Front Axle Input Shaft Seal

M274 Mechanical Mule Knowledge Base
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RBW
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Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:27 am
Location: Texas

Front Axle Input Shaft Seal

Post by RBW » Sat Jul 16, 2022 12:51 pm

I am having issues with leaks at the front axle input shaft, which is causing the brake pads and drum to become contaminated with gear oil. I found a crossover to a CR 14940 seal somewhere (maybe on this website). The yoke was pitted, so I polished it. The sheet metal seal housing contains a felt seal and a thin nylon shield.

I put everything back together, and it still leaks. I thought about fitting two CR 14940 seals in the seal housing, perhaps in the same fashion as that used on the shift shaft seals on the transmission. Has anyone tried this with any luck? I also know John Emery sells the whole sheet metal stamping with the seals installed.


RBW
G-Staff Sergeant
G-Staff Sergeant
Posts: 63
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2021 5:27 am
Location: Texas

Re: Front Axle Input Shaft Seal

Post by RBW » Mon Jul 18, 2022 7:50 am

I removed the CR 14940 seal and reversed it, so that the lip with the spring faces the U-joint, and installed a second seal in the opposite direction behind this. I had to trim the case of the second seal (the one facing the pinion) so that it would not interfere with the spacer plate located behind it. I used non-hardening gasket maker on the shims, since there seemed to be a lot of leakage around these when I last disassembled this. The felt seal still fits into the U-joint side of the seal retainer, so I put this back in place. Having the inner seal (near the pinion) closer to the pinion places it on a portion of the sealing surface that is not pitted, so I'm sure this helps a bit.

I'm not sure CR 14940 is really the correct seal. Parts manual shows only one seal in this location, plus the felt and the "non-metallic washer" (nylon disc). Perhaps a narrower version of 14940 would be a good fit.

I also noticed that the seal retainer tends to deform because there is a relatively thick gasket behind it. I straightened the flanges of this a bit before reinstalling.

Curtis

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