leaky side yokes

[Mark F.]

I've got the rear suspension out (down?) for some strut rod repair and u-joint replacement, and I've noticed some seepage from the yoke seals on the differential housing. It is a major (technical) task to replace these seals, or is it a straight R&R fix? The shop manual doesn't cover it, but the parts manuals make it look relatively simple.

This is my initial posting as I'm a brand new NCRS member, and the proud owner of a '65 Corvette convertible (#451)327/300 Powerglide. Thanks for your help.

Mark

[Joe L.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Mark------

Replacing the seals is VERY easy. The problem is that you have to remove the stub axles (yokes) in order to replace the seals. In order to remove the yokes, you have to get inside the differential unit to remove the snap rings from the inner end of the axles. And, to get inside the differential to remove the snap rings, you have to remove the differential unit from the car. So, as is often the case, one thing leads to another.

[Joe L.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Mark------

Replacing the seals is VERY easy. The problem is that you have to remove the stub axles (yokes) in order to replace the seals. In order to remove the yokes, you have to get inside the differential unit to remove the snap rings from the inner end of the axles. And, to get inside the differential to remove the snap rings, you have to remove the differential unit from the car. So, as is often the case, one thing leads to another.

[Mark F.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Thanks, Joe. It looked like it might be that easy, but appearances in shop manuals are often deceiving. I appreciate your quick response. Now, to get the differential down with its crossmember.

[Mark F.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Thanks, Joe. It looked like it might be that easy, but appearances in shop manuals are often deceiving. I appreciate your quick response. Now, to get the differential down with its crossmember.

[Wayne C.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Joe, do you actually have to remove the differential, or just remove the rear spring and then the differential cover.

[Wayne C.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Joe, do you actually have to remove the differential, or just remove the rear spring and then the differential cover.

[Joe L.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Wayne-----

I don't see how it's really possible to do this in any practical sense. First of all, the rear mounting and main support point for the differential carrier assembly is the cover. Second, the 4 mounting bolts for the cover-to-crossmember are, basically, inaccessible unless the entire crossmember is removed or a "cut-out" is made in the floor of the rear compartment directly over the bolts. At a minimum, the bolts would be VERY difficult to otherwise remove. Third, the top cover-to-case retaining bolts are very difficult to access with the differential unit still in the car.

Even if one were to surmount all of the above and remove the cover with the differential case and assembly still in the car, one would be left with the unit supported only be the front bracket and the strut rods. So, some external support would need to be temporarily provided.

Contrasting the above to simply removing the 2 crossmember-to-frame mounting bolts (even as difficult as it usually is to seperate the end cushions from the frame "sombrero" brackets) and dropping the entire unit out of the car and I think that it's no contest as to which is the most efficient and straight-forward. Personally, I would not even attempt to do it any other way.

[Joe L.]

Re: leaky side yokes

Wayne-----

I don't see how it's really possible to do this in any practical sense. First of all, the rear mounting and main support point for the differential carrier assembly is the cover. Second, the 4 mounting bolts for the cover-to-crossmember are, basically, inaccessible unless the entire crossmember is removed or a "cut-out" is made in the floor of the rear compartment directly over the bolts. At a minimum, the bolts would be VERY difficult to otherwise remove. Third, the top cover-to-case retaining bolts are very difficult to access with the differential unit still in the car.

Even if one were to surmount all of the above and remove the cover with the differential case and assembly still in the car, one would be left with the unit supported only be the front bracket and the strut rods. So, some external support would need to be temporarily provided.

Contrasting the above to simply removing the 2 crossmember-to-frame mounting bolts (even as difficult as it usually is to seperate the end cushions from the frame "sombrero" brackets) and dropping the entire unit out of the car and I think that it's no contest as to which is the most efficient and straight-forward. Personally, I would not even attempt to do it any other way.