Request an opinion on my differential shaft

P and R Pete · Jun 21, 2008

Changing my brake bands on my Super-A, and found some seal-wear on my differential shaft where both seals sit. My local NAPA had no speedi-sleeves in house, but he also said the only one he could find for one of the spots is .004 too small, and he said it "might stretch", but that it also might split in the installation. That's a little tough, at $30+ a pop. My IH dealership suggested getting it welded-up and re-ground, saying he had never heard of a 'speedi-sleeve'.

Here's where the seal sits that goes in the differential case...

...and here's where the seal sits that goes in the axle housing assembly.

Any of you guys have an opinion on any of the above? Third option is to buff it smooth with crocus cloth and go with it as it is, but I haven't found [i:ada21e9aa6]anybody[/i:ada21e9aa6] that agrees with that! LOL

Appreciate your help!

CNKS · Jun 21, 2008

3 possibilites: 1)If the seals you took out were the old leather ones, the new seal may ride in a different place. 2)If you have a local business that specializes in bearings and seals, they can probably get the correct speedi or redi sleeve. 3)As to filling the grooves there is a special process to use, instead of just brazing them -- but since this is a relatively low speed application, brazing or a similar process might work.

P and R Pete · Jun 21, 2008

They were both rubber seals. I thought about only sinking the seals in halfway, so they sit in different places, but that doesn't seem right either.
I guess I can get a welder's opinion on Monday. There's one close by who welded a split in my cast iron crank pulley and did a great job.
Thanks for your thoughts.

george md · Jun 21, 2008

Pete,
I see 2 options ,one would be to polish it
in a lathe or with a crankshaft polisher until
it cleans up as seals will tolerate some size
change as long as it is true round.Hand
polishing may make it lumpy .The other option
is what cnks mentioned and is metal spray (also
called spray weld or metalizing )and doing this
will give you a new seal surface without heating
the shaft and doing harm to the heat treatment.
Metal spray only needs 200 deg min and no more
than 500 deg to work ,therefore no damage to
the heat teatment. Welding or brazing in this
case is not a good option.

george

Pete7 · Jun 21, 2008

You might want to check witha good bearing/seal shop. I remember getting a new Super A axle seal from a bearing/seal shop that allowed, as CNKS said, for the seal to rub on a different spot on the shaft. The shop had to special order the seal, but it wasn't much more expensive than the regular one.
Around here (western NY) it costs $75.00 to have one spot on a shaft built back up, so it might be worth the effort to try to locate that different seal.
Pete

Allan in NE · Jun 22, 2008

There is no pressure, it is splash only and you're sealing 90 wt oil. It takes on heck of a gouge to let that stuff by.

Crocus cloth and put 'er together.

If a seal won't work on either of those surfaces, it isn't much of a seal.

Fact is, I'd just run that pinion against the wire brush and be done with it. Not bad enough to even warrant a concern.

Allan

Dave BN · Jun 22, 2008

Hard to tell from a picture and I would rather be able to run my fingers over that to feel how rugh it is but I say it will leak as is. That 90W sits against that seal 243/7 and will leak and ruin your brakes and make a spot on the floor. I"d check with my Cash/IH dealer about seals/speedy sleeve"s. Dave

Janicholson · Jun 22, 2008

I would replace the shaft. (maybe both of them. The toothe wear, and the pitting on the tooth flank visible in the picture is runable, but it is now taken apart. I agree with cleaning it up and running it if shafts are not going in it. JimN

Hendrik · Jun 23, 2008

I had the same problem with my Super A. Could only find a speedi sleeve for the part of the shaft that goes in the axle housing and not for the end of the shaft that goes in the differential case. Polished the end of the shaft that goes in the differential case. Because it is slightly undersize, I tweaked the spring in the seal a little bit. The spiral spring which helps keep the lip of the seal against the shaft can be taken out and shortened (approx. 1/8 of an inch). (This spring may seem endless at first but one end is slightly tapered en screws into the other end to obtain its annular shape.)
HTH. Hendrik

Request an opinion on my differential shaft

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