on my A2 Golfs. I ended up buying new
flanges.
I believe a light touchup with some emery cloth would smooth up
the surface. You could chuck it in a drill press to ensure you get a even cut.
Emery cloth comes in different grits, like sandpaper. A machinist
would be able to tell you what grit to use. I'd guess start with 400-600
grit and polish it out with 1000 grit.
The problem is the seals tend to dig two closely spaced grooves in
the flange over the miles. When you put a new seal on, if it doesn't end
up sitting exactly in the same place as the old one - you get a leak. The
groove isn't something that'd show up in a photo, you have to place
eyeballs on it to really see it.
Another option is a product called a Speedi-Sleeve. It's a thin
(.010") sleeve that goes on the flange where the seal rides and gives a
nice new surface for the seal to ride on.
I used one after I rebuilt my Golf engine to stop a leaking rear
main seal. Easier than pulling the engine to re-machine the crank! The
sleeves come in a variety of sizes and can be installed without any special
tools or machine tools, etc. Accurate measurements need to be taken to get
the correct sleeve. I consulted with my local machinists to get the right one.
Link at:
<http://www.skf.com/group/products/seals/industrial-seals/power-transmission-seals/wear-sleeves/skf-speedi-sleeve/index.html>
Todd
Seattle,WA
'86 GTI, Red of course. (exciting racey car) 276,000 miles
'01 Golf TDI, silver. (new work car) 480,000 miles
'87 Golf, Polar Silver. (retired work car) 654,000 miles <- Gone to a new
home :(
http://www.pureluckdesign.com <-Ferrari & VW stuff
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