Attempting to replace seals on 1991 Hitachi ex60 final drive, any advise on installing the metal face seals or where I could buy installation tool to install seal, cones are 8-3/16" outside dia.
I assume you're talking about a duo-cone seal, otherwise known as a floating seal, has the big rubber toric ring on the steel seal ring. First clean the ramps of the surface where seal is going to be installed with a small wire wheel brush on a die grinder. Do not use abrasive tools to clean ramps. I think you can get the install tool from Cat store, but in a pinch I find a piece of insulated wire that fits in the groove between rubber toric ring and seal lip of steel ring. Fit the insulated wire completely in the groove then wrap electrical tape around the wire to hold it in the groove, or use a zip tie around the wire to hold it in. With the wire in the groove, this keeps the toric ring from riding up the seal ring ramp when installing seal. It's recommended to not use oil or grease on toric ring when installing, but friction sure makes it a pain to install. I typically give toric ring and the seal ramps a light spray of aerosol silicone lubricant. This leaves a dry lubricating film. Then the trick is installing the seal, firm straight on steady pressure to get the toric ring to pass by the lip on the ramp. Once toric ring is past the retainer lip, it has to be in near perfect position, no twisting of toric ring, no spot where it's pushed in farther on ramp than other spots, gotta be dead straight and square. Once you're confident it's installed proper you can remove the electrical tape (or zip tie) and remove the wire from the groove. All this is hard to explain with words, I hope it makes some sense.
its tricky to install this seal. the o ring always want to get out of the ring. I set them lightly on there seats and then install the planetary drive and push it with my mini excavator and tie it with the knot so the excavator press will stay and the excavator bucket can get out of the way for lock washer nut. hope this helps you. as willie says its hard to expain in detail unless you see it. experience make it easier. if you don't have the right technic and tools its a pain in the ass.
I do lots of these on the final drives (that was my fourth this month on sunday) and I find them not too bad. I have used the tool before on dozer seals and its pretty handy but on the excavators there are no tools listed in the deere/hittachi manual to install it without measuring it and buying the cat tool. I like willies idea with the wire. What I do is put talcum powder on the oring seal and make sure the grove is clean and put the oring and metal seal in as an assembly and work it in with my fingers with a little pressure on the metal duo cone making sure it goes in even. Put a bead of clean oil on the metal face of the seal and then join the two pieces together. If the threads are not showing I use two ratchet straps to pull them in a little bit and then install the nut and torque it down. Ive got it down to approximately four hours without working too hard. That includes splitting the track and changing the big bearings as I find they are usually pitted with dirt. First time I ever did it was with another tech and he used brake clean and a screwdriver but I have found with talc I do not need to do that.
WD-40 works too, it will let the rubber slip into place then it just goes away. Lasts longer than the brakeclean. your mileage may vary. Works great for bike or motorcycle rubber grips too.
Made good sense & got the job done, have 150 hrs on machine since & no problems, thanks I appreciate the info.
Good to hear you got it fixed sportster. :drinkup BTW, here's a thread that shows the "wire method" that I use. >