Pinion seal leak. 21 w/ 20k miles
- Thread starter Rob6805
- Start date
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99WhiteC5Coupe
Full Access Members
How sad. Only 20,600 miles and it's got a front diff pinion seal leak. Ford quality has taken a hit..View attachment 81642
I wish that was all that had gone wrong with my 2015 Expedition Limited 4x4, purchased new.
I could write a very long post on all the defects, poor quality, and repeated repairs by my Ford dealer.
Good luck.
HILLY
Well-Known Member
Recently went through this. Not the worst job to do if you're handy and have the tools. I had to do mine twice as I think the underlying issue was the bearing was going bad creating a little bit of oscillation. This was originally unnoticeable. First job was just to do the seal and I did the crush sleeve as well. Took the oil slinger out and bearing (made by Koyo - pretty respectable brand), inspected everything, and all looked good. No pitting or noticable play so everything went back in and tightened down. Went down the road and had vibes (not bad, but annoyingly pronounced at ~65 mph) in the floorboard. Went to the dealer and grabbed another seal thinking there was something overlooked or didn't do the crush sleeve right. While I was at it I asked if they had a pinion bearing and how much, they did and it was cheaper than expected, so I took it. Redid everything again and it's been fine ever since. Loosening up the bearing and taking out to inspect must have made whatever it's underlying issue much more pronounced.
What I'm getting at is that the seal for age and mileage shouldn't be bad. It just shouldn't be worn out already, but when you get it changed out I would do the bearing too for what it costs and save headaches down the road in case that is the true culprit.
Parts:
Pinion Seal - 2L1Z-3N134-AA - ~$4.60
Spacer Kit "Crush Sleeve" - 8R3Z-4C121-A - $6.02
Pinion Bearing - B7A4621A - $22.83
Total - $33.45
What I'm getting at is that the seal for age and mileage shouldn't be bad. It just shouldn't be worn out already, but when you get it changed out I would do the bearing too for what it costs and save headaches down the road in case that is the true culprit.
Parts:
Pinion Seal - 2L1Z-3N134-AA - ~$4.60
Spacer Kit "Crush Sleeve" - 8R3Z-4C121-A - $6.02
Pinion Bearing - B7A4621A - $22.83
Total - $33.45
Last edited:
Thanks for the write up. However, the vehicle is still under warranty so the dealer is going to take care of it. I do agree that the seal itself should not be bad this soon. I will ask about the pinion bearing.
How sad. Only 20,600 miles and it's got a front diff pinion seal leak. Ford quality has taken a hit..
‘20 XLT had tow. I had to have the pinion, diff bearings, and seals replaced at 42k. Wasn’t leaking but it was loud whine when rolling. Bearings bad, races worn unevenly. Warranty, but way, way, way low on miles for that to occur.
Hey. There is also a greenish grease being flung around in the area too. You can see some of it in the picture on the sway bar. What is that coming from?
I am guessing from the flexible joint (constant velocity joint?) at the rear end of the drive shaft. They are packed with grease and it tends to squeeze out when tightened to the differential flange.
If it is old grease then no problem, I would only be concerned if it keeps on squeezing out.
It definitely is still coming out. So it seems two issues. The pinion seal and driveshaft grease.
