$1,800 reasonable for rear diff pinion seal job?

[Soeren]

Hi all,
My 2011 STX 550 is apparently leaking oil from the rear diff and my usual mechanic is quoting $1,800 to fix it (and I am falling off the chair!). Something about a crush washer that means you can't just replace the seal but need to rebuild the whole thing to make sure everything lines up correctly. I believe there was also a mention of new bearings. Still, to me this sounds like a very high price for something really quite small (unless they need to spend days fiddling with bits and pieces). Has anyone had a similar job done and was it equally expensive? Unfortunately, I think it is beyond my abilities to do it myself.
Regards, Soeren

 

[Scott52]

This is the recommended procedure for a Dana axle that I found on another Navara forum (link below):

The process is....
1) Disconnect the rear driveshaft
2) Remove both rear wheels
3) Remove both brake drums
4) Using a torque wrench measure the torque necessary
to turn the pinion. Record this reading. You'll need it later.
5) Remove the pinion nut. You'll need a big breaker bar and a way to holding the yoke or a good impact gun to do this.
6) Remove the yoke from the pinion shaft. It should slide right out.
7) Pry out the old seal with a seal puller. Do not score the seal bore with the puller.
8) Clean the seal bore
9) Carefully & evenly tap in the new seal
10) Clean the outside of the yoke. Put some gear oil on the outside of the yoke surface that contacts the seal.
11) Slide the yoke back onto the pinion shaft. Twist it slightly to get it into the new seal.
12) Put the new crush tube and pinion nut.
13) IMPORTANT - Tighten using a socket wrench, no impact tools here. As the nut starts to contact the yoke measure the preload with the torque wrench. The preload is the torque required to turn the pinion gear. Carefully tighten the pinion nut and re-check the preload very often. Keep tightening the pinion nut until you get the same preload torque you measured in step 4.
14) Reinstall the brake drums, tyres & rear driveshaft.

There's probably half a days labour so you're probably going to pay about 4 or 5 hours at about $150 per hour plus consumables and parts. It sounds like the Mechanic is suggesting more work with bearing replacement so it's not hard to see the cost adding up to $1800.

Here's a post from another Navara forum from a person who did it the "unofficial" way

I Did my D40 a couple of months ago and It was Piece of P*** to do !!.
Firstly Drop all the diff oil out.
Then Undo the 4 rear prop bolts
Next undo the big nut in the middle of the diff (I used an air gun)
Remove the nut and pull the collar off the spline (I marked the position it came off with tip-ex pen just in case).
Knocked the old seal out with a small hammer and chisel,cleaned round seal housing, knocked new seal in carefully using big socket,refit collar so tip-ex marks lined up and put nut back on using air gun.Re-fit rear prop,filled diff up with LSD oil,and away you go !!!

It may not be the correct way to do it,but it worked a treat !!!!!!

https://www.nissan-navara.net/threads/rear-diff-oil-seal.12968/

 

[Soeren]

This is the recommended procedure for a Dana axle that I found on another Navara forum (link below):

The process is....
1) Disconnect the rear driveshaft
2) Remove both rear wheels
3) Remove both brake drums
4) Using a torque wrench measure the torque necessary
to turn the pinion. Record this reading. You'll need it later.
5) Remove the pinion nut. You'll need a big breaker bar and a way to holding the yoke or a good impact gun to do this.
6) Remove the yoke from the pinion shaft. It should slide right out.
7) Pry out the old seal with a seal puller. Do not score the seal bore with the puller.
8) Clean the seal bore
9) Carefully & evenly tap in the new seal
10) Clean the outside of the yoke. Put some gear oil on the outside of the yoke surface that contacts the seal.
11) Slide the yoke back onto the pinion shaft. Twist it slightly to get it into the new seal.
12) Put the new crush tube and pinion nut.
13) IMPORTANT - Tighten using a socket wrench, no impact tools here. As the nut starts to contact the yoke measure the preload with the torque wrench. The preload is the torque required to turn the pinion gear. Carefully tighten the pinion nut and re-check the preload very often. Keep tightening the pinion nut until you get the same preload torque you measured in step 4.
14) Reinstall the brake drums, tyres & rear driveshaft.

There's probably half a days labour so you're probably going to pay about 4 or 5 hours at about $150 per hour plus consumables and parts. It sounds like the Mechanic is suggesting more work with bearing replacement so it's not hard to see the cost adding up to $1800.

Here's a post from another Navara forum from a person who did it the "unofficial" way

I Did my D40 a couple of months ago and It was Piece of P*** to do !!.
Firstly Drop all the diff oil out.
Then Undo the 4 rear prop bolts
Next undo the big nut in the middle of the diff (I used an air gun)
Remove the nut and pull the collar off the spline (I marked the position it came off with tip-ex pen just in case).
Knocked the old seal out with a small hammer and chisel,cleaned round seal housing, knocked new seal in carefully using big socket,refit collar so tip-ex marks lined up and put nut back on using air gun.Re-fit rear prop,filled diff up with LSD oil,and away you go !!!

It may not be the correct way to do it,but it worked a treat !!!!!!

https://www.nissan-navara.net/threads/rear-diff-oil-seal.12968/

Thank you, appreciate your detailed explanation. Still seems pricey to me but maybe that’s just the way it is

 

[Scott52]

Thank you, appreciate your detailed explanation. Still seems pricey to me but maybe that’s just the way it is

Do you need the additional work like bearing replacement? I'd ask the Mechanic how many hours he estimated and what the charge out rate is so you can get a better idea of the work involved.

I had a clutch done three years ago and the labour rate in that workshop back then was $147 per hour. He quoted 6 hours so labour was $882 out of the total $2400 cost. The clutch kit was a bit over $1600. I would have done it myself but I didn't have the equipment required to deal with a heavy gearbox ... it would have been a bit too dangerous for me.

Lots of people use the "unofficial" method as described above. I do most work on my Navara as the value of the vehicle doesn't warrant spending too much on other peoples labour if I can DIY. We're a high wage country which is why these jobs that need a days labour or more at +$150 per hour become prohibitive.

I was looking at my front seal a while back because I thought it was weeping. I'd probably mark the position of the big nut and the collar to put it back to the same spot. I reckon you need a decent impact wrench to get that thing off.

 

[Soeren]

Do you need the additional work like bearing replacement? I'd ask the Mechanic how many hours he estimated and what the charge out rate is so you can get a better idea of the work involved.

I had a clutch done three years ago and the labour rate in that workshop back then was $147 per hour. He quoted 6 hours so labour was $882 out of the total $2400 cost. The clutch kit was a bit over $1600. I would have done it myself but I didn't have the equipment required to deal with a heavy gearbox ... it would have been a bit too dangerous for me.

Lots of people use the "unofficial" method as described above. I do most work on my Navara as the value of the vehicle doesn't warrant spending too much on other peoples labour if I can DIY. We're a high wage country which is why these jobs that need a days labour or more at +$150 per hour become prohibitive.

I was looking at my front seal a while back because I thought it was weeping. I'd probably mark the position of the big nut and the collar to put it back to the same spot. I reckon you need a decent impact wrench to get that thing off.

Thanks, good point about questioning the need for the bearing(s) to be replaced. I just assumed that perhaps that is what is normally done while you’re in there but I will definitely query this. Good luck with your front diff job