Great Tutorial. I was a little intimidated when I talked to my mechanic friend about replacing these seals. However, your video along with your commentary are spot on. Thank you. Your video is awesome! Guess my honey-do-list just got filled up for the weekend.
Hi, Paul. Thanks for the reply. Job now completed and the car has done about 500 miles and not a trace of a leak. So, many thanks again for your excellent video. Nigel
Great and very helpful video and only the one I found on this issue for older Subaru's. I just want to add that the seal part numbers for the axle change with the side they are installed on. The left side (driver) is 806730032 and the right side (passenger) is 806730031. From what I was told if they are placed in the wrong side you could have leaks. Thank you very much for this very informative tutorial.
I was able to "spin" the retainer plate off using a 1/4" round bronze welding rod and a plastic dead blow hammer.. The 14" L bronze rod is just a bit softer than the retainer metal and doesn't break the fins. Worked well.
at 2:24 in your video, the boot I'm referring to is at the bottom center of the screen. That boot slipped off at the top from this angle, leaving the cylinder that's actually connected to the diff. side note: everything here was very dirty but very lubed; no flow of liquid when it came apart, but definitely lubed
That's called the inner CV joint Ethan. Yes, they will come apart like that and yes that ball bearing goes back into the joint assembly. You should be able to clean and fit everything back together again but you'll never get the boot ring back over the joint end. So you can remove the other half of the inner joint as I demonstrated in the video and re-assemble it with a new outer CV boot kit. The new kit will have the grease and boot retaining rings to hold it in place. You'll also need to borrow some tools like the c-clip and boot ring pliers which are specially made for this purpose. Auto Zone or Advance Auto may have a pair you can borrow. I didn't make a video of this process but this guy did. th-cam.com/video/bf8uRTjfxsk/w-d-xo.html If I were you i'd probably replace the axle assembly as you may find the cost of a boot kit to be close to the cost of the whole axle and replacing the assembly means you'll never need to service it again. It's also less work. Good luck!
+Paul Veltum thank you so much! That's exactly what I wanted to hear and thought was the case. thank you for the link to the video also, you're a life saver. Is there a reason why mine just fell apart? I watched over a dozen TH-camrs replace their ball joints without supporting the control arm or the strut and nobody else had theirs fall apart like this?
Hey Paul, love your videos. great camera angles and commentary. I'm replacing ball joints on the front of my 2005. I broke the bj loose from the knuckle and when it came out my axle fell out at the inner cv boot along with a bearing of some sort about the size of a quarter or fifty cent piece. The boot disconnected on the larger inside of the boot. If you understand what I'm referring to; what is that bearing, where does it go, and am I able to just put this back together? I'm not able to find any diagrams of the axle so at the moment I can't get much more specific. thank you for any help.
great video,, im doing this 02 legacy gt, the oil looks super dirty and old but the axle seal its leaking oil on the exhaust and smell like crap,,, if I replace the oil on the dif once I do the seal don't I run the risk of the gears slipping since that oil its never been change? (you knw the myth that not to replace those oils if they never been done) at the same time that oil dripping all the time its a pain, what would you do?
Great video, thank you. Does this unusual procedure of having to remove the housing apply to all Subaru cars? I have a 2000 Forester and would like to know if I should just be able to pull it from the front or if I need to remove the housing to pull it from the inside. Thanks!!!
Do all the seals press in from the back? My 05 Forester looks like it pressed in from the outside, not the inside.?I just got the hub out the replace seal and o ring and I’m unsure which way to tap out the seal
Looking at the circumference of the new seal along with both the front and rear side of that hub should give you an idea which way it will go. You should see a shoulder in the hub on the outside of the seal which it butts up against. Remove the seal from the opposite side of that shoulder.
Paul Veltum thanks for the reply! I went ahead with the method in your video, tapping from outside and pressing in from backside. It looks like it could be done in either direction which is why I was so skeptical! At the time I didn’t have the new seal with me as my local parts stores kept selling me incorrect seals, had to go through Subaru and go OEM for $15
Paul. Great video...best yet. Some questions: 1) The Oil-Seal (your stock reference 806730032) - Does that have markings as to which way that should be facing? 2) Do you lube O-Ring seal (your stock reference 806984040) only from the outside once you put it on? 3) Other videos show a seal removal tool to pull the Oil Seal from the outside, when not removing the "sundial". Thoughts? 4) Other videos remove roll-pin and leave the shaft portion of the axel in the differential. I think your method of removing the entire axel makes it much easier to install the roll pin when not under the car. Why doesn't everyone do this? Any cautions? 5) Lastly, I have a 2004 WRX with 125K miles. Would you recommend replacing the axel with a rebuilt from Subaru? $40.00 Thought I would share these tools that can be purchased to aid in the installation (let me know if you have comments): Diff Oil Seal installation tool (you used something you found in the shop) - p/n 18675AA000 Diff Oil Seal Protection Tool (protects the newly installed seal from the axel when inserted during reassembly - p/n 28399SA010 Thanks!
+Nicholas Malmos- Hi. Seal orientation inside the hub is going to be the same as what you find when you remove the old one. The flat side is driven against the shoulder. I used some lubrication on the O-ring before inserting it. Simply smearing it on the seal once it's installed on the hub should be fine. This design makes it impossible to remove the seal without removing the hub which is what you call the sundial. You'll understand once you get it out. I prefer to remove the axle assembly rather than punch out the role pin and work with it that way. That's just the way I like to do it. removing the axle from the wheel hub can be risky because you have to separate the ball joint or remove the ball joint from the spindle. So long as the pinch bolt comes out easily and the joint pops out of the spindle without too much trouble, it's not a problem. My experience has been, that joint normally needs replaced anyway so it makes precious little difference. Nevertheless, driving out the roll pin would be less invasive. You can always try that first and see how it goes. Finally, these rebuild axles are so cheap now I think it only makes sense to go ahead and replace them while you're in there. Thanks!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Much appreciated. - I will definitely will pull the axel assembly from the hub without manipulating the role pin. What kind of grease to use there? - When you remove the hub/sundial...does that unit just pull right out? Thanks for supporting DIY!
+Nicholas Malmos - I'm not sure which grease you're referring to. If you are referring to the type of grease that I used on the O-ring seal, I used Vaseline but you can use gear oil if you like. The same goes for the inside of the seal lip for the axle plugs in. And then regarding the hub/sundial, yes, once you spin that back off the threads, it will simply pull right out.
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Great Tutorial. I was a little intimidated when I talked to my mechanic friend about replacing these seals. However, your video along with your commentary are spot on. Thank you. Your video is awesome! Guess my honey-do-list just got filled up for the weekend.
I have a legacy with a leaking seal and this is the clearest and best explained and presented car video I have ever seen. Excellent
Great to hear. Thank you so much! Please let me know how your repair goes!
Hi, Paul. Thanks for the reply. Job now completed and the car has done about 500 miles and not a trace of a leak. So, many thanks again for your excellent video. Nigel
Great and very helpful video and only the one I found on this issue for older Subaru's. I just want to add that the seal part numbers for the axle change with the side they are installed on. The left side (driver) is 806730032 and the right side (passenger) is 806730031. From what I was told if they are placed in the wrong side you could have leaks. Thank you very much for this very informative tutorial.
Thanks for making an awesome tutorial video. Just finished replacing the seal on my 07 WRX. Little different set up but the basics are the same.
Such a good video, so well layed out combining work carried out alongside the narration.
Thankyou for taking time to do this. Helped me loads. 🙂👍🏻
This is an excellent video, concise, good camera positioning and lighting. Good work
I was able to "spin" the retainer plate off using a 1/4" round bronze welding rod and a plastic dead blow hammer.. The 14" L bronze rod is just a bit softer than the retainer metal and doesn't break the fins. Worked well.
I like it!
Your video work and narration are very well done. Great description of the job. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Really good video! i.e excellent camera work combined with clear and concise instructions. Thanks dude!
at 2:24 in your video, the boot I'm referring to is at the bottom center of the screen. That boot slipped off at the top from this angle, leaving the cylinder that's actually connected to the diff.
side note: everything here was very dirty but very lubed; no flow of liquid when it came apart, but definitely lubed
That's called the inner CV joint Ethan. Yes, they will come apart like that and yes that ball bearing goes back into the joint assembly. You should be able to clean and fit everything back together again but you'll never get the boot ring back over the joint end. So you can remove the other half of the inner joint as I demonstrated in the video and re-assemble it with a new outer CV boot kit. The new kit will have the grease and boot retaining rings to hold it in place. You'll also need to borrow some tools like the c-clip and boot ring pliers which are specially made for this purpose. Auto Zone or Advance Auto may have a pair you can borrow. I didn't make a video of this process but this guy did. th-cam.com/video/bf8uRTjfxsk/w-d-xo.html
If I were you i'd probably replace the axle assembly as you may find the cost of a boot kit to be close to the cost of the whole axle and replacing the assembly means you'll never need to service it again. It's also less work. Good luck!
+Paul Veltum thank you so much! That's exactly what I wanted to hear and thought was the case. thank you for the link to the video also, you're a life saver. Is there a reason why mine just fell apart? I watched over a dozen TH-camrs replace their ball joints without supporting the control arm or the strut and nobody else had theirs fall apart like this?
Well, if the inboard boot clamp gave way, that would certainly do it.
Thank you for making this detailed video. I appreciate it.
You're welcome. Glad it was helpful!
7:30 you are right. Mine was leaking from the outer o-ring. I changed the inner seal first cuz i got bad info from another youtuber.
thanks paul veltum you really helped me out with you video.
Glad to hear it!
Thanks for this. Helped a lot.
That retainer ring looks intense! I bet Subaru dealers have a socket that grabs those tabs all at once.
I believe it's more like a "spanner" similar to those used for coilovers. :)
Hey Paul, love your videos. great camera angles and commentary.
I'm replacing ball joints on the front of my 2005. I broke the bj loose from the knuckle and when it came out my axle fell out at the inner cv boot along with a bearing of some sort about the size of a quarter or fifty cent piece. The boot disconnected on the larger inside of the boot. If you understand what I'm referring to; what is that bearing, where does it go, and am I able to just put this back together? I'm not able to find any diagrams of the axle so at the moment I can't get much more specific. thank you for any help.
great video,, im doing this 02 legacy gt, the oil looks super dirty and old but the axle seal its leaking oil on the exhaust and smell like crap,,, if I replace the oil on the dif once I do the seal don't I run the risk of the gears slipping since that oil its never been change? (you knw the myth that not to replace those oils if they never been done) at the same time that oil dripping all the time its a pain, what would you do?
+Alfredo Azure G - Hi Alfredo. I'd replace the oil and and leaky seals without hesitation.
Great video, thank you. Does this unusual procedure of having to remove the housing apply to all Subaru cars? I have a 2000 Forester and would like to know if I should just be able to pull it from the front or if I need to remove the housing to pull it from the inside. Thanks!!!
I believe they are the same.
Do all the seals press in from the back? My 05 Forester looks like it pressed in from the outside, not the inside.?I just got the hub out the replace seal and o ring and I’m unsure which way to tap out the seal
Looking at the circumference of the new seal along with both the front and rear side of that hub should give you an idea which way it will go. You should see a shoulder in the hub on the outside of the seal which it butts up against. Remove the seal from the opposite side of that shoulder.
Paul Veltum thanks for the reply! I went ahead with the method in your video, tapping from outside and pressing in from backside. It looks like it could be done in either direction which is why I was so skeptical! At the time I didn’t have the new seal with me as my local parts stores kept selling me incorrect seals, had to go through Subaru and go OEM for $15
Paul Veltum, how do tell if it’s the inner or outer seal that are leaking? Thanks
It's usually the outer but since you're already in there, replace both.
Paul. Great video...best yet. Some questions:
1) The Oil-Seal (your stock reference 806730032) - Does that have markings as to which way that should be facing?
2) Do you lube O-Ring seal (your stock reference 806984040) only from the outside once you put it on?
3) Other videos show a seal removal tool to pull the Oil Seal from the outside, when not removing the "sundial". Thoughts?
4) Other videos remove roll-pin and leave the shaft portion of the axel in the differential. I think your method of removing the entire axel makes it much easier to install the roll pin when not under the car. Why doesn't everyone do this? Any cautions?
5) Lastly, I have a 2004 WRX with 125K miles. Would you recommend replacing the axel with a rebuilt from Subaru? $40.00
Thought I would share these tools that can be purchased to aid in the installation (let me know if you have comments):
Diff Oil Seal installation tool (you used something you found in the shop) - p/n 18675AA000
Diff Oil Seal Protection Tool (protects the newly installed seal from the axel when inserted during reassembly - p/n 28399SA010
Thanks!
+Nicholas Malmos- Hi. Seal orientation inside the hub is going to be the same as what you find when you remove the old one. The flat side is driven against the shoulder. I used some lubrication on the O-ring before inserting it. Simply smearing it on the seal once it's installed on the hub should be fine. This design makes it impossible to remove the seal without removing the hub which is what you call the sundial. You'll understand once you get it out. I prefer to remove the axle assembly rather than punch out the role pin and work with it that way. That's just the way I like to do it. removing the axle from the wheel hub can be risky because you have to separate the ball joint or remove the ball joint from the spindle. So long as the pinch bolt comes out easily and the joint pops out of the spindle without too much trouble, it's not a problem. My experience has been, that joint normally needs replaced anyway so it makes precious little difference. Nevertheless, driving out the roll pin would be less invasive. You can always try that first and see how it goes.
Finally, these rebuild axles are so cheap now I think it only makes sense to go ahead and replace them while you're in there. Thanks!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Much appreciated.
- I will definitely will pull the axel assembly from the hub without manipulating the role pin. What kind of grease to use there?
- When you remove the hub/sundial...does that unit just pull right out?
Thanks for supporting DIY!
+Nicholas Malmos - I'm not sure which grease you're referring to. If you are referring to the type of grease that I used on the O-ring seal, I used Vaseline but you can use gear oil if you like. The same goes for the inside of the seal lip for the axle plugs in. And then regarding the hub/sundial, yes, once you spin that back off the threads, it will simply pull right out.
Sorry Paul. I was referring to the portion of the shaft that gets inserted into the hub during reassembly.
+Nicholas Malmos - No problem, you can use gear oil at the stub that goes into the differential to wet the sealing surfaces.
I have an ‘88 Subaru Justy with the same leak. Do you have any idea if the process is even remotely similar?
Should be very similar but not certain.
Thanks!
Good video. Are the seals the same for a 2007 impreza outback sport?
+Kenneth Oliver - I don't know Kenneth. I'd recommend calling the dealer to get the correct seals for your application. Good luck!
Is the vehicle in gear or in neutral when you jack it up and work on it?
It would be in park but it doesn't matter.
We'll done, thanks👍
the best tutorial
Awesome thanks for the knowledge
Great detailed video. Thx
Anyone got a part number on that seal I'm having trouble finding it
It's in the video at the 11:10 point. 806730032 and 806984040.
neice job
+zj120cn -You're welcome. Good luck!