ok, i have replaced the output shaft seal about 5-6 times already with in this week, is it possible that the bearing behind the seal (i believe its the differential bearing) is bad which is causing the leak? my only problem with that is that if there is a seal (output shaft seal) between the bearing and cv axle then it should seal no matter if the bearing is good or bad. correct me if i am wrong though. i am trying to fix this asap and was thinking about just being done with it and pulling the trans off and just replacing the bearing (and the clutch since i have it off anyways). all help appreciated thanks


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A bad input shaft bearing is a good guess. The bad bearing may introduce some shaft free play that damages or allows oil past the seal.

 

so thats what the bearing is called the INPUT SHAFT BEARING, the one that is on the passengers side that you are able to see when putting the axle seal on? im just trying to figure out the name so i can order it. oh and is it really that hard to drop the transmission, diy looks about average but when i pop the hood it looks tedious. any input for the firs timer is much appreciated!

 

oh and i completely hate my self for going to honda and had them replace it for $186 (even though i am/was perfectly capable of doing it) this morning but i wanted some peace of mind that if it did start to leak at least i would be able to got back to the dealer and have them fix it.

i had read on another post when i searched that it will leak out of this output shaft seal if the transmission gearbox is over filled with oil, but this doesn't make sense because shouldn't the seal, seal completely no mater how full it is? correct me if i am wrong

 

Oh wait, you have a leak from passenger-side axle where it inserts into the differential, right? The input shaft bearing is for the shaft that joins the transmission to the clutch/flywheel.

Are you installing an OEM axle seal? Are you tapping the seal evenly into the differential just to the point where it is flush with the transmission?

 

yes, gently pushed it evenly flush with the outside transmission case, clean and lubed before axle install and was careful not to touch it with the axle while installing

 

Maybe you installed the wrong seal? The driver and passenger side seals are different.

 

well i just had honda do it this morning and it doesnt seem to be leaking a drop, BUT he did say that he likes to pack a lot of grease in between the seal and the bearing, so im weary that once the grease gets "settled" in then it will start to leak

 

Yes, greasing the inner ring of the seal and corresponding outer surface of the axle is important to prevent leaks.

 

i thought the gear box oil would be proper to lube it up as i did the past few times, but the honda tech said that he packs grease in it, which makes my think that if there still is a leak that the grease that he packed in will heat up and flow back into the transmission and will cause the same leak in (lets say) a week.

 

Really important that this is done. It will leak if it is pushed in as far as
it can go. Very common mistake.

 

maybe the trip to honda and having them replace it with OEM was the trick because i have been using oreillys and advanced auto parts seals the past 5-6 times (at $18 a pop it has been expensive) and YES i def. installed the seals so they were flush with the outside transmission housing every time i did it.

the only difference when taking it to honda is
1. they used OEM seal
2. tech guy packed it with grease (inside the transmission bearing to inner seal surface)

 

Before removing the axle, shake the axle up and down and note any slack in the splines. Then remove the axle and inspect the splines and sealing surface, it will have a small mark around its circumference.

Inspect the seal and make sure it was driven in flush with the seal flange, and that the clad (metal part of the seal) was not distorted during install. It should not be driven past the housing.

From experience use OEM Honda axle seals, I've seen many people fight this problem, including myself with 4 different seal brands. The aftermarket brands just don't compare.

 

it has not leaked yet. when i had replaced it several times it always showed signs of leakage after a 5min drive. i have ran the car for over an hour today with no leakage. this sounds like my car is wearing depends underwear mentioning all the leakage LOL... anyways it is just a PITA to keep checking because im not sure if it will start leaking in a week or so or if it is "actually" fixed

 

i think iv learned my lesson and lost $186 to honda for having them install OEM, instead of buying OEM from them and installing it myself... and btw it is a brand new axle (non-OEM) so that mating surface is not deformed at all

 

I was waiting for the reman axle part, all these leaks with non-OEM seals occurred with remanufactured axles.

 

ahh haah.... so if i (well i) use(d) a reman axle from autozone (no i dont need the toughest axle i dont beat my car, i shift it at 3k no higher) i will need to use the proper OEM seal if i dont want it to leak? so basically what you are saying that no aftermarket seal will seal properly with an aftermarket axle or possibly even a honda OEM axle? thanks a lot everyone!!!

 

i was actually thinking that when they reman an axle they lathe a very tiny bit off of the part where the seal is in contact with so they make sure that it is round, but i guess they apparently did not take into consideration the tolerances of the seal after they cut a bit of the mating surface off

 

From my own personal experience, I ended up buying an OE used axle after installing the Honda seal with the reman axle, only to drive ALL THE WAY HOME to find out it didn't leak anymore.....

Go figure.

 

DANG IT!! i wish i would have known thin instead of spending about $250 when i could have bought a genuine OEM seal for $15....

so is there still the possibility that that bearing could still be the culprit of the leak even though it is not leaking now but might start in the near or late future? have you heard of that bearing causing a leak even with the proper seal? thanks

ps. slowcivic2k you are a life saver (at least a piece of mind keeper) since you recommended that the OEM seal was the problem!