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I ended up with a leak from the front output shaft seal after doing my "re-gear" mod, the final shaft that runs through the engine moved back and rolled/damaged the seal. Turns out it's pretty easy to change.
Start by pulling seat & covers like you would for an oil change, you have to drain the oil anyway. See Honda Pioneer 500 Oil Change Guide for pulling covers, draining oil, etc. I'll pick up from there......
I pulled the center skid plate but in hindsight it wasn't necessary other than to clean it.
Replacement part#
OK, gather up some tools, you'll need a
You'll need to pull the front diff forward to remove the propeller shaft, this can be accomplished by pulling the top diff bolt/nut. Use 17mm wrench & 17mm socket/ratchet, no extension needed here.
Now pull the 2 bolts on the bracket holding the diff to the frame at the front, 14mm socket, 6" extension & ratchet. You can reach these without pulling the front bumper.
Now the diff can be pulled forward until the driveshaft is off the mainshaft. Note, I did not need to disconnect the 4WD cable or indicator switch wire. There is enough slack.
Now is a good time to clean up the area with some rags/brake clean. If you look close you can see that the O-ring for the front driveshaft is missing. When the shaft moved back during the gear mod it rolled inside of the seal and damaged the seal in the process. You'll want to take it off before pulling the seal.
Time to remove the seal, take the long skinny screw driver, stick it between the seal & shaft and pop it out.
Clean the shaft & seal "pocket", apply some grease to the shaft and GENTLY slide the new seal on the shaft past the splines & O-ring groove, I find that rotating the seal back & forth minimizes the chance you'll damage the new seal. Once it's in the pocket you can push it in with your fingers, a 1/4" extension is just the right size to fit in between the shaft & case plus it has nice rounded edges so you won't damage the seal. Working your way around the shaft use a small hammer (or brass) and lightly tap the seal until it's seated.
Re-install your drive shaft O-ring
Now you can reverse procedure, get the drive shaft started on the output shaft, at this point it helps to have a friend but it can be done by yourself.
Go back to the front and push the diff back in place. Start the 2 14mm bolts in the front then lift the back to line up the top bolt. Tighten everything up and your done, have a beer & celebrate.....just don't forget to finish your oil change.
Start by pulling seat & covers like you would for an oil change, you have to drain the oil anyway. See Honda Pioneer 500 Oil Change Guide for pulling covers, draining oil, etc. I'll pick up from there......
I pulled the center skid plate but in hindsight it wasn't necessary other than to clean it.
Replacement part#
- Honda oil seal, 91202-HR0-F01
OK, gather up some tools, you'll need a
- 17mm combination wrench
- 17mm 3/8" drive socket
- 14mm 3/8" drive socket
- 3/8" 6" extension
- 3/8" ratchet
- Long skinny screw driver
- 6" 1/4" extension
- Small hammer (I used a small piece of brass)
- Several Miller Lites (Optional)
You'll need to pull the front diff forward to remove the propeller shaft, this can be accomplished by pulling the top diff bolt/nut. Use 17mm wrench & 17mm socket/ratchet, no extension needed here.
Now pull the 2 bolts on the bracket holding the diff to the frame at the front, 14mm socket, 6" extension & ratchet. You can reach these without pulling the front bumper.
Now the diff can be pulled forward until the driveshaft is off the mainshaft. Note, I did not need to disconnect the 4WD cable or indicator switch wire. There is enough slack.
Now is a good time to clean up the area with some rags/brake clean. If you look close you can see that the O-ring for the front driveshaft is missing. When the shaft moved back during the gear mod it rolled inside of the seal and damaged the seal in the process. You'll want to take it off before pulling the seal.
Time to remove the seal, take the long skinny screw driver, stick it between the seal & shaft and pop it out.
Clean the shaft & seal "pocket", apply some grease to the shaft and GENTLY slide the new seal on the shaft past the splines & O-ring groove, I find that rotating the seal back & forth minimizes the chance you'll damage the new seal. Once it's in the pocket you can push it in with your fingers, a 1/4" extension is just the right size to fit in between the shaft & case plus it has nice rounded edges so you won't damage the seal. Working your way around the shaft use a small hammer (or brass) and lightly tap the seal until it's seated.
Re-install your drive shaft O-ring
Now you can reverse procedure, get the drive shaft started on the output shaft, at this point it helps to have a friend but it can be done by yourself.
Go back to the front and push the diff back in place. Start the 2 14mm bolts in the front then lift the back to line up the top bolt. Tighten everything up and your done, have a beer & celebrate.....just don't forget to finish your oil change.
