Hello,
My Trucks Transmission has two new Seals since a week. Yesterday, I found the Extension Housing Seal out and away of its Bore and Tranny-Oil must have spilled around before. It took not much force to push the Seal back into the Extensions Housing with a Mallet and a piece of Wood working around the Seal. My Question: is maybe the Seal not sitting tight enough, so Oil pressure can force the Seal out?
The Transmission Dip-Stick is reading weird Levels: When I got back my Aerostar from authorized FORD Service-Center, the “cold” Level was between the two holes but the “hot” Reading reveals a dry Dip!. Then I filled up the Level into crosshatched Area while in running “hot” modus. Now the “cold” Level is above Crosshatch! Have checked the Levels several times but it remains weird: “hot” Level is proper Level – “cold” is way to high. Question: What could cause this? Air in System, old O-Rings left in Separator Plate, .. ? I wonder if there could be a Relation between Overfilling and the forced-out Extension Housing Seal.
Thanks for a Reply

97’ XLT RWD 3.0L, 120900 miles

 

When the engine is not running, the pump is also idle, and fluid can drain out of the torque converter into the pan. I think this is normal (others can correct me if I'm wrong). When the engine runs, the pump will push a lot of the fluid into the TC, making the dipstick reading lower, which is why you should check the level while the engine is at hot idle.

If the seals are popping out so often, I wonder if the seal bore is worn? Once a seal has been installed, its outer surface that wedges into the bore has been deformed, and if removed, will not be able to apply the same interference fit as before. So you can't really just push it back in and expect it to hold, unless you glue it back in. I've used high temperature RTV and a home made clamp assembly to hold in loose seals, but they really should be replaced, and installed properly.

 

WB

is your driveline, universal joints and rear end pinion bearing in good shape. if there is any driveline vibration, it will cause the seal to walk> move out of the case.

seals in aluminum are hard to hold tightly. aluminum bore is slippery. aluminum also has high expansion rate. seal put in cold alum.

for years I just used a sharp center punch to put some light dimples on the contact area in the case for the seal surface to grap until the LocTite products came out. same concept that is used to lock bearing inner races to shaft or mounting hole.

look for this product to hold your seals in with. put on metal portion of seal and case that contact each other and then reassemble. works well to fill in damaged seal/case contact areas that leak

Want the Blue semi permanent. takes 24 hours to set completely.
can be removed. The Red is almost permanent.

French site
Welcome to the World of Loctite | Select your kind of use

product in English, my French is very poor

Loctite Threadlocker Blue 242 from Loctite Adhesives


Loctite® Threadlocker Blue 242®
Nut and Bolt Locker

Loctite® Threadlocker Blue 242® is designed for the locking and sealing of threaded fasteners which require normal disassembly with standard hand tools. The product cures when confined in the absence of air between close fitting metal surfaces. It protects threads from rust and corrosion and prevents loosening from shock and vibration. Loctite® Threadlocker Blue 242® is particularly suited for applications on less active substrates such as stainless steel and plated surfaces, where disassembly is required for servicing.


Loctite has the Green for components already together that is supposed to draw> creep into the small gaps and lock the 2 surfaces. Never used it so who knows?

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/p/10/...-Green-290.htm

 

Thanks for this Advise and the Summary on LOCTITE! Almost forgot to wach for this Brand. But right now i believe to have a major Problem across the entire Drivetrain: While heading backwards a few feet in reverse Gear, the Differential lost a massive bunch of its Hypoid-Oil with the Harmonic Balancer completely soaked in heavy Hypoids but no signs of a leak around the Cover Seal. This all at the End of a Drive on which I had to perform a kick-down to pass a large Truck. The Transmission missed to take the required Step through the 3th Gear to get into 2th Gear. Switched from 4th Gear directly into 2th instead, with a real hard Punch. Perhaps a Crack in the Differential Case now..

Had the Aero* out for extensive Repair before. New Crankshaft rear Seal, Pan Gasket, Transmission Oil Pump Seal, Extension Housing Seal.. Tranny was removed from Vehicle, so the Driveshaft. All the Differential Bearings were renewed two years ago. Yokes and Universal Joints still original. My trusted Mechanic told me they’re still good to go. Hmm.., and no Drive-Shaft Vibrations at all.
However, the Aero is leaking now almost everywhere. Even Engine-Oil between Tranny and Engine, what was meant to be fixed a week ago.. to move on from here makes only sense if one can do the sophisticated and heavier Repairs on its own. I can’t, so I need to move on for another used cheap and user-friendly Truck. Lots of FORD Ranger here around for Sale. i’ll keep you posted until Final Destination has called my Aerostar.

Enjoy the Weekend

 

Update on suspected kinds of oil leaks: Perhaps and hopefuly not so bad as thought because the lose Extension Housing Seal only was responsible for a thoroughly soaked Underbody, acts like a Sprinkler. It's an aftermarket TIMKEN (#2655) Item that, in my Case, only provides a weak press fit into the Extension Housing Bore. Found the following Video to show a similar case on a EXPLORER:


The use of the original FORD Replacement is probably the only smart way to go but i can't find a Source for that Part. I always bring-in the Parts to my Mechanic, therefore no Guarantee on Parts Failure. So my plan for now is to glue the aftermarket Seal back in with JB Weld. LOCTITE requires clean metal Surfaces on both Parts but the Seals Rimm is kind of Latex coated. Everyone has ever used JB Weld for a similar Purpose?

all the Best

 

As I mentioned before, RTV worked well for me. Whatever you use, you need to make sure all the surfaces are clean and dry.

 

worn out driveline U joints can cause the seals to work lose and leak.

the extension housing bushing may be worn beyond spec allowing too much lateral shaft movement and seal walkout. don't have access to my Aerostar service manual DVD so can't post the lateral runout specs for lateral movement of ext. housing shaft.
I wouldn't think more than 0.020 inches 0.508 mm

acetone from a hardware paint store is a great cleaner for metal parts to strip all grease/oil off.
wear chemical proof gloves while using acetone. keep it away from any seal rubber parts or plastic.

hope you can keep your Aero on the road, mine still runs like a champ. just like a reliable women, always there for me

my info shows either a D4ZZ7086B or F77Z7052AA for the extension housing rear seal on 97 Aero 3L V6 4R44e tranny. avail in the US from many Ford online parts outlets.
this seal is used across a wide varity of Ford mid size vehicles with similar transmissions in the 80s and 90s. Timken is about the best quality there is on the market.
French Ford dealers?

http://www.greensalescompany.com/default.asp

GreenSales obsolete FoMoCo parts seller has them also but they are too high priced for my wallet

 

Encouraged by the Video, i took off the Driveshaft today. There is very little play, not in the U-Joints but in the Drive Shaft Yoke to Bushing. Enough to put force on the Seals Lip and on the additional Dust Boot. The Dust Boot is an enhancement but increases the force on the Seal if there is any play in the Shaft. Thinking of cutting this Boot better off..

JB Weld high Viscosity maybe not able to get between Bore and Seal. Prepared the Seal now to use LOCTITE press fit repair by taking off the Latex Coat down to the raw metal with 600 Sandpaper.




Let's see how it works


97' XLT 3.0L RWD

 

Just to share the result: Using LOCTITE on a steel to steel contact was the best solution to keep the Seal in permanently. But i took the boot off from the Seal before reassembly - i believe that the stiff rubberboot on TIMKENs only does amplify shaft vibrations on the seals ferrule and thus, lever it out of the bore.



Had to retighten the Oilpan bolts to sepc. 12 Nm with the new blue FELPRO Oilpan Gasket inbetween. Don't know why but my Mechanic always just handtighten - maybe because he wants to have me back soon?!

Next time the Tranny must come off for repairs i will try it on my own.. spend 500$ to let replace main Crankshaft seal, Tranny oilpump seal, Ext. housing seal and Oilpan seal. At least my german FORD garage already knew about how and where to seal the Oilpan with RTV.

Got my Aero* Baby dry now

 

That rubber boot is to protect the seal from dust and dirt. It should ride on a smooth part of the flange shaft, so it should not experience that much vibration.

 

WB,
if you have the seal walk out problem reoccur, pull the driveline and have it tested at a driveline service shop for balance.
a shop spins them to test dynamic balance while spinning.
some of the Aeros had driveline imbalance fault problems and it may have been a factory balancing failure.

that outer dust shield is important to protect the shaft and seal from dust/dirt wear.
you may get away with removal if you drive on pavement only in suburban urban areas away from dirt roads and farm fields