Swivel seals, easy or hard Job?

[Rovernaut]

I checked the swivel oil ans noticed that one side only had about 50ml in it and the other about 100 ml.
There are no external leaks.

I have had the vehicle for 3 years now I checked them about a year ago and there was oil leaking from the site hole , so there was oil in them.

I refilled them both with .35 litre of oil, the right hand side had oil then upto the site hole level, but the left hand side did not.

I didn't want to over fill it till the oil did leak from this site hole. Now I am wondering if the Oil I was putting in was pouring past the seal. Surely it wouldn't that quickly. Or sould I have kept going till the oil came out of the site hole. ( the manaul does only say cap is .35 litre)

I fear that the oil my have leaked internally past the seals.

If the seals need replacing, is it a difficult job?

I am going to check my axle breather in case it was pressure build up.

[daddylonglegs]

Rover swivel housings do not have their own breather vents, so when pressure builds up in them oil is usually forced either into the diff housing or out the chrome ball seal or hub seal. you can drill and tap the swivel housing filler plug and install a fitting for extended breather tube or periodically check and refill the swivels. drain off excess oil from diff housing while your at it. the chrome ball seals are not particularly difficult to replace but depending on how you go about it can lead to brake master cylinder problems if you disconnect brake hoses etc. To avoid problems unbolt brake caliper without disconnecting hoses or pipes and tie to chassis. remove 5 bolts holding swivel ball to axle housing. disconnect steering rods, pull somplete swivel and hub/axle shaft assembly away from axle housing, remove the 6 small bolts holding ball seal retaining plate to swivel housing, prise away ball seal and fit new seal and reassemble. If it were my vehicle I would remove and discard the seal that separates the axle housing oil from the swivel housing oil to let the assembly breathe
bill.

[red90]

What is happening is the seal between the axle and swivel is leaking. As you try to fill to the swivel level plug it leaks into the axle as the swivel level plugs are higher than the axles plugs. This is fine.

If you want to replace the big seals do exactly as Bill describes and remove the swivel/axle seals at the same time.

[Rovernaut]

Thanks guys, I did have another look undr there and removing the whole assembly looked like the best option.