dana 18 yoke seals

going to be installing the front and rear yoke seals in the dana 18 today. there are some felt washers in the new box. should i install those too? also should i put rtv on the od of the seals and the splines of the yoke before installing?

 

Good questions....

A little Permatex on the seals and the shafts can't hurt.
Permatex should stop lube weeping if parts are not a perfect fit.

From my understanding the felt wipers are a carry over from the days of leather seals.
They helped to keep the leather seals from drying out.
In theory they will not be required with neoprene type seals yet it should not hurt to install them.
If the yokes or output shafts leak then the wipers may become soaked with lube and begin to sling oil onto the parking brake shoes.

 

I don't use the felt seals as I also feel they are a vestige of the leather seal days. I use RTV Ultra Black on the outer rim of the seal and the splines. The key here is everything must be clean and
Oil-free. The seal surfaces must be clean and smooth with no pits or grooves where the seal rides. I also pack the backside of the seal with Vaseline to hold the garter spring in place so it doesn't pop off when driving the seal in. Also make sure you drive the seal to the step in the bottom of the bore. If you don't the dust shield on the yoke can hit the seal locking up the shaft.

 

i see there is a bevel side and a non bevel on the rubber seal. which way is it supposed to go in?

 

If the seal has garter spring, that goes in. The oil side always hinges down against the shaft, so that oil pressure inside makes the seal tighter.

 

ok thanks.