Paul,
Replacement of that seal is fiddly but not impossible. First, you need
access to a tool for holding the flange stationary while loosening the
nut. A friend of mine duplicated the factory tool out of 1/8" flat
steel, it sort of looks like one of those long knockoff removal tools,
but has a large hole in the end surrounded by 4 holes that slide over
the flange studs. The large hole allows access to the flange securing
nut with a socket. I see no reason why you couldn't take a long piece of
flat steel, about 3/4" wide, and drill two holes in the end that would
bolt over two of the flange studs. Just make sure you have enough
clearance to get to the nut, you may have to notch the side of the steel
for clearance. Below is a crude picture of the tool, if it comes out
garbled remember that the vertical lines denoting the end of the tool
should line up with each other...
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HANDLE (2' ) *____* | <asterisks denote holes for
flange studs
------------------------------------/ \--|
^notch for nut clearance
Get the car as high as you can on secure jackstands. Remove the
propshaft, bolt the tool up to the flange, and use it to hold the flange
while loosening the nut. You'll probably need a good long breaker bar
for the nut, I think it's torqued to about 100 foot pounds. The flange
should then come off easily. Then you should be able to dig out the old
seal with whatever implements of destruction you have at hand, just be
careful not to score the aluminum O/D housing. Grease up a new seal,
tap it into place, and (as all the manuals say) reassembly is the
reverse of removal.
Cheers, Paul K
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