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Help! 14BFF won't stop leaking

Mastiff

Mastiff

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One side only, from the seal it appears. I just replaced it with the two part seal from ORD. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. The sealing surface looks okay to me, but not sure what I'm looking for exactly. Can anyone see anything in these pics that throws a red flag? The symptom is that oil comes out from the drum and pools next to the tire. Not tons, but it accumulates over a week or two and saturates the shoes.

One thing I should confirm. I read that the axle should be filled very full, which I did, but this certainly causes the level to be such that it flows down the axle tube when level requiring the seal to function at all times. Is that right, or should the level be lower so the seal is only manages what gets carried down the tube while driving?

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Looks like you need a speedi sleeve. Check on your spindle where the seal lip rides and check out the groove worn there. The speedi sleeve will cover that and provide a good seal surface again.
 
tRustyK5 said:
Looks like you need a speedi sleeve. Check on your spindle where the seal lip rides and check out the groove worn there. The speedi sleeve will cover that and provide a good seal surface again.
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When I started to read up on this, most people said to just get the two part seal instead. That's what I have though.
 
Don’t mess with the seal, just add the speedo sleeve (exactly as the instructions say).
 
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The 2-piece seal would have a better chance if you cleaned that up with some sandpaper and put silicone on the inside of the seal, but it can be hard to take apart.

I fought this on a Dana 80 and went through about 4 seals. The 2-piece seal didn't work much better than the standard one. When I finally got the leak about as minor as when I started I left it alone. It was just a couple drops after sitting and didn't seem to effect the brakes.
 
I've got the sleeve coming today. I'll give it a shot. Any advice on install? Sounds like I'll have to gin up some sort of home made tool with a pipe or something since their tool doesn't work with the long spindle. And any recommendations for Loctite? I see both 620 and 209 recommended. Do you smear it on the surface where the sleeve covers the spindle?

BTW. here's a write up for the records: http://www.billavista.com/Tech/Articles/Speedi-Sleeve_Install/index.html
 
I would advise to check if the sleeve will actually fit into the 2 piece seal. Comparing the sizes before installing the sleeve could tell you if it will work.

The larger National seals that I use on mixer trucks fit tightly and can't go over a sleeve.
 
The last sleeve I used came with a cup-like install tool, just use a hole saw or tin snips to cut it open big enough to fit.

With respect to Loctite, use whatever the sleeve suggests, anything else risks leaking and you’ll have to do it again.
 
the 2 piece seal is a tight fit on the spindle the inner part doesn't spin on the spindle. So yes they are extra tight. The speed sleeves add @.025-.030"

Never tried this, but since the 2 piece seal doesn't spin on the damage area, may a thin application of sealer, (rtv) on that part would fix you up.
 
Damn, I already ordered the sleeve. Is it certain it wouldn't work? Such a small thickness... does it just tear up the seal on install or what?

I've heard the RTV thing several times now. I assume I'd put the drum on with the RTV uncured?

The other option is to get an original style seal.
 
yes uncured. The old style will work with that sleeve. Another item be sure your axle vent is clean and no pinches in the hose.
 
A smear of silicone inside that new style seal and you should be fine. It's a bit of a thing to install the hub without a sleeve so I doubt it's going to work at all with a sleeve. You can also look at where the lips on the seal will engage, I bet it's going to straddle that wear groove and work just fine. As mentioned, check the vent and we've always had good luck with just filling to the fill hole. Nothing special.
 
I'm trying the RTV idea, fingers crossed. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure where on that surface the seal sits. Presumably the problem area is where it is pitted in the pic, though there's a subtle groove outboard of that. I smeared black RTV over the whole span. I'll let it sit for a week before rotating it since I'll be out of town most of the time anyway.

Regarding oil level, I was just kind of wondering if the seal was intended to have oil up against it all the time. The old advice I followed was to jack the axle at angles or something to jam more oil in. In hindsight it seems goofy. That was 10 or 15 years ago I put this axle in.

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I would clean more of the seal area on the spindle towards the backing plate. It's a CYA move in my mind.
It looks like crusty dirt or rust to me.

I always pre-lube the bearings with a little oil, then put a little oil into the hub, right before installing the axle. This isn't easy on the 14B, however, since the outer bearing is right there.
I have seen AND done the trick of jacking up one side. Driving around corners on the road throws oil out there too. Probably not quickly.

I have had trucks sit leaning hard for hours, one was on It's side for a couple of hours. I don't remember ever seeing one dump oil out anywhere but the vent.
 
Mastiff said:
I'm trying the RTV idea, fingers crossed. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure where on that surface the seal sits. Presumably the problem area is where it is pitted in the pic, though there's a subtle groove outboard of that. I smeared black RTV over the whole span. I'll let it sit for a week before rotating it since I'll be out of town most of the time anyway.

Regarding oil level, I was just kind of wondering if the seal was intended to have oil up against it all the time. The old advice I followed was to jack the axle at angles or something to jam more oil in. In hindsight it seems goofy. That was 10 or 15 years ago I put this axle in.

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I lift the one side to get some oil in the bearing area too but not too much.
It only needs a little bit and driving around keeps refreshing the oil there
 
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