Is there some sort of sealant that I can use instead of diff seals in my TLR 22x-4?

[lambdapriest]

I need to rebuild my diffs, and I'm assuming that it's best-practice to put in fresh seals whenever you do that. I bought the car used and this is the first time that I'm doing serious maintenance on it, so I don't know how old they are. My instinct is to replace them. But apparently these things are made out of unobtanium; they're backordered everywhere that I've looked, and they're only available on eBay via a seller that's in Australia.

https://www.horizonhobby.com/product/diff-seal-and-hardware-set-22x-4/TLR232130.html

Can I use some sort of sealant, or perhaps some piece of material that I can cut to size?

 

[bill_delong]

I've never had to replace any diff seals on any brand of car I've ran ever. While it's good practice to inspect the seals for tears and replace if necessary, I believe that is very rare provided you do regular proper maintenance. You never want to run your diffs dry, that will increase the probability of tearing a seal.

I recommend re-using what you've got, being sure to apply fresh grease and order a set of replacement seals to have as spares when they come back in stock. Not uncommon for most brands of cars to re-stock every 6-8 weeks, place items on back order if you can so you'll get everything you need when they come back in stock.

I try to keep enough spares to last me a year in the event my car is discontinued or brand shuts down for extended periods, etc...

 

[Lumikko]

I also keep this kind of spares in my stash but I only replace them as and when necessary. If the seal looks OK it’s totally fine to reuse.

Sometimes you can see a bit of blue come off on the part that was pressed against the seal. I don’t count that as damage.

 

[lambdapriest]

Alright, that's really great to know - thanks, gang. I was under the impression that they were a consumable!

I guess we'll see what it looks like when I get 'em apart

 

[tntpoof]

they have different sealants a Autoparts stores. good ol silicone is my go to when I can find the correct seal anymore but there are others you have to look.

 

[TRAT]

JB Weld I seen some crazy stuff done with that. But really don’t take my advice.

 

[lambdapriest]

they have different sealants a Autoparts stores. good ol silicone is my go to when I can find the correct seal anymore but there are others you have to look.

That's sort of what I was thinking - is there any particular kind, or will virtually any silicone sealant do?

(I'm planning on re-using the old seals - but I'm always on the lookout for useful information to file away somewhere!)

 

[Lumikko]

Using a liquid gasket on such a small area is a complete headache and nightmare in my mind. There might be other problems involved as well besides the size.

If I was in a dead end with no spare seals to be found I’d compare it to diff seals from other brands to see if the diameter and bolt circle diameter would happen to match. As a last resort you could modify such a seal with a knife.

 

[bill_delong]

Using a liquid gasket on such a small area is a complete headache and nightmare in my mind. There might be other problems involved as well besides the size.

If I was in a dead end with no spare seals to be found I’d compare it to diff seals from other brands to see if the diameter and bolt circle diameter would happen to match. As a last resort you could modify such a seal with a knife.

+1

If I was desperate I would cut a custom gasket:
https://www.amazon.com/Fel-Pro-3060-Gasket-Material/dp/B000CNKUGO/

For rubber seals I would measure the stock seal and order what I needed from here:
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/o-rings/

Any "repair" using a liquid based product will more than likely make problems worse

 

[RustyUs]

Got any measurements?

 

[lambdapriest]

I don’t - but when I pull the thing apart (eventually), I’ll post them in here. I might even do a “build thread”, because when I get around to it, I’m going to be rebuilding and refreshing quite a bit of the car.