CV Axle Seal leaking

[FlyBoyd]

So I went in for an oil change today and ford noticed that they seal where the right axle plugs into the front differential is leaking. I went out and sure enough there is some fluid coming from there. The gasket is around $25 but they want to charge me $340 to replace it. Yeah like that's going to happen! When I asked what I need to do they said that the gasket needs to be "pressed" into the axle. How can I do this on my own? Anyone ever done this? Do I need a special tool? Rubber mallet and some time?

Any help would be great!

Thanks.

 

[RI-Matt]

It's actually pretty common.
I had this happen on mine too. Luckily it was covered under ESP warranty. I do know they had to pull everything off that side ( wheel, brakes, axle etc.. ) so I would imagine the labor is the killer. I would get a price from a local shop and compare.

p.s. Mine was leaking for awhile, sometimes it was only "weeping"



Matt

 

[FlyBoyd]

It's actually pretty common.
I had this happen on mine too. Luckily it was covered under ESP warranty. I do know they had to pull everything off that side ( wheel, brakes, axle etc.. ) so I would imagine the labor is the killer. I would get a price from a local shop and compare.

p.s. Mine was leaking for awhile, sometimes it was only "weeping"



Matt

Matt,

Thanks for the input! I'm actually not too worried about the wheel, brake, axle etc, its the "pressing" of the gasket I'm worried about. Do they need a special tool or is it just pound it in there and I'm good to go. And mine is only weeping right now too, but I do want to fix it.

 

[tonydiv]

I'm pretty sure that it isn't a gasket, it's a seal. And like all seals, they need to be pressed in. Usually, a big socket and a hammer are all you need.

 

[capitlj]

The reason they quoted that price is they have to get the axle out of the way so the brakes, hub, and spindle will have to come out first to get the axle out. Then like was posted above you just need something that fits the edge of the seal, like a big socket, and tap it into place gently. I show book time as only 1.4 hours on the driver's side and 1.8 hours on the passenger side. Unless their labor rate is $150+ an hour that's pretty crazy.

 

[1997SCEBFEX]

Mine slewed for a few years ever so infrequently. had it fixed while it was in for other stuff under warranty.

the way the repair was described is pretty much what has been mentioned above.

PanHandler.

 

[FlyBoyd]

The reason they quoted that price is they have to get the axle out of the way so the brakes, hub, and spindle will have to come out first to get the axle out. Then like was posted above you just need something that fits the edge of the seal, like a big socket, and tap it into place gently. I show book time as only 1.4 hours on the driver's side and 1.8 hours on the passenger side. Unless their labor rate is $150+ an hour that's pretty crazy.

And that's why they are called the stealer! It's definitely a seal, that makes a whole bunch more sense than a gasket, but I'm glad you guys knew what I meant! Thanks for the inputs I am going to give this a go this weekend.

 

[Stoned06]

FYI, I had a passenger's side front axle seal start leaking about 2 years ago, and it was replaced at the dealer for $178. They had originally quoted $225.