Replacing the gearbox seal on a VAZ-2110: when does it need to be replaced?

Even taking into account the fact that the gearbox, unlike the engine, does not have high loads and heat, and the oil is not supplied under high pressure (with the exception of hydromechanical automatic transmissions), the gearbox in some cases can still leak. In this case, oil leakage from the gearbox is a serious malfunction, since a decrease in the gearbox oil level will lead to accelerated wear and/or critical breakdown of the gearbox.

As a rule, owners of cars with a manual transmission, as well as with an automatic transmission, a variator or a robot, face a problem when gearbox oil leaks. If we consider a manual transmission, which is very common in the CIS, gearbox oil leaks often occur due to leaking gearbox seals. Next, we will look at how to change the oil seal on the box yourself.

Two ways to replace the gearbox seal on a VAZ-2110

It is easier to change the oil seal with the gearbox removed.

Replacing an element that has become unusable can be done in two ways.

The first of them is very labor-intensive , since it will be necessary to remove the gearbox. But replacing the oil seal will be much easier.
The second method seems less time-consuming and labor-intensive , but in practice it is very difficult to carry out this procedure. Only experienced motorists who have repeatedly had to repair their cars can replace the oil seal directly on the car without removing the gearbox.

Troubleshooting

Experienced car owners know the visual reasons why they can determine the failure of the rocker seal. Naturally, for such reasons it is impossible to accurately determine the cause of the leak, but this gives a signal to carry out diagnostics, in which the cause of the oil leak can be accurately identified.

The most important sign is oil stains under the car, especially in the gearbox area.

An oily rubber boot indicates a malfunction of the rocker seal.

But these spots do not always indicate oil seal failure. It happens that this is due to the oil filter, which sometimes does not tighten properly. In any case, the driver is obliged to monitor for any oil leaks in the checkpoint area . To do this, you need to monitor the oil level. This is the only way to save the box from damage, which will certainly happen if it operates with a minimum amount of oil.

Another way that indicates the oil seal is worn out is a characteristic crunch that is heard when changing gears . But only an experienced VAZ-2110 owner can diagnose this crunch. In any case, if you hear unusual sounds when shifting into gear, it is better to diagnose the gearbox.

Set of tools required for replacement

A minimum set of tools for replacing the oil seal without removing the gearbox.

In order for the replacement of a part to take place without problems, you need to prepare the place and the necessary set of tools in advance. You will need:

A set of keys and sockets, and for 13 you need two keys and there must be a key for 10. There must also be a socket head for 22.
A chisel or screwdriver will be needed to knock out the oil seal.
The hammer is small so you can get under it.
Silicone sealant.
Awl and hook.

Additional accessories

A regular self-tapping screw will allow you to do without a special puller.

For those who decide to replace the gearbox seal without removing it from the car, you will need additional equipment:

Several long screws.
A piece of pipe for pressing in a new oil seal.

It should be noted that the replacement process without removing the gearbox is much more complicated. In addition, there is a possibility of damaging the part being replaced during pressing.

Signs of a leak through the gearbox seals: what to look for

The main sign that indicates problems is considered to be transmission oil stains after the car has been parked for several hours. At the same time, it is important to make sure that it is the gearbox that is leaking, since there may be engine oil leaks (for example, the oil filter is not secured properly).

Let's move on. If it is definitely established that oil is leaking from the gearbox, you need to stop using the car, start diagnosing and solving the problem in a timely manner. If the malfunction is ignored, the oil level will decrease, which will lead to gearbox wear and transmission breakdowns.

Also, the leak can intensify at any time, as a result of which the box may break unexpectedly. However, in this case, simply replacing the oil seals cannot solve the problem. In other words, the box itself will require removal, troubleshooting and comprehensive repairs. Naturally, the costs of such repairs will be high compared to the costs of replacing only the seals.

Let us also add that in order to avoid such problems, regardless of the condition of the gearbox, you should periodically check the oil level in the gearbox, as well as assess its condition and replace the oil in the gearbox if necessary.

At the same time, you need to pay attention to the appearance of crunching, grinding, and noise when the box is operating. If noises and other signs appear, gears are difficult to engage or do not engage at all, then transmission diagnostics is needed.

What parts to choose for replacement

It is better to immediately change the boot along with the oil seal.

Before you begin repair work, you need to purchase the necessary parts for replacement.

As for the oil seal, Balakovo products are very popular. You need an oil seal with article number 2110–1701043 and 21100-1701043-00 .

Manufacturers offer two options for oil seals - simple and reinforced.

In addition, it is recommended to immediately purchase a cardan boot, as there is a high probability that it is also worn out. Even if this is not the case, it may break during the repair process. Therefore, it is better to spend a small amount on anther than to bother with disassembly again.

Recently, reinforced oil seals have appeared on sale, which are called that way. If you believe the assurances of sellers, their service life is significantly higher than that of standard products.

What is a gear selector rod and why is it needed?

Older cars had a classic layout, with the rear wheels driving and the gearbox located under the car's interior. The gearshift knob was brought into the cabin and made it possible to control the transmission directly. In front-wheel drive cars, there is an urgent need for a special mechanism that would allow control of the gearbox located under the hood, while sitting in the car's interior. This device is called the gear selector rod, or, as drivers are accustomed to calling it, the rocker.

This part is inserted into the gearbox and connected to the gear shift handle mechanism. Using special levers, the gearbox handle acts on the rod and changes its position, which leads to a gear change.

The rod is connected to the gearbox through an oil seal, since there is oil inside the box that is under constant pressure. To prevent pressure from squeezing the oil out, a system of seals is provided in all parts of the gearbox connecting to external mechanisms.

The oil seal is a round rubber product, inside of which there is a hole for the rod. The material used may vary. It all depends on the make and model of the car, although many manufacturers make oil seals of the same size but from different materials. They all differ in their properties, but they have the same function - to prevent oil leakage from the car transmission by increasing the tightness of the moving parts of the unit.

Diagnosis of the problem

So:

Signs indicating the need to replace the gearbox seal are, first of all, oil traces left on the asphalt after the car has been parked.
Before changing the oil seal, you should first make sure that this is the problem.
Because oil leakage is often caused by a poorly screwed oil filter.
Failure to identify an oil leak problem in a timely manner can have serious consequences.
If you do not detect an oil leak from the gearbox in a timely manner, it will leak out completely, and then instead of the oil seal, the price of which is 50-100 rubles, you will have to repair the gearbox (see Repairing the VAZ 2109 gearbox - we do it right), and the price will increase significantly.
To prevent this, it is necessary to periodically check the oil level in the engine and gearbox.
Insufficient oil level in the gearbox can be manifested by a characteristic crunching sound that occurs when changing gears.

Replacing the gearbox rod seal of a VAZ 2109

You will need:

An awl like a crochet hook or something similar.
Keys for 10 and 13.
The awl is ordinary.
Plastic cork from a mineral water bottle.

Replacement is carried out on an inspection pit or a lift. If there is nothing else, you can use a cheap alternative in the form of two spare tires laid flat. We take two stronger boards and drive onto this improvised elevation. Naturally, the work will have to be done lying down.

Attention: After driving onto a pit or overpass for repairs, secure the car for your own safety using the handbrake and additional wheel chocks.

Replacing the oil seal in a VAZ 2109 gearbox is carried out in the following sequence:

We get to the rod that changes gears; it is covered on top with a rubber boot.
If it leaks oil, then it is very easy to find it by looking at the oil stain (see photo below).

Gear shift rod

We bend the wide part of this boot to get to the cardan located underneath it, which is attached to the rod.
To gain access to the oil seal, it is necessary to disconnect the cardan from the shift lever and from the rod.
For this we use the key 13.
We unscrew the nut completely, this will help loosen the connection of the lever with the cardan.
We take the lever out of the cardan, thus engaging 1st or 3rd gear.
We use a 10mm wrench to disconnect the cardan from the rod; to do this, we move the lever to the side.
We dismantle the cardan.

Disconnect the cardan from the rod

Next, we remove the rubber boot, now we see the reason for the repair - it is the gearbox rod oil seal.
It is located in a special recess - this is the place where the rod enters the box.
Removing this oil seal without using a special tool is impossible, so we take a special awl and get to work.
You can use a self-tapping screw as an option, the principle is very simple - you need to screw the self-tapping screw into the oil seal and “uncork” it like a corkscrew.
When you have removed the old one, you can start replacing it.
It is first necessary to thoroughly clean the seat from sand, oil, and other contaminants.
Now you can press the new oil seal into the seat.

Replacing the VAZ 2109 gearbox seal is easier using a plastic bottle cap:

This is done this way: cut out the inside of the plug and install a new oil seal through it.
You can do without a traffic jam, this is a matter for the owner.
We assemble the lever in the reverse order of disassembly.

Note:

When the oil seal was replaced or any work was done related to fastening the gearshift lever and cardan, the rocker located in the car interior shifted greatly, which makes it impossible, in some cases, to change gears.
Here the whole problem is hidden in the 13 screw, which connects the cardan itself and the lever that switches the speeds.
Not everyone knows that it (screw 13) is not only fastening, but also adjusting.
Therefore, upon completion of the work, be sure to check what position your lever is in and adjust its position, if necessary.
Only now can you safely collect your tools and wash your hands.
After assembly, be sure to check the oil level; if the level is low, you need to top it up, after which we can check the operation.
Drive a couple of laps and make sure that the oil is not leaking anywhere else.
That's all, I hope our instructions were useful to you. As you yourself have seen, replacing this oil seal is not difficult, and there is no point in overpaying for service stations.

Replacing CV joint seals

So:

To replace the seals of the internal CV joints (constant velocity joints), be sure to drain the oil from the gearbox.
Note: Replacement of CV joint oil seals is carried out without removing the gearbox from the car for VAZ 2109.
To carry out the replacement, it is necessary to disconnect the front wheel drives from the box.
To do this: remove the protective cap and unlock the hub nut.
Loosen the bolts securing the wheels and the hub nut.
The hub nut itself is clamped with great force, so we recommend using a piece of tube as a lever.

Warning: When unscrewing the hub nuts, the machine must be on the ground! We loosen and tighten the bolts that secure the wheels only on the car standing on the ground. The tightening torque for bolts is 65-95 Nm (which corresponds to 6.5-9.5 kgf-m).

Let's continue:

We brake the VAZ 2109 car with the parking brake, install thrust bars (shoes) under both rear wheels of the car and lift the front part, installing reliable supports.
Remove the front wheel from the car.
Then unscrew it completely and remove the hub nut.
Using a screwdriver, remove the thrust washer.
We take out the cotter pin that secures the nut securing the ball joint of the rod to the lever.

We take out the cotter pin of the nut securing the steering rod joint to the lever

Unscrew the nut securing the steering rod ball joint.
Use a special puller to press the ball joint pin of this steering rod out of the strut arm..
We unscrew the two bolts and disconnect the hinge of our front suspension arm from the steering knuckle.

Removing the suspension arm joint

Pull the steering knuckle to the side along with the strut and remove the outer joint shank from the hub.

We move the fist with the stand to the side and remove the hinge shank from the hub

Using a pry bar, press the shank of the inner CV joint out of the gearbox.

Press out the shank with a pry bar

Note: If you remove both drives, then after removing one, insert a technological plug (or an old CV joint) in its place in the gearbox and only then remove the second one. Otherwise, the differential gears will definitely move, and you will not be able to insert the CV joint into place during assembly.

Remove the front wheel shaft.
Using a screwdriver, remove the joint seal from the gearbox housing.

Remove the oil seal from the housing

Then we press in the new one using a mandrel of a suitable diameter until it stops, the working edge looking inside the gearbox.

Press the new one into place using a mandrel of suitable diameter

At this point, the replacement of the VAZ 2109 gearbox seals (CV joint seals) is completed; install the CV joints in the reverse order of removal. As you can see, performing this procedure with your own hands is not so difficult.

Important nuances

Sometimes, after connecting the gearshift lever to the cardan, the rocker (the one in the cabin) can move greatly, after which changing some gears will simply become impossible. The reason for this is the bolt at “13”, which connects the fastenings of the cardan and the gearbox lever. The thing is that this bolt is also an adjustment bolt, so before collecting all the tools and announcing the completion of the work, loosen it and, by manipulating the gear shift lever, adjust the handle travel “to suit you.” For example, you can make it so that 5th gear will be closer, that is, you won’t need to reach far for it.

Now that everything is assembled, all that remains is to add oil to the box and check the operation in motion. That's all for me, I hope everything is clear to you, try it and you will succeed, replacing a gearbox oil seal is no more difficult than replacing a wheel or cabin filter.

Self-diagnosis.

Signs indicating the need to replace the gearbox seal are most often oil traces that remain on the asphalt after the car has been parked for a long time. Before replacing the gearbox seal, you should make sure that this is the problem, since oil leaks are often caused by a poorly tightened oil filter. The danger of untimely detection of a problem associated with the oil seal and oil leakage is fraught with serious problems; if the oil leaves the box, and you do not detect this in time, then instead of replacing the box seal, you will have to change the box. To prevent this, it is necessary to regularly check the oil and constantly monitor its level both in the gearbox and in the engine. A faulty oil seal can make itself known by a characteristic crunch that occurs when switching certain speeds.

How to change the rod seal - Video instructions

Make a mark of the position of the rod and cardan so that after assembling the parts you do not have to adjust the gear shift. Then use a 13mm wrench to loosen the tie rod clamp.
After this, pull the boot off the cardan. Unscrew the 10mm bolt used to secure the cardan to the gear selector rod. The cardan must be dismantled along with the boot.
Now drain the oil from the gearbox. This is done so that after removing the oil seal, oil does not pour on you. Screw screws of sufficient length directly into the oil seal. After that, grab them and pull them towards you with all your strength. The seal should come out. As soon as it comes off, take a new oil seal and lubricate it with a special sealant.
Let the sealant sit on the part for a while. After this, take a tube of the same diameter and use it to press the new oil seal into the gearbox. Oil can only be refilled after 24 hours, depending on the type of sealant chosen.
Now change the boot on the cardan and install it. Reassemble the parts in the reverse order according to the marks made. After assembly, do not forget to fill the gearbox with oil.

This completes the replacement of the gear selector rod oil seal. The described instructions are suitable for all cars of the Samara and Samara 2 families. As you can see, this is not a complicated operation and is performed in a regular garage. Anyone, even an inexperienced driver, can handle it.

Source

Replacing the VAZ 2108-2109 gearbox seal will require you to have the following tools:

Keys for “10”, “13”;
Awl;
A slotted screwdriver in the shape of a crochet hook or something similar;
Plastic stopper.

The work is carried out on a lift or inspection pit. If you don't have either, a cheap alternative is two spare tires laid flat. Take two stronger boards and drive out onto an impromptu hill.

Attention! When driving into a pit or any other device for repair, take care of your own safety - secure the car using wheel chocks and a handbrake.

Comments from car owners about replacing gearbox seals

Do you need a girl with thin hands to replace the gearbox seal?
Need advice on replacing the seal on a manual transmission...
There is a leak on the left side of the manual transmission, where the three gear shift levers enter into it.
The box is located in a niche, it is difficult to get there... The question is, how to do this? Should I hang the box or ask a girl with thin hands to help?
You need to unscrew the rear gearbox bracket and lower it as low as possible. Then unscrew the lever bolt and carefully remove the lever. There is a rubber ring inserted at the very edge of the box opening. Take it out, pick up another one, for example, I have from a universal set, insert it into the groove. Carefully insert the lever into the same position, in advance with the bolt, to catch the threads of the clutch fork inside the gearbox.
The driveshaft does not need to be unscrewed; at most, the outboard shaft can be removed. The muffler will need to be disconnected, most likely. Here you need to look at availability. Great if there is a lot of space.
Replacing box seals with your own hands
Everything... changed...)) Regarding unscrewing the outboard - it depends on the specific car, it’s different for everyone. I had to twist it. I changed it in the garage in a pit. Unscrewed 6 bolts and nuts of the elastic coupling. I unscrewed the 4 bolts securing the silencer, removed the fastenings from 4 rubber bands (and for some reason my silencer consists of only 2 parts). It was not very convenient to remove the silencer. It is better to first remove one fastening in the middle, then both fastenings of the rear can, supporting the can with a jack, and then the last fastening in the middle of the car. After this, 6 bolts for fastening the thermal protection, using the same wrench, 2 bolts for the outboard bearing. I pulled the cardan aside and it came out of the tail of the box.
Next, the wrench is 30, but you need a very deep socket, because a long rod sticks out of the nut. The standard one didn't fit. Or move the carob. The secondary shaft flange is jammed with a large bolt. I drained the oil by unscrewing the drain plug from the bottom with a 17 hexagon socket (for some reason, 17, although the manual says 19. I first bought it with a 19, then I had to go change it). The filler on the side is also 17. I unscrewed the nut, pulled off the secondary shaft flange, and there was the oil seal. The seal had to be torn out; it was a bit tight. The new one also had to be hammered in, but lightly and through a piece of wood. The whole procedure with analysis takes about 2 hours, but this takes into account the fact that 50% of the time it took me personally to unscrew the 4 bolts of the silencer at the junction of the knees. As a result, I had to saw the bolts. Therefore, if there is no particular need to film the second half, it’s better not to!! )))) All nuts and bolts are quite accessible and can be unscrewed normally. Along the way, I discovered two holes in the silencer and removed the gear shift rod joint, since there was excellent access. Now I'm looking for how to eliminate the play in the hinge.
Do I need to remove the box when replacing seals?
It is not necessary to remove the box to replace the seals. You need to remove the drives, pull them out, pry the seal with a screwdriver and pull it out, then clean the hole. Then take the sealant, lubricate the new element and carefully press it into the hole (tapping it slowly with something).
I don’t know about you, but, for example, on a figure eight, the oil seals of the right and left drives differ in the direction of the oil drain notches: on the right, the arrow points clockwise, on the left, counterclockwise.
Which box seal should I take?
You only need to install the original element. The non-original one lasted me a week.
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A key for replacing the gearbox seal.
It depends on which seal: rear or front. If it is rear, then a wrench is not needed, since the nut is splined. A light chipper (you can use a flat screwdriver instead) to pry out the deformed part (driven into the slots), and then a flat screwdriver to turn the nut and unscrew the shank. In this case, it is advisable to change the spline nut as well. If you need to change the front element, then under the clutch housing, it seems, there should be a 17th socket wrench... 8 bolts, if I counted correctly.