Rear diff oil seal?

Hi all.

Help needed please.

Had my 06 Jimny for almost a year now. Had 14k when I got it, just over 20k now.

Suzuki sent a letter for recall re the Power Steering Pump Pulley... in today for 'warranty' inspection and replacement of the pulley.

Free of charge, but on collection, advised that the rear prop shaft oil seal was leaking. We can book it in for you now sir... just shy of £390. New prop shaft £260. One hours labour. And a few sundries plus the vodka and tonic.

I asked why not just an oil seal. The young lady said that's what she had been told. Arghhhhhhhhhh

Funny. I've been underneath a few times recently, but didn't notice the oil that was spreading across the underside before? Certainly none on the drive. Its there in abundance now...

I may have missed it, but I can't see a tech guide on here re these oil seals? Are they covered somewhere please? or do they not go that often?

How likely is it for this oil seal to leak this early in a Jimny's life? Its not been off road a great deal. Did sterling service during the bad winter, but only on tarmac and a few small excursions off road.

Doing the work shouldn't be a problem. I am close to the end of a full restoration of my Classic 1990 Mini Cooper. Just need a few pointers - and pictures...

Advice appreciated. Also, first class tech guides on the site, but is there a general workshop manual available for this 06 Jimny please? And where from?

I have seen the Haynes SJ, but it was sealed. Does this in any way cover the Jimny?

Lots of questions for a first post, but I hope you can see what I am asking.

Any help appreciated.

Peter

Thank you Martin. Service with a smile.

When I do it I will capture it for posterity.

And I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again

Peter

It isn't supposed to leak (Not like a Landrover)

I would check that the axle breather on top of the axle tube is clear before anything else.

If it has just let go in a big way something must have broken, likely the pinion bearings have gone, or it has picked up some grit that has marked the seal surface. Try grabbing the flange, and trying to lift it up and down. If you can move it relative to the axle casing, get another differential.

Anyway, consulting the manual, you are supposed to take the differential out to change the seal (hence my comment about not being supposed to leak, Landrovers often leak, and the seal is done in situ, in about 20 minutes, but Rover axles have ballraces and you just tighten the pinion nut with a torque wrench.)

The jimny has taper bearings, as Martin says, with a crush spacer between them to adjust the preload: you tighten the pinion flange nut until a torque of 9 to 17 Kg cm or 7.8 to 14.7 inch lbs is required to just start it moving. (that is hardly anything)

This is the same procedure as the Salisbury axle on a Landrover/MGB

What we amateur mechanics do here is mark the nut and the flange, so we tighten the nut back up to exactly the same place on refitting. We also need to get the flange back on the same spline, so we mark a spline too.

The jimny manual says to pull the flange with a puller, and press it back on. This can't be right, as if the flange is that tight on the splines, it would never adjust the preload properly. Certainly Landrovers just slide off: I've done loads.



Actually, being a very suspicious type, I would clean the oil off, check the oil level, and see if the leak continues. You don't need a propshaft to cure an oil leak .......

OK folks

I've been underneath and I now have a fuller story. There are more shafts under there than a Yorkshire Coal Mine...

It looks like the oil is coming from the main prop shaft that comes out of the rear of the gearbox.

I asked a mechanic friend and he says he can do it Monday for about £80. Given my other commitments and full time work, I took him up on his offer.

I'll keep you posted, but won't have the photos for the forum.

Thanks again for the help.

Peter

That is the transfer box rear seal. The seal surface is the propshaft, so the dealer suspects the propshaft has a damaged seal surface, and is changing the shaft as well as the rubber seal.

Likely the dealer is right, oilseals don't just leak, usually the seal surface is worn out.

Could still be a blocked breather though.

I have long been a cynic, since a friend of my late father told me he was a partner of a bloke in a garage. The bloke, who did the spannering's idea of greasing nipples was to run round the grease points, touching the grease nipples with a smear of grease from the tin, to make it look as though they had been greased and the little 'whisper' of grease was as a result of the 'pull off' as the grease gun was removed.

Of course, it wasn't in his interest to grease the joint. He would get paid more when the joint seized.

My second example was more about cock up than conspiracy. Hillman Imp, brand new, very soon the baffles in the exhaust box started to vibrate. They replaced the box under warranty. We said can we have the box and fit it, as we had done several Imps. No they said. We have to do it properly.

They had the car for a full day. The dealer was in the centre of Manchester. We lived in Stockport, some 10n miles away.

I had a look underneath after we got it home, and the clamp bolt at the top to the manifold was loose . The rear 'A' bracket was on, but there was no nut on the box. And the front 'strap' was on, but again, no nut on the box. Not sure it would have fallen off, but it would have moved about a lot!

My theory, which cant be proven, is that whilst my Jimny was in for the warranty recall on the steering pump pulley, the oil seal was accidentally damaged, possibly struck by falling space debris. It happens.

No matter, they didn't get the job. My mate replaced the oil seal on Monday, and as far as I can see, he's done the trick. Been a bit wet last few evenings, so when its dry I'll get under and have a good butchers.

All this following on from the Watchdog Program this evening, casting doubts on the honesty of 10 QuickFit Centres. Why oh why am I not surprised?

There are honest garages out there, but some are on the gravy train.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Peter

I have the same problem: the seal in the rear of the gearbox is leaking. Transfercase is completely dry. I've replaced the oil to full level until I get it replaced, but does anyone know the Suzuki OEM code (or equivalent) for this part ?

I've just found out why mine leaks! the bearing is knocking its nuts off . Oh well time to fit my lockrite.