Pinion Seal Leak

**jcws6** · 07-23-2008, 12:25 PM

I'm having a pretty frustrating pinion seal leak problem that I could really use some advice on. Here's the story:

The rear end was recently rebuilt, because of a gear swap. The original seal looked like an OEM one, and there were no leaks. The new Ratech seal that came with the bearing kit leaked so bad after the first couple test drives that I could actually see the fluid dripping out. There was a puddle on the ground.

So, I replaced that seal with a Timken one. Sealant was applied to the pinion yoke splines & the pinion nut. High-temp bearing grease was applied to the inner lip (where the rubber meets the yoke) of the seal. This worked fine for a couple test drives, but now there's a tiny leak after every test drive. After a 10-15 minute city drive, the underside of the car was coated in so much gear oil that it was literally dripping off in 3-4 places.

As it sits now, the seal doesn't leak unless I drive more than 5 minutes or so. I usually see a small puddle on the ground a little bigger than a dollar bill. The yoke surface was perfectly round & was cleaned before installation, and the yoke exhibits no movement in any direction. The crush sleeve was replaced for a solid pinion spacer when the gears were changed, but that's the only other major change I can think of.

I'm about out of ideas here, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

**0verkill** · 07-25-2008, 03:06 PM

it sounds like the shaft has a nice in it and its ripping the seal or you just got another bad seal. i had a buddy do mine at the stealership and i dont have any problems out of it.

**shadowsnkx** · 07-28-2008, 04:52 AM

I just had mine replaced at the stealership .138.00 total

**jcws6** · 08-23-2008, 09:13 AM

I ended up getting frustrated & taking it to a mechanic. They tried at least 3 different seals, and they still couldn't figure it out. So, I bought an OEM GM seal from the local dealership & told the shop to put that on.

I've driven almost 100 miles on it & not even the slightest leak so far. I have no idea why this seal is working when the aftermarket seals didn't, but it must be something to do with magic.