Leaking swivel seal - MOT failure?

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payydg

payydg

Well-Known Member
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Location
Aberdeenshire
Drained and topped up the swivel grease after taking bottom pin out to replace break shield.

Basically I can’t tell whether the seal is leaking. The ball is now constantly covered with a thin film of grease when you turn the wheels - before it wasn’t. Can’t remember whether this is normal or not? I’ll put up some photos tomorrow. If it is leaking is this an MOT failure?

The MOT has run out so keen to get everything sorted before taking it for a retest as I don’t want it to fail on something and I then can’t drive it away to fix myself and have to pay the garage to do it.
 
jamesmartin said:
its an mot failure,you shouldnt need to remove the pin,you may have got the seal lip ticked in
Click to expand...

had to put new brake brackets on as the old ones had rotted away so had to take the bottom pin out.

TBH I’m not sure it’s even leaking it’s just there’s now a thin film over the ball. Nothing is collecting with gravity if you see what I mean.

probably help if I put up a photo which I’ll do in the morning.
 
just done my swivel seals and the balls are clean as a whistle.

sounds as @jamesmartin suggests, not sure where you go with it though.

dry the ball and see how quickly it gets oil on it...How far is it to MOT station ?

or you undo the ring of 8mm headed bolts and take the seal ring back towards diff and see if you can see any signs of leakage or damage

or undo and refit the Pins..

or a combination of those.

or u bite the bullet and do the swivel seals.

If it out of MOT you can pre book a test and drive to MOT station, if it fails i believe you are allowed to drive it somewhere for repair or home.

You can only not drive it, if it in such a dangerous condition it cannot be moved. so i believe, there are a few testers on the forum, am sure someone will be along to confirm or correct me.
 
Cavey_P38 said:
just done my swivel seals and the balls are clean as a whistle.

sounds as @jamesmartin suggests, not sure where you go with it though.

dry the ball and see how quickly it gets oil on it...How far is it to MOT station ?

or you undo the ring of 8mm headed bolts and take the seal ring back towards diff and see if you can see any signs of leakage or damage

or undo and refit the Pins..

or a combination of those.

or u bite the bullet and do the swivel seals.

If it out of MOT you can pre book a test and drive to MOT station, if it fails i believe you are allowed to drive it somewhere for repair or home.

You can only not drive it, if it in such a dangerous condition it cannot be moved. so i believe, there are a few testers on the forum, am sure someone will be along to confirm or correct me.
Click to expand...

Ok yeh that’s helpful advice. I don’t mind doing the seal if I have to, not like I can drive anywhere at the moment.

I might take the retaining plate off and have a look at the seal lip in the first instance.

If someone could input on whether if it fails I can drive it back to mine to fix that would be very helpful
 
If you disturb the pin the swivel will leak until the pin is replaced. You should be able to see if the seal has been displaced or damaged.
There is a good chance the oil is the oil that has leaked out.
Give the ball a good wipe over with a petrol or diesel soaked rag to clean the surface and see if it comes back.
If the lip has tucked under, you may be able to hook it out with a small blunt screwdriver or similar.
 
Rougharse Racing said:
If you disturb the pin the swivel will leak until the pin is replaced. You should be able to see if the seal has been displaced or damaged.
There is a good chance the oil is the oil that has leaked out.
Give the ball a good wipe over with a petrol or diesel soaked rag to clean the surface and see if it comes back.
If the lip has tucked under, you may be able to hook it out with a small blunt screwdriver or similar.
Click to expand...

Oh really, why’s that?

Don’t think the pin moved at all just took the bolts out to put a new bracket in. Tho maybe that’s it.

I cleaned it off with brake cleaner and just came back.

Maybe this is the time to take it all apart and see what needs replacing. It’s been about 8yrs since I rebuilt both sides.
 
payydg said:
Oh really, why’s that?

Don’t think the pin moved at all just took the bolts out to put a new bracket in. Tho maybe that’s it.

I cleaned it off with brake cleaner and just came back.

Maybe this is the time to take it all apart and see what needs replacing. It’s been about 8yrs since I rebuilt both sides.
Click to expand...
if you doidnt remove the pin it might be leaking now as oil level is higher or did you use the grease
 
If you remove or disturb the pin, the swivel moves slightly and allows a gap to open up between the lip of the seal and the ball, hence the oil leak.
If all has gone back properly when you have re-tightened the pin then the oil may just be what leaked out when you were working on it.
 
jamesmartin said:
well just keep an eye on it,your probably worrying about nothing
Click to expand...

Ha, would not be the first time. The issue is the MOT has run out and I'm sorting a few things before getting it re-tested. I'm not bothered about how long it takes me to sort everything I just don't want to have it fail again and then have to bring it back and get it re-tested again.
 
When I changed my seals a while ago I sawed the back plate into two halves, so it comes off without a major strip down, you can carefully cut the seal and fit a new one putting the split at the top and a dab of silicone on the edges, with a bit of care it works.
You can see the back plate is in two sections in the picture here cuts are just after 12 o'clock and just before 7 o'clock

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/front-axle-swivel.304892/
 
raywin said:
When I changed my seals a while ago I sawed the back plate into two halves, so it comes off without a major strip down, you can carefully cut the seal and fit a new one putting the split at the top and a dab of silicone on the edges, with a bit of care it works.
You can see the back plate is in two sections in the picture here cuts are just after 12 o'clock and just before 7 o'clock

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/front-axle-swivel.304892/
Click to expand...
Please don't.
 
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