While doing a search on getting the damn seal out, I noticed Brad and others talking about making sure the tranny breather is pointed in the right direction. What is the right direction?
And, what is the trick/tool for getting the seal out. Haynes "pry out with a screwdriver" is not working.

you have to hit it towards the INSIDE on one side, it'll tilt and you can grab the other side and pry it out.
ber careful, the outside of the seal has a lip that goes over the tranny (about 1mm or so).
it's not directly obvious, but if you hit it too close to the outside of the seal, you'll f$$k up the tranny.
oh, and don't scratch the shaft either!

takes 30 seconds once you figure it out.
Andy

If memory serves me.. the hole on the breather should be pointing towards the passengers BUTT if the tranny is in the car. Or if you look strait down on it... the hole on the side should point to what would be 1:05 pm on a clock.



B

There is also a small inspection hole in the belhousing at this location. Strange as it may seem, the breather should be pointed toward the inspection hole.

The reason the breather needs to be pointed in a specific direction is that the bottom of the breather is a tapered pipe and if the long side of the taper is not pointed toward the ring gear, the ring gear could throw gear lube at the breather and the breather would actually blow gear lube out the breather. If you don't believe me, point your breather so the hole faces back and run the car hard.

The breather hole is positioned 45 degrees right (passenger side) of forward. So it is pointing toward the battery.

jim, my haynes has a picture (p.47)showing the positioning of the breather 45* forward and to the right from the center line of the trans case. bruce posted a picture of a seal puller he bought at his flaps. i was wondering if you ever found the source of the black splatters. make sure the breather isn't plugged up.

A few months ago I was having problems with my tranny blowing seals. I thought the problem might be the breather. I eventually figured out it wasn't. Along the way this is the permanant solution I did to eliminate potential breather problems.

If I forgot to cover the breather hose before pressure washing the tranny, should I drain the oil? How much water can get in the tranny and still not effect it too much?

Hey Joe, check the breather on my trans and adjust if needed. Thanks

Yea for some reason them dogs of mine think this is a great place to sleep. snuggled up to the transaxle and heat exchangers on the patio. This would be thier only redeeming quaility at the moment. We will drain the oil before putting the unit back in the car. No problem man.

Ok, after you all stop laughing, get me out of this one!
Whacked the seal on one side with a flat punch,BFH....no move.
Whacked harder, started to flip in the bore. Still couldn't get a grip so whacked again....oops, whole damn seal disappeared into the tranny!
Started this job so I could get it done in time for next Sunday's AX.
I have a back up tranny which I am going to install (probably with its current seal intact!). Meanwhile, how about a lesson in tranny dissassembly 101? Can a dumb shit who is capable of driving a seal into the case figure out a way to get it out?

Stop what you are doing and back away from the tools. Oh my Gosh I thought I was going loose it. I did the put a dry wall screw into it and use a crowbar to pull it out. worked great. Hope you didn't break or bend the bottom/ step of the seal bore.

you don't want to cut it as the seal contains metal inserts.

some sort of hook and force it through?
Andy

Bring that effin thing over. I have various imlpements of destruction that *may* allow us to get that seal out of there.

I was glad no one was around to see mine when I removed it. I drilled four holes in it & used a pry bar and a block of wood to get it out. It looked like a cave man had been working on it.


Just split the tranny & pull the gear stack out to get to it. You aren't going to be able to get it back out through the input side.

OK, since I can absorb all kinds of abuse/humiliation, react to this:
I stopped by the local independent P car shop (all the guys are factory trained, ex-dealer mechanics). One guy who has been at it for at least 30 years said "you could just leave it there. On the early 901's a lot of guys used to just drive 'em in and install a new seal". He also suggested I could pull the output flange and side plate on the diff. and get at the seal with some side cutters.

Thanks JP, you may get your chance. I think I will put in the back-up tranny for now at least.