1/ a Speedi sleeve will cure the axle ends, ask your bearing specialist
2/ make sure the bearing isn't spinning in the hub, oil gets driven through
here by the bearing rotation
3/ make sure the drain hole through the backing plate is clear, it's on the
underside of the axle tube and is there to give leaks a path away from the
brakes
Peter
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From: Ric Otte <otte@cats.ucsc.edu>
To: spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: stubborn axle oil leak
Date: Wednesday, 28 April 1999 1:12
I've been trying for a long time, unsuccessfully, to stop the oil seal on
the axle from leaking on my MK II sprite. I now have no leaks where the
paper gasket and rubber ring goes (due to silicone), but I get oil that
leaks out and down the back of the brake plate (it doesn't get into the
brakes lately because I put silicone between the brake backing plate and
the mounts). But I'd like to fix this leak, since I don't know how long it
will be before it starts leaking into the brakes again. When I replaced
the rubber oil seal, and noticed that the axle tube has some scratches on
it where the oil seal rubs, and while they aren't real deep, they may be
deep enough to let oil through (I don't know how deep a scratch would have
to be to let oil pass through). I can only think of a few options:
1. get new rear end. How available are they in N. California and how much
would this cost?
2. I have a rear end from a later sprite. I was wondering if I could take
it and the one on the car to a welder. Have him cut off the mounting
brackets from both axle tubes, and weld the old ones on the newer axle
tubes. Then I should be able to simply mount this axle tube onto my car.
Would this really work?
3. get some fine sandpaper and try to sand down the axle tube where the
oil seal rubs. This might take a while, and I'd have no guarantee of
ending up with a perfectly round tube for the seal to go on. And then the
narrower tube might not seal as well.
4. get some epoxy or JB weld and try to fill in the cracks, and then sand
until it is flush with the steel surface. I don't think the cracks are
deep enough for the glue to sink in and stick, but perhaps it would work.
5. get dual bearing hubs or some other upgrade to rear so oil seals might
be some other place on the axle tube. I don't know if this would work, and
it sounds expensive.
6. get another new oil seal and try again. If it fails, live with the oil
leak and hope it doesn't get into the brakes again.
Anybody have any wisdom or suggestions? Thanks.
Ric Otte
p.s. I also checked to make sure the breather valve is clear,and it is;
didn't want any pressure pushing oil out.
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