1929 real axle seal/bush

[147 Franklin Airman]

After removing my real wheel on my 29-25 I noticed that the axle shaft had a lot of free play in all directions. can anyone tell me if the bronze coloured insert is a seal or a bronze bush? Also how is the bearing race removed? there appears to be either a rivet or bolt in the centre attaching it to the axle casing.

[raydurr]

Did you remove the wheel hub , leaving only the tapered shaft?

[147 Franklin Airman]

1 minute ago, raydurr said:

Did you remove the wheel hub , leaving only the tapered shaft?

Yes, just the half axle shaft protruding out of the axle casing

[raydurr]

Ok, it is normal for the shaft to have a quite a bit of free play. The roller bearings inside the hub is what keeps the axle shaft centered when the hub is installed.The roller bearing runs on the axle housing .

Edited November 4, 2017 by raydurr (see edit history)

[147 Franklin Airman]

36 minutes ago, raydurr said:

Ok, it is normal for the shaft to have a quite a bit of free play. The roller bearings inside the hub is what keeps the axle shaft centered wheel the hub is installed.The roller bearing runs on the axle housing .

That's good to hear but I do have an issue of oil seeping through which is why I thought it might be a seal. 

[FLYER15015]

3 hours ago, 147 Franklin Airman said:

That's good to hear but I do have an issue of oil seeping through which is why I thought it might be a seal. 

Here is where pictures need to be posted to get a better understanding of the issue.

 

Mike in Colorado

[raydurr]

Where is said oil coming from? These old rear axles always seem to leak some. The only seal is a felt seal which allows seepage but prevent dirt and other contaminants from contacting the bearing. In photo 3 the lower part is the felt seal. Any lube that gets past it is captured by a shield that directs it to a drain spout on the other side of the backing plate, just below the axle housing tube. The rear wheel bearings are lubed by chassis grease upon assembly then topped of with a grease gun through the 1/8" NPT plug in the hub.

Edited November 4, 2017 by raydurr (see edit history)

[147 Franklin Airman]

There is a vast amount of free play between the shaft and bearing race in your photo number 3, I only have about 10 thou but that is where the oil is coming from and getting into the bearing and mixing with the grease. It slowly leaks out through the hub cap and splatters over the tire. Thanks for the photos which are exactly the area in question. 

[raydurr]

Is the differential overfilled?  If so , excess should go out the spout on the backing plate , unless some of the bearing shields or other sheet metal parts are damaged or missing. Make sure spout is clear and not blocked. If replacing the seal, silicone could be applied between the brake drum and the shield attached by the 6 bolts. This may slow the leakage some. There is no seal between the axle shaft and axle housing. I have never experienced a leak from inside the hubcap. Was the axle nut loose?

Edited November 4, 2017 by raydurr (see edit history)

[147 Franklin Airman]

40 minutes ago, raydurr said:

Is the differential overfilled?  If so , excess should go out the spout on the backing plate , unless some of the bearing shields or other sheet metal parts are damaged or missing. Make sure spout is clear and not blocked. If replacing the seal, silicone could be applied between the brake drum and the shield attached by the 6 bolts. This may slow the leakage some.

Thanks, I have not checked the spout so that's my next job. Many thanks for your help. The axle nut was tight locked by the lock washer. 

[Fred Rawling]

I think you need a new replacement seal from bobasatomobilia.com.    You can test to make sure that it is the seal by cutting a piece of cardboard like a cereal box to fit around the outside of your old felt seal and try it out.   The cardboard around the outside will shrink the inside hole and should stop the leak.

 

Your differential cover should be installed with the filler on the lower side and when you put the tip of your finger in the hole, you should feel the oil about a forth to a half inch below the hole.  That will prove if it is overfilled or not.

 

cut a new paper gasket for the shedder. 

[Fred Rawling]

Another thought.   The manual tells you to tighten the axle nut very tight.   If it is loose, you could break an axle.  The star washers that lock the nut are hard to find and hard to make.  Be sure you put one on.

[147 Franklin Airman]

11 hours ago, Fred Rawling said:

I think you need a new replacement seal from bobasatomobilia.com.    You can test to make sure that it is the seal by cutting a piece of cardboard like a cereal box to fit around the outside of your old felt seal and try it out.   The cardboard around the outside will shrink the inside hole and should stop the leak.

 

Your differential cover should be installed with the filler on the lower side and when you put the tip of your finger in the hole, you should feel the oil about a forth to a half inch below the hole.  That will prove if it is overfilled or not.

 

cut a new paper gasket for the shedder. 

Thanks Fred, it is possible that I may have overfilled the differential when I replaced the oil with a 250w