Jim Warman Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 Has anyone used the special tools for testing the vacuum seal of the hub and the seal in the knuckle? I've used the tools a couple of times but I find that even new seals in the knuckles can give mixed results. Even tried squirting oil into the seal with no change.... BTW... the knuckle seals on the O5s go onto the stub shaft easier but they sure grab onto the knuckle with a vengeance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hutchins Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Havent tried the special tool,mightyvac pump works great if it holds vac. the seal is good.The thing I would like to know is what the heck is that stupid shield on the inside of the seal doin there and how do ya get it off without wrecking it?One of the other techs in the shop did a set of balljoints (what a surprise)on an 05 today needless to say the shields did not make it back on the truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted July 20, 2005 Author Share Posted July 20, 2005 I'll agree, Mike.... I used them a couple of times on problematic usints but all they did was make the problem "muddier". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 I would have to agree with that. The last time i used that tool I thought my forearm was going to split from trying to pull a vacuum on the axle. Even testing the hub takes quite a bit of pumping with the vacuum tool. In my opinion, this is another of those wasteful tools sent out by Ford. I simply don't see many vacuum related failures of this system at all and when I do it's usually a vac. line melted on the exhaust manifold or a defunct vac. pump. If you disagree I have a brand new, "never been used" camshaft position sensor tester I can sell ya! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rotz.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-D Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 I watched the 4x4 esof course on fordstar a month or two ago and they demonstrated all of those tests. They also showed using the emissions smoke machine which i have tried and it works really good for finding leaks in the vac system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted February 5, 2006 Author Share Posted February 5, 2006 Jay-D... you need to temper some of what you see in the demos - Lord only knows how many "takes" until they get the film the way they want it. The smoke machine is really good for vacuum leaks.... but we need to remember that we must recreate the problem conditions. I've seen a lot of guys get burned on the 4.0 intake gasket problem simply because they tried smoking the intake when the motor was warm. The vacuum hub tools are useless.... if I have a concern with a PVH equipped truck not holding vacuum at a knuckle, it's getting a spindle service.... both sides. Install a new seal in the knuckle and vacuum test it using the tool kit... more often than not, your new seal will fail due to axle alignment issues. Ford has a lot of special tools that make life easier... they have tools that don't work any better than stuff we don't need to go to the tool crib for... and they have some real stinkers.... tools that will lead you astray, tools that don't do anything that you can't figure out (the 7.3 CMP sensor tester.... why would I try this when all I need is to crank the engine to see if the tachometer "tickles" - 99% of the time it's going to be the sensor). Don't get me wrong... if I was paid straight time, I'd do every test I could think of and have most of our tool crib scattered around my bay. But it would be nice if Ford would put as much effort into correcting errors in documentation as they do into designing tools that don't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torqued_Up Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 I gotta tell you guys I'm seeing a lot of 4x4 problems caused by those inner seals this year. Not new models but ones with some miles. I like using the smoke machine but i found that sometimes you need to have sombody move the wheels full left and right to find a leak while you watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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