10 bolt leaking from pinion (driveshaft side)

[jjjjjj]

my 8.5 10 bolt is leaking from the pinon (drievshaft side). what usually is the cause of this?

what is the easiest repair? just removal and re-gasket it?
I have read it's very tricky to reset pinion etc... after the gasket is replaced.
how much should I have to pay a shop to do this? $100-$200?

 

[Nick Micale]

Here is a method that works for us!

Remove driveshaft, then scribe a mark on the large pinion nut/shaft to show its current position.

The nut is removed and then the seal. Install a new seal.

Put the nut on, and tighten it to the same position as was before it was removed.

Replace the DS and check the fluid level.

 

[SS/GN]

I do the same as Nick but I also put a bit of silicone on the splines before I put the yoke on. Sometimes oil especially synthetics climb up the splines and leak

 

[mikestertwo]

Make sure there is no side play in the pinion before you take it apart. Bad pinion bearings will also cause a leak. Just went through this on an 87' T

 

[Pavell]

? Just remove the driveshaft and wiggle the end link? How much side play is ok ?

 

[mikestertwo]

There should be no side play at all. Just grab the pinion yoke and try and "wiggle" it. You don't have to remove the drive shaft.

 

[87geeinn]

Every reply above is good advice. You can totally do this yourself. My truncated two cents and tips to make things go smoother:

Set the e-brake...hard. This way you can remove the nut and retighten if you're using a breaker bar and don't have an impact wrench. BTW, I wouldn't use an impact wrench to reinstall. Easier to just be safer than sorry to ensure you don't overtighten the nut.

Jack the car up fairly high so you have room to swing the breaker bar around underneath and get leverage.

Attached is a picture of what you'll be looking at once you pull the driveshaft off the yoke. Just use some wire and hang it up out of the way if possible. You can see how I marked the nut and yoke to show their original placement prior to removal. Scribing is better since you don't have to worry about fluid washing off temporary markings but I was working with minimal tools at the time.

Take your time prying the old seal out and be careful tapping the new one in. It can be tapped in with a good ol' hammer if you just be careful, take your time, and don't get to heavy handed.

FYI, shop manual calls to retighten 1/16th turn past original position. I think I retightened mine just a smidge past the original mark. Dry as a bone and no problems.