AMC20 Axle tube - Where is the crud coming from?

[DHugg]

1980 CJ7 .... Today (17Mar) I was trying out the bearing fit on a right (pax side) new Superior one-piece axle. Fits up snug, rotates nicely, so I'll go ahead and install the axle oil seal.

When I pulled the axle out of the housing, it was slathered with a wet, hog-wallow smelling (yes, raised on a farm... I know the smell well) thick and grimey goo, with a gritty feel. In the thickest area, there was a 1/8 inch of the crud all over the new shiny axle shaft.

There was none of this in the differential housing; I cleaned it by hand, even sanded some of the surface rust off the inside. Both right and left gears were clean.

The driver side (left) shorter AMC20 tube was weeping clean differential lube when I pulled the old oil seal out, wasn't dirty or cloudy.

When I pulled the old pax-side hub off, there was no sign of such contamination, although the brake plate and hardware were very dirty. Where the devil is this stuff coming from?

I can elevate the driver side of the rear axle, plug the tube in the back, and clean out the goo like swabbing a canon bore. Has anyone else done this job with a smarter method ?

Rats! I was all ready to press the new seals back in and begin buttoning up the rear axle! This new mess will take me almost a whole workday to square away.

Forward two, back two. Forward two, back one. Forward one, back one.

I guess at this cadence, I'll eventually get there. But it is sure puzzling to find this much grunge inside a sealed axle tube.

 

[Old Dog]

Sounds to me like someone before you got some nasty water in the diff. and it turned into a milkshake. When I did mine I did the gears at the same time, so I swabed the tubes out, it's amazing what gets in there.
Might be a good idea to pull the cover (if you haven't already) and check the diff. bearings.

Can you do me a favor and measure how wide the axle retaining ring is with the superior setup. Thanks.

 

[DHugg]

Old Dog, you asked for that once before, and I apologize for not responding quickly, although I didn't forget.

I just got a new full set of axle HDW from Superior. I put the mike on one just now and get 0.440, 15 thousandths past the .425 hashmark.

I guess a full washdown IS the only way to go. I cut my own gasket when I didn't like the one Feltpro was putting out; I can do another easier that wearing out a new wheel bearing with sand in it.

 

[Old Dog]

I cut my own gasket when I didn't like the one Feltpro was putting out

LOL I'm not a fan of the gasket they give you either. I usually RTV the cover just to make sure it doesn't leak.

thanks for the info here's the I owe you. By the way I wanted the measurment so I could buy reg set 9 bearings and retaining ring and just turn it down myself. I'm cheap like that.

 

[Kane]

Your vent is on the right side. All the gets in from there.

 

[Old Dog]

Your vent is on the right side. All the gets in from there.

X2. Make sure you have vent hoses that are above water level.