It looks like my friend's car may have a leaky output shaft seal on the ZF. Can it be replaced without pulling the ZF? There are two long bolts on the bottom of the side covers that are blocked by car's chassis rails. But it looks like the bolts can clear the chassis if the transaxle and engine are tilted up at the back of the car. Has anyone done this?
Thanks, Steve
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wich side is it leaking ?
the side whit the long bolt nuts is easy to do , (Picture)
be aware of the sims wich are between aluminum ZF house and the steel part , when you pull out the long bolts.
the paper gasket is a part of the adjusting clearance , use original paper gasket from Hall or Pantera Performance .
Thanks Simon.
The side with the castle nuts is leaking. We are just going to reseal that side. We will be using correct gaskets and pay special attention to the shim washers behind the cover where the long bolts go through.
What is the generic part # for the seal?
I used a generic seal in the past and it seemed to work well. I do not have its part number or description. Since then I have been using seals from Wilkinson for $23.40. He explained that the generic seal is too thin and may have another issue (perhaps not stiff enough).
Also, Ipsco has the full ZF gasket set (except seals) for $63.
My opinion is, you'll spend far more time fiddling with the parts by trying to do this job in the car. Pull the ZF, clean it up if necessary and be done with it. By spending far more time than I should have, I converted my ZF to 4 short bolts in place of the stock two long bolts- in the car- and found that you have to lift the ZF to exactly the right height for the long bolts to go thru the provided holes in the inner fenders. Then you find that the exhaust pipe on the wheel side of the inner panel are now in the way and also must also be removed.
In the end, you''ll do everything needed to pull the ZF except lift it out and work much more conveniently on a bench. The seals are std parts that are/were available at King Bearing or other supply stores. I no longer have it but the seal number will be on the old seal, or simply take the old seal down to the store and have the counter guys match it up. There are also big shims and a giant snap-ring inside so real snap-ring pliers will be necessary to do this job correctly without bloodshed.
I suggest doing both side seals, as parts like this tend to wear out in sets and most of the labor is getting the ZF out. The front input shaft seal is also a std part #. I found one leaking slightly in a ZF that had been "sealed" into the nose piece using rock-hard JB-Weld or Dev-Con that had to be chipped out with punches, chisels and a small hone. God-save-us from inexperienced home innovators!
My ZF is sitting on my bench right now to address leaking axle shafts. I already did one side and now I'm working on the other. It's also a great time to replace the bolts and safety wire the ring gear. Also replacing the clutch that's worn out in my car.
Super glad I pulled the transmission as it is so much easier to do on the bench where I can flip it over and clean everything up.
Since the ZF is out of the car and things are convenient maybe replace the gasket for the bottom cover. Also, the back cover has eighteen or so nuts and washers that torque onto the studs that go through the cover. They tend to leak. They can be sealed with silicon or o-rings. If you proceed seal one at a time in an effort to keep the cover in place.
Your ZF looks great!
Also replace the gasket from the rear cover, be aware of the spring wich is behind the cover
