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Rear axle seal
So as to not hijack Tom’s electrical gremlin thread and avoid “thread creep” there, and to answer Jon’s question about the “puddle” of oil I found, I’ll just put this info here. Also I’m including a photo of said “puddle” which isn’t such a puddle anymore since I mopped up as much as I could. However, the stain is still evident.
A couple of days ago, I was walking around my coach and noticed oil on the ground in front of the right drive tire. I could also smell a distinctive odor, known to me as differential oil. Further inspection revealed a heavy stain of oil on the side of the inner drive tire, emanating from the brake drum. Apparently there is a leak from the axle seal on that side. We are parked/camped at the Marathon Coach facility and right next door is a heavy truck repair facility that Marathon does business with, and I have made arrangements for the replacement of the axle seals and brake shoes on both sides as soon as they can get the parts.
Parked next to my coach is another PC member (Larry B.) who, like Tom, says he can smell that oil a mile away.
Kirby
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9 Replies
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Kirby, appears like a hub seal leak.
It is about a 2 hour repair. Only a few things are important. First, don’t delay fixing it because the grease soaks into the brake shoes and that is not a good thing. It is not an especially common repair, but also not unheard of so any good shop likely has experience.
A shop with the equipment can easily have the wheels and drum off and the hub off and on quickly, but when putting the hub back on it has to go on perfectly straight so the seal doesn’t get bent or damaged as the hub goes back in place. Before sliding the hub back in place do two things. First stick your fingers in the seal and make sure the inner race of the seal rotates freely within the outer portion of the seal. If it was damaged during insertion of the seal in the hub and the inner part does not rotate freely, replace it because it will not last.
Also prior to re-installing grease the bearings and or tip the axle after the hub is installed to insure the hub has differential fluid in it so the bearings are not run dry, and of course make sure the differential oil is full. A dry bearing will last about 4 miles and then the end of the axle will be twisted right off the coach so making sure the bearings are not dry is important.
Lastly, tighten the nut and make sure it is done in accordance with the Prevost shop manual for your vintage coach. Some are torqued to a specific runout, and others are tightened to a torque value and then the nut is backed off as specified. Too tight or too loose and the bearings are damaged.
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Hey Kirby, being parked next to another PC member may call for a more cautious inspection of the circumstances.
Members have been know to agitate nearby members by doing things like pouring a little oil on the ground in conspicuous places such as you have or poring a little antifreeze on the ground by the back bumper making someone think they have a coolant leak.
I have no idea who would do such a thing but I know where it has happened before, so be cautious!!!!!!!!!!
Tom can attest to this type of behaviour !!!!!!!
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As long as you don’t have Jeff or Buddy near your bus, any coolant or oil leak is probably for real. If those two are near, don’t trust and verify.
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Most of the time, it is not necessary to replace the brake shoes…I’ve had mine cleaned multiple times. I’ve gone through about 2 zillion drive axle seals on my 2 coaches and have changed brands (from what Prevost repair centers supply) the last time I had replaced with good result. Unfortunately, my spare axle seal and new style torque nut is in my coach so I can’t tell you the brand. If you want to know it, let me know and I’ll drive to storage.
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I’m no expert, but over the years I have replaced 6 axle seals, and each time I used the Chicago Rawhide brand (CR). I have never had a failure of a seal I replaced so based only on that I would say CR seals work well.
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Kirby,
We found what has caused our hub seal failures is heat combined with extreme altitude change. While your having the seal repair, have the differential vent replaced. Often from years of travel combined with grit and goo build up the spring loaded mushroom cap on the vent sticks when internal “diff” pressure builds and blows out the weakest link: the paper seal. After going thru countless differential hub seals on our previous H and XLII, seems to have solved the problem
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Thanks everyone, for the tips and advice. Being on the road and therefore not able to do the repair myself, the parts were ordered from Prevost by Marathon and TEC, the repair shop that will do the work. So, Prevost parts but CR is a dominant brand so maybe that’s what will show up. Good tip from Coloradobus, as we have certainly had a whole bunch of altitude and temperature changes on this trip, and I will definitely take a look at that vent. Meanwhile, I’ve been mechanically stranded in worse places. The weather here is perfect right now, we have no deadlines, we have full hook-up, a very nice neighbor (Hi, Larry) so we have little to complain about.
Kirby
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Kirby, one thing to complained about at our free campsite, Starling crap.They seem to love Kirby’s Sat Dish.
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OK Larry, spill the beans, that new to you Marathon surely doesn’t need anything.
While I set here in GA with one inverter bypassed. Heading to the boy’s in White House tomorrow.
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