Help with Axle Seals

**djdevon3** · 1-2-13, 18:02

I need the help of an I4 Manual owner here. I'm doing an ATX to MTX swap using an MX-6 transmission. My problem is that I believe that my local dealership parts department is wrong about the MX-6 not having axle seal caps.

I have a post in my 100+ page build topic with pictures of this issue Mazda626.net. Anyone mind going out and taking a look at their I4 MTX axle seals for me? See if you can spot the telltale circular dots on the cap or if it's just a seal.

natev8 · 1-2-13, 22:14

If the seal they gave you fits snugly on the axle and has to be driven into the tranny with force it's the correct seal. Often times things like the seals are superseded by a new part that is an "improvement" over the old part number. Sometimes this improvement is just a cheaper to manufacture part. Also if the numbers on the National seal are still legible you can go to an Advance or Autozone and they can cross reference the number. Advance would be my pick they seem to do a whole lot more business with National than any other aftermarket parts chain.

**PaulG** · 1-3-13, 5:51

What's the purpose of the cap?

The v6 seals look like the seals they gave you (no cap).

**djdevon3** · 1-3-13, 9:06

I believe the cap is just to prevent dust and dirt from finding their way into the bearing behind the seal. Here's a post about my thoughts when I first got the seals/caps. Includes pictures of one installed on the ATX tranny. You can't tell just from looking but the axle hole is about 4mm larger on the ATX tranny (allowing the cap to be installed).

Here's the pic where you can see the silver rim around the MTX seal. That is what is making me think there should be a cap there, it's fresh silver, looks like a cap used to be there.

natev8 · 1-3-13, 9:14

I think the only purpose of the cap is to prevent damage during axle installation. If dust and dirt makes its way around that seal then tranny fluid/axle grease will make its way around your seal also, lol. You could get the same seal from a handful of manufacturers and one may have the cap and another one won't.

**PaulG** · 1-3-13, 10:25

Is the silver rim around the seal only on one side (passenger side)?

**djdevon3** · 1-3-13, 23:35

No it's on both sides. Oh and not sure if you can see in the pics but the sides of the cap is red. I can't say for sure but it makes me think the whole thing is covered in red loctite. Looks and feels the same as the factory loctite on the factory flywheel bolts.

After closer inspection on the MX-6 axles I picked up at a junkyard there is a silver lip on them as well right where they mate to the axle seal. Silver on silver.

MonoxideChild said he knows there are no caps on the manual transmission, all the way back to the F2 and FS it's just the seal, no cap. So we're good. Between MonoxideChild and PaulG... that's good enough for me.
Thank you gentlemen.

**PaulG** · 1-4-13, 5:31

No problem...that pic of the mtx tranny shows a lot of sand/grit on the seal and even into the tranny. Try to clean up as much of that as you can before you install it bro.

**djdevon3** · 1-6-13, 12:47

Yeah I definitely plan on cleaning it up but there's nothing I can do about the grit in the axle bearing unless I want to replace them. Don't think I need to explain how much of a major task that would be.

Here's a video (part of the swap series) which details the axle seal differences among other things. Just to reiterate this is a 95 626 2.0L engine with a 94 MX-6 transmission.

You Tube

Mazda 626 - ATX to MTX Transmission Swap Part 6 - YouTube

Thanks for your help MonoxideChild and PaulG. Without your guidance these 2 episodes would have taken me a lot more time to complete.