Pinion Seal Headache AGAIN :(
Hello & thanks for your input on this, l do really appreciate everyone's help with this. Jack had also mentioned about the vent on the rear end/ differential. I did locate it and it's the same type you're speaking of w/the little pressed on cap. It moves freely & l did pry on it a little w/a screw driver. It seemed like it didn't want to come off unless l would really pry on it. This was before l read anything further about putting a hose on etc. The trike has such low miles on it & it's so clean under there, that l just couldn't see how it could be clogged up. After reading what other people on here said about attaching a hose to it. I was considering doing it, but we were leaving for an extended ride the next day, so l decided not to do it. I was afraid of breaking something off :( What you have described is pretty much exactly how mine's behaving though. It only leaks out of the pinion seal area, after l've run it a while. It can set in the garage over a piece of card board for days & l won't see as much as a drop. Do you think it could possibly be clogged even though it's practically like new underneath? Thanks for your help w/this :)
Pinion Seal Headache AGAIN :(
Oh and just one other thing that l forgot to mention is that on my differential. The little tube that has the cap on it ISN'T removable :( at least it doesn't seem like it is anyway. It appears as though it's pressed in somehow. So my only other option, if l were to remove the little cap. Would be to attach a hose directly to the little vent tube. Do you think that would be long enough to hold the hose on w/a small clamp??
Pinion Seal Headache AGAIN :(
Hi Jack, thanks for your reply, that's sort of what l had in mind as well. So just so l'm sure here, you're saying that little cap thing. Should just pop off of there, & then the tube will be long enough to attach a hose?? I just want to make certain before l go any further with it. But at least this way l can rule out the vent being the problem. I guess there's a chance the vent tube could have somehow gotten gummed up. I was told when l bought it that it had sat for 10 yrs or more.
Pinion Seal Headache AGAIN :(
When l had the pinion seal replaced, the mechanic that installed it, had put 80w90 in it. It didn't leak for a few hundred miles, but then it started again. So....... I then read that Champion recommends 85w140, so l drained it back out into a large measuring cup & it had exactly 1 qt. in it. So l put a qt. of the 85w140 back in and it was still just slightly below the fill hole. So l'm pretty sure l can rule out that's it's too full. One thing that had me puzzled though is that if l wipe the area off where the drips are. It tries to get wet again in that area even if l only drive it for a few miles. That's why l don't see how it can hot enough to build up pressure if it's the vent. Do you think that's long enough for it to build up heat & for e the oil out??
Pinion Seal Headache AGAIN :(
Hello Sidecar Bill, l hope you're doing well & thanks for your response. I think l'm going to just use a piece of coat hanger wire & maybe bend it like an allen wrench. And try to push it through the hole, that way there's no way l can accidentally drop it in. I don't think there's any play in the pinion shaft & l don't know why the mechanic said about. The only other thing l could do is change the pinion. I don't know if he's done many of these, because they mostly work on ATV'S. I had to sort of "talk" him in to doing it for me. One of my concerns was about putting silicone on the splines before reassembling the pinion etc. I would have thought that would be something that would need time to set up before putting things back together, but maybe l'm wrong? I would think the oil would just go right by the silicone if it wasn't fully cured. My other concern before removing the vent cap is that l'm not sure if that little tube has some sort of flanged end or if it's just a straight end in it. Because if l remove it l need to be able to slide a hose over the end of it & there's no room in there to remove a flanged end. Also when l first bought this trike about a year ago. The guys at the shop had told me that it was a one owner trike & the owner had bought it new in 03' & immediately had it converted. He put roughly 7k miles on it but then became ill & passed away. So the trike had sit for at least 10 yrs before l got it. However when l changed the oil about 2 months ago. That's when l noticed the differential was leaking @ the. pinion. And it had quite a bit of dirt built up on it. So l'm thinking it may have even been leaking when the original owner had it. I think Champion changes the pinions & maybe the axles as well because the Toyota pickups have a much lower gear ratio. And l can't figure out why the trike only has a 4 lug wheel pattern. Because from what l can find the Toyota trucks had 5 lug patterns. So my question to this long reply is, if this thing may have started leaking shortly after the original owner started riding it? Maybe the differential vent isn't functioning? If you have an opinion l'd greatly appreciate it, & thank you for taking the time to read this mess.
Pinion Seal Headache AGAIN :(
Hi again Jack, thanks for the response, l sort of thought that was the way you meant to use the drill bit. I'm not sure there's enough room to do that though. That's why l had the wire idea, well that & the fear of accidentally dropping the drill bit :(
I think when we get back, l'm going to go ahead & remove the little cap & attach a hose to the tube. Then drive it somewhere, to test it for leakage. And if it doesn't solve the problem, then l guess l'll just have the seal replaced again by someone else. Did you read what l had said about the whole silicone on the splines? If so what are your thoughts on that?