replacing the final drive pinion seal

[rickmeister56]

need to pick some brains here. my pinion seal is leaking and im going to change it. are there any special tools i am going to need or are there any litttle problems i need to be aware of when tackling this job?

I haven't done one yet, but I do know the procedure varies depending on what year your bike is. Also, folks say that the biggest reason they leak is the specified gear oil level is a bit too high and it "drowns" the seal.

[rickmeister56]

cadd
i may not have to change the seal. i originally filled it the way the service manual calls for straight up and down which requires you to use 6.76 oz. i basically lost about an oz thru the seal which would put it at the level that you would use filling it on the sidestand. i will ride it awhile then recheck.

It will probably continue to leak, but it won't leak as bad once the level drops.

[ringadingh]

Ive changed mine twice now, last time was on Saturday. Its not that difficult to do, once the rear wheel is off your almost there. A few more nuts and the rearend is off the bike. Mine is a 1500 and there is a setscrew that must be loosened before removing the lock collar. This collar has a reverse thread, and reqires a special tool to remove, I don't have this tool so I tap it loose with a punch. Once its out the seal is easy to replace. Check the depth that the seal sits at in the collar, as I think you can set the seal in too deep and it will press against the bearing causing it to continue leaking. I think this is what happened in my case. Hopefully mine is cured now.

[rickmeister56]

mine is a 2005 with 28000 miles. i have ordered the seal from powersports pro so when i change my tire i will probably change the seal also. have you figured out why you have had to do it twice?

[ringadingh]

I think I had the seal to close to the pinion bearing when I replaced it. Im checking to see if its starts to leak again. Its been 4 days and ok so far. I'll know for sure when I get to Elkins WV on Friday. If it is still leaking when I get there, I'll be stumped.

[rickmeister56]

i wish you good luck. i hope your seal does not leak. thank you ever so much for the info. ride safe my friend.

[macmac]

If messing about is ok and maybe you don't stop the leak is ok, and you believe you over filled the gear box, one tip you could try is wipe up the mess. Then with a Q Tip push the seal in just a smidgen, and with another Q tip dipped on a slimey bar of real Ivory Soap lube the seal lips where it meets steel...

This gets you a 50/50 chance of no more leak.... so long as you don't over fill the system again.. Leave the soap residue...