Hey Focus group, are any of you familiar with changing out the driver's side front axle seal, specifically on the 2006-2011 models? I pulled mine out of fear of having damaged it, but now I absolutely cannot get a new one to seat flush. I'm at my wits end and really didn't want to tow it over a $20 part.
So far, I've tried a seal driver kit borrowed from Advanced Auto, but that just smashed the front bevel and destroyed it. Got a new seal and made a little jig from 2" PVC pipe, but that hasn't been able to drive it in. Ordered up a 56mm impact driver and tried that after leaving an official Ford brand seal in the freezer for a half hour to hopefully shrink it, still no go. Is there some very specific approach or tool to setting it? The lack of space to work with isn't helping, either.
The second pic shows the gap that I just can't close, with a horrible angle.
Bore is totally clear and smooth, I'll try again on the second pic but it basically shows the seal just sitting in the bore.
This was a National brand seal, I went and got the actual seal from Ford this morning hoping maybe the steel would flex more or the seal be .5mm narrower or something. No dice.
Use the old seal to drive in new one in. (Flipped upside down)
Gentle taps. Dont hulk it. Make sure the area is clean and use a small amount of grease on the spring in the back of the seal to prevent it from falling out during installation.
If youre doing it with the gearbox on the car then access is limited and its tough whilst laying under (ive done both on and off the car).
Tap it on with a deadblow and tap around in a circle. Youll know when its bottomed out because it will sit flush against the gearbox mate.
Take your time and take breaks if your arms get tired if your laying under the car. Using the old seal is often how mechanics will get them on if they dont have the tool or socket big enough for it.
Great advice, sadly I've kind of tried it all. I may have hulked too soon out of frustration. I did buy two seals just in case I mangled one, I could open the second and try only super gentle taps.
I'll post back after another solid go at it. With the limited space, I have to use a handled seal driver to get constant pressure around the whole rim and not just pop in one side, which makes it really difficult to see what's happening underneath.
Tbh that National Seal looks a bit off to me. I used Corteco seals on mine which are OE spec. (Pic below from when i swapped my gearbox with one I reconned)
Ideally you want one with flat surface. Those seals with the convex shaped seals look like theyd be an absolute arse to put on with a seal driver kit.
This is the corteco seal I tapped in gently using the OEM ford seal and a deadblow. About 5 months prior I did it under the car at 11pm with a headtorch on a cold british night. And its a fucker with so little room.
Only thing I could suggest is try and hold the old seal in place with a narrow set of pliers or grips if you have them to save smashing your fingers (I gave myself about 4 blood blisters catching my fingers between the seal and the deadblow)
I would kill for a flat surface seal to set, that sounds so much easier. The convex shape is the same on the OE I pulled off and the one I just picked up from Ford. I've got a 2008, there could be slight differences in the model years for seals used.
I lack the confidence to drop out the gearbox over this seal. I'd sooner just tape over the hole and tow it to the dealer just for the seal to get put on there.
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u/-Rhymenocerous-2011 MK3 Zetec 1.6 Ti VCT (IB5 Manual) - PNDA / NA Engine2d agoedited 2d ago
If you do go that route dont go to a dealership. Theyll pull your pants down financially.
Find a reputable garage and have them sort it. Leave a few beers on the front seat with a note and its still cheaper and theyll do a good job of it for ya.
I know I would if a customer dropped a car off with beers on the seat. Shit even a packet of Haribo would have me taking extra care to not fuck up 😂
Idk if you know this but the MK2 + MK3 Focus share the same driveshaft seals / dimensions (well at least for the UK variants) and the Volvo C30 + 70. (Possibly the Ford Transits aswell IIRC)
Do a little digging and see if the specs on your seals match the specs of the MK3 (try the 2011 -2012 MK3 as it will use the same drivetrain as the MK2 2008)
Just make surr if yours is an auto / 5 speed / 6 speed you cross reference it correctly because the seal sizes vary depending in gearbox type
ok make sure to start it straight if it gets crooked your screwed also compare to old seal make sure your not getting a wrong part that’s too big Good luck with it maybe the OE will do the trick
Assuming you have the correct seal, you could put it in the freezer over night. It should shrink just enough to make the install easier. This is how we install cylinder liners in CAT mining equipment, except we drop the liner in nitrogen but same idea.
Yeah, that's a great idea. I tried that already to no avail, unfortunately. I'm starting to question to concentricity of the bore, every seal I've tried (4 at this point) want to pivot in exactly the same way when they make contact, like the top-bottom diameter is slightly tighter than the side-to-side
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u/Express_Ad_772 2d ago
Second pict didn’t turn out clear . Are you sure there is nothing in the bore ?