Advice on replacement of axle-shaft oil seal on 53 Chevy 1/2 ton. Has anyone had experience with this removal/replacement? I detected a likely oil leak on rear tire of the 53 Chevy truck and don't know what to do. The Chevy Truck manual I have is a 1948-51 Shop manual and in material on Rear Axle problems it says for removal of brake drum from axle shaft "On (1948-50) Models, install wheel cylinder clamp, KMO-145, on brake cylinder." it then goes on but I don't know what to do with the 1953 model. Also on instructions for removal of wheel and axle shafts, it goeson to say: "insert special bearing puller J-1436 and remove bearing retainer and oil seal." Does anyone know what these tools are OR what I need to do to be able to replace the seal? I will appreciate guidance and/or where I can find replacement info on line or easily accessible. Thanks for your assistance. Jim G
rear oil seal See this thread... https://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?t=20779 Also, I'm not sure of the description in the manual you are using, but the description in the 1954 truck manual that I have is very clear. Here's a link to the 1/2 ton page of that manual on the old car manual website... http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1954truck/54ctsm0401.html Lastly, the seal puller you are looking for looks like this... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oil-Grease-...k-Automotives-Bushings-Hook-New-/291066238967 Good luck, Andy
Rear axle seals I just replaced mine (1952 3100) last week - pretty straight forward. The factory info pertains to removing the retainer, bearing and the seal. Assuming your bearings are OK, just use the seal puller to carefully take out only the seal (after the axle halves are out). I found made in USA seals at the local NAPA dealer. They are thinner than the old leather ones, but seem to be doing fine. A few suggestions: after removing the old seals, clean the axle tube housing and the edge of the bearing really well and run a small bead of RTV into the joint between the axle housing and the bearing. When you install the new seal, drive it in until it is against the bearing. Don't use too much RTV, just a bead around a sixteenth in diameter, so that it barely shows between the seal and the bearing once the seal is installed. I didn't have the seal installer, so I used a block of hardwood cut to the exact diameter of the seal. Drive the seals in slowly and very evenly until they stop against the bearing. I installed new brake linings, wheel cylinders, master cylinder and brake lines while I was doing this work. If your old seals leaked, make sure the drums are really clean (lots of brake cleaner- out in the yard, not in the garage). Make sure the channel from the oil slinger in the axle is clean and clear; and make absolutely sure you line-up the hole in the brake drum with the axle oil-slinger hole. This allows any oil that gets by the seal to drip out on the back side of the wheel and not on the linings. Follow the factory manual info on centering the new brake linings and adjusting the shoes - I believe you back the shoes off 14 clicks once the shoes are centered and tightened sufficiently to create a medium drag. Finally, I believe the wheels cylinders on 1952 and later have stops built into the backing plates, so the wheel cylinder pistons don't fall out and you don't need wheel cylinder clamps. If there is more than a slight amount of weeping brake fluid, you may need wheel cylinders too. I couldn't find a torque for the lugs nuts, so I set them to 75 ft/lbs. Good luck. Richard
Rear axle seals One more thing while you are changing axle seals - make sure the axle vent is clear; you need to pry off the cap and clean-out the vent. This will help prevent over pressurization of the axle and oil leaks.
