Technical Cinquecento cv boot gearbox oil leak

[loucifer]

Both boots and bearings were changed because left one was leaking and right boot was worn and in bad shape. After 1500 kilometres they both started leaking. Could it be bad replacement, bad or wrong parts or is there something else that causes new boots or bearings to leak? Car is cinquecento 899 1993 probably with the original gearbox.

 

[David C]

Looks like the boot clip nearest the gearbox isn't tight.

When I did mine they'd provided the wrong size clip, so I used a big Jubilee clip instead.
On the 899 the boots remain stationary, so the Jubilee clip was fine.

I only replaced the boot, not the bearing.

 

[Ralf S.]

Driveshaft oil seals leaking...? That doesn't look like CV joint grease so it could be gear oil... although some Fiat inner-CV applications do use NLG0 weight grease, which is very thin and almost oil-like.

What does it smell of?


Ralf S.

 

[loucifer]

Driveshaft oil seals leaking...? That doesn't look like CV joint grease so it could be gear oil... although some Fiat inner-CV applications do use NLG0 weight grease, which is very thin and almost oil-like.

What does it smell of?


Ralf S.

There might have been a wrong use of the CV abbreviation in the title from my side. It is indeed gearbox oil.

 

[David C]

Driveshaft oil seals leaking...? That doesn't look like CV joint grease so it could be gear oil... although some Fiat inner-CV applications do use NLG0 weight grease, which is very thin and almost oil-like.

What does it smell of?


Ralf S.

899 inner joints are lubricated by the gearbox oil.
No grease in there.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The old (mk1) Panda we had had inner boots like those. The boot does not rotate with the driveshaft and there's a seal/bearing in the small end which allows the shaft to rotate - the tripod joint inside is lubricated by gearbox oil - no grease. I found ours leaked slightly from these outer bearing seals. It wasn't bad so I just lived with it. However your leaks look quite copious from the N/S one in particular and there's so much oil around you really need to be certain from where it's coming. The N/S may well be the clamp as crimp type clamps can be difficult to compress enough to compress the rubber of the boot sufficiently to get a good seal. The other one doesn't have a clamp though does it? and relies on the inner end of the boot being retained by the bolt on bracket compressing the rubber - maybe it's incorrectly fitted to the bracket?

I think you should buy a can of brake or carb cleaner and give the whole area a really good clean down then drive the car for a couple of miles and see if you can get an idea where the origin of the leak is. Better to only go a short distance at first and if no leak is seen then drive a little further until you can see where the leak is coming from. How's it looking further up on the gearbox? could there be a leak from the top, maybe gearchange linkage or cam cover leaking down the back of the engine? as well as the driveshafts. Oil leaks can be very difficult to pinpoint and you can easily waste a lot of time "fixing" an oil leak which isn't the primary source.

 

[loucifer]

For 1500 kilometres since replaced, there were no leaks. And when it started again, the oil dripped from the same place as before. The mechanic that replaced them, is sure the leak is coming from the bearing as he has put jubilee clips on the boot but there has been no improvement. I am waiting for the parts supplier to accept the parts to be replaced unter warranty and maybe put something of a better quality.

 

[loucifer]

Also this thread is hopefully my answer.
gearbox oil leak

 

[loucifer]

Finally got some Impergom boot and bearing set (in case the quality of the original parts was at fault) and had them changed, free of charge, yesterday. It has stopped leaking but I don't know how long this will last. If I don't write here again, it means that the problem is solved.