[StingrayLust]

So I finished cleaning up things to possible look at putting it all back together. The guy who rebuilt my diff said that when I put the yoke back onto the tranny, I should first replace my seal.

First, how do I remove the seal? Do I need to get some sort of seal puller? I've never put one in before and I'm not sure if they will pull out with a screwdriver.

 

[HardcoreABN]

a screw driver will work fine, i use a small prybar normally. before you put the new seal on, do the following:

1. flip the seal over and look inside it. you will see a spring going around the inside. fill that cavity around the spring with petroleum jelly. this will help ensure the spring stays put. also smear some around the rubber portion of the seal itself.

2. make sure the sealing surfaces on the tail housing are clean, dry, and free of deep scratches/gouges.

3. optional but recommended- spread some rtv on the sealing surfaces of the tail housing. this will help ensure it seals good and will make it a little easier to get the seal on.

when you are installing the seal, assuming you do not have the correct seal installer (not really needed), use a small hammer and lightly tap around the edges of the seal trying to keep the seal even as it goes in. be careful to not bend the seal, that could prevent it from sealiing properly. make sure you coat the rubber portion of the seal with atf before you slip the yoke in and be sure the yoke is clean as well.

 

[D_B]

when you are installing the seal, assuming you do not have the correct seal installer (not really needed), use a small hammer and lightly tap around the edges of the seal trying to keep the seal even as it goes in. be careful to not bend the seal, that could prevent it from sealiing properly. make sure you coat the rubber portion of the seal with atf before you slip the yoke in and be sure the yoke is clean as well.

All good advice...:agree:, but if I may add to his tip.

Use something broad and flat to strike against, like a large socket backwards, or a block of wood. This will even the force of the blows so you don't have to baby tap around the perimeter of the seal...you can give it a few good strong strikes to seat it properly.

 

[StingrayLust]

a screw driver will work fine, i use a small prybar normally.

I tried several flat screwdrivers and it wouldn't budge. My question is, is the lip of the seal on the outside edge of the tranny housing as shown in yellow in the picture below? If so, does it make sense to take a flat screwdriver + hammer and go after that lip to push it towards the center which should make the seal slip out. Or does the green circle represent the seal itself.

Here's the seal without my drawings:

I've pretty much banged up the rubber seal on it now so I need to get it out.

Jeff

 

[TimAT]

Hook that lip- (yellow ring), and beat the snot out of it. Crush one side and it'll pop out. It's a tight fit, so you may need to crush a couple of places to get it to pop. IIRC, some seals had a ring of RTV or some sealer around them- makes them just that much more of a PITA to get out. You can also get one side crushed, the go to the opposite side with a pry bar/screwdriver. Anything goes to get it out.

 

[StingrayLust]

Hook that lip- (yellow ring), and beat the snot out of it. Crush one side and it'll pop out. It's a tight fit, so you may need to crush a couple of places to get it to pop. IIRC, some seals had a ring of RTV or some sealer around them- makes them just that much more of a PITA to get out. You can also get one side crushed, the go to the opposite side with a pry bar/screwdriver. Anything goes to get it out.

That's what I was hoping to hear. I was going to crush it earlier tonight but previous experience taught me not to bang on and ruin something when I'm not sure what it is. I'm trying not to be my own Bubba. It'll be out first thing tomorrow.

THANKS!

 

[HardcoreABN]

you could also go to your local parts store and get a seal puller, looks like a "T" with hooks on the ends and a curved top

 

[6880 Mike]

you could also go to your local parts store and get a seal puller, looks like a "T" with hooks on the ends and a curved top

:agree:
Buy the puller. Beats the heck out of the screw driver thing when you have to be on your back, under the car, with crap falling in your face, keeping a wary eye on the jack stands, and fretting over the possibility of knocking over your FCB which is still about half full, still a little cool, and drinkable.

:thumbsup:

 

[StingrayLust]

:agree:
Buy the puller. Beats the heck out of the screw driver thing when you have to be on your back, under the car, with crap falling in your face, keeping a wary eye on the jack stands, and fretting over the possibility of knocking over your FCB which is still about half full, still a little cool, and drinkable.

:thumbsup:

That bugger was hard to get out, went with the flat screwdriver + hammer + patience route. I then went to a couple shops NAPA, and AdvanceAuto first. NAPA had one in stock but it was too small. AA couldn't even find my part.

I then went to O'Reilly and the first "correct" part for what I was sure was a THM400 didn't match either. This guy obviously had some car knowledge as then he took a caliper and measured the ouside diameter and looked up in one of his books under the Camaro section. He then came out with an exact fit part, man was I excited at that point.

Part of my problem of finding the correct part is that my car came with a 4speed that's been replaced by what I believe to be a THM400 (based on the shape of the pan). However I don't know what year it's from. The guy at O'Reilly said it was probably from a 73-75.

Each little bit I tear into my car and find more Bubba, I get a little more discouraged that maybe this wasn't the smart way to spend my money and should have gone a different route. However I remain undeterred as I'll have a brand new back end and lots of new parts (some of which I shouldn't have had to buy if the previous owner gave a sh1t) and I'm still probably under $13k at this point. I still need tires + exhaust so close to another $1k.

 

[The Rat]

It may seem like a PITA now but when its all done and your rolling down the road with that big grin on your face knowing that you did alot of the work yourself it'll all be worth it.