Rebuild or rtv o seals for 12 bolt?

[SchneidR]

Hey guys I'm about to install a flip kit this week and notice that my o seals are leaking bad, while I got the rearend out I plan on painting it up, but do you think rtv would take care of the issue, trying to end all my leaking parts, here's a horrible pic, sorry it was dark out


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[Orlando87Chevy]

I would replace it with a gasket and a little gasket sealant around the whole parameter. If you clean it well enough you won't have any problems. RTV can be messy and an eye sore if your going for a clean look.

[Blazin]

What is an "O" seal?
As for the dif cover I would use a high quality silicone sealant. You can trim off any that might spooge out when its tightened down.

[Sartobuilt]

Looks to me the axle tubes are leaking where there pressed in the housing.

[thirsty]

Looks to me the axle tubes are leaking where there pressed in the housing.

Looks like that to me also. I would think that the differential cover would have gear oil all over it if it was just that leaking. I have never had tubes leak though. What does the pinion seal look like? Is it covered with gear oil too? Maybe it is soaking the tubes from the front.

No matter what you use to seal the cover it has to be surgical clean first along with the housing. I have done it both ways, with a gasket and without just using an rtv sealant. If you use an rtv make sure you use a quality one that will hold up for that application. I prefer to use a gasket with gasket shellac. Most people including professional mechanics use an rtv product and it works perfect. Prep is the key so you don't have to do it over.

[SchneidR]

Yeah it's a mess;). I will see what the local trans guy will quote me at, seems like a pita,  also have leaking up front whatever it's called between the trans and the bellhousing, looks like that idk flex plate is missing too. 


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[bake74]

     My suggestion is to clean it very well, and check over the next week to see where the leak is actually coming from.
     Your 12 bolt could be leaking from a couple of different spots and the fluid could be traveling, so to see exactly where it is leaking would tell you what needs to be fixed.

[SchneidR]

Good idea, thanks!


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[Blazin]

I have never seen axle tubes leak in my life. I would bet its the pinion seal, and probably a little of the diff cover gasket.
If its leaking between the motor, and trans its either the rear main seal, would be leaking oil.
Or its the front trans seal be leaking transmission fluid.
What is it leaking?
Flex plate is bolted to the crank shaft, torque converter is bolted to it, and its used to turn the engine over with the starter.
Sounds like the dust cover is missing?

[ehjorten]

In addition to making sure the mating surfaces are clean, also make sure they are flat!

[Sartobuilt]

Ive seen many axles leak where there pressed into the housing. Take an axle sand blast and paint it flat black and you will notice the paint a little shiny around the tubes. Its not an actual leak but a seep.I had a customers car in once it had a leaky rear axle, he didn't drive the car much, mabe 100 mi a year. I resealed that cover 3 times in three years and the leak wouldn't go away. Each time he took it out of storage there was a little spot of gear lube on the floor. I finally put in another axle and it doesn't leak a drop any more.  Also the build up on the axle in this post could be the oil leaking from the engine or transmission. 

[SchneidR]

Thanks guys, I might just get a different rearend that has a disc brake setup anyway instead if trying to revive this pos end;). And yes dust cover is what I am missing but could that make it leak a lot?  I changed my valve covers and that fixed the leak from the crap I had before.


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[SchneidR]

Do you guys recommend a good rear end with disc brakes that is painless to install?  I would eventually like a ls1 and t56 setup at some point.


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[Captkaos]

Painless to install depends on what you mean by painless, if you mean bolt up, you are severely limited.  The 93-96 Impala SS has the same lug pattern and disc, but it won't bolt in.  You can easily buy a rear disc kit for the current axle though.

[SchneidR]

Yeah there's a couple of guys that make $200 kits, but I was thinking with rebuilding and adding a disc kit, there might be a better solution, so what would make the the impala SS not bolt up?


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