EVERY TIME I TAKE MY 2003 D2 TO THE DEALER THEY FIND SOMETHING.
THIS TIME A LEAKING FRONT PINION SEAL THEY WANT TO FIX FOR $350.
IMPORTANT? 83K

 

It will eventually need to be changed. If it's just a tiny bit moist around the seal, you could hold off for a while. If it is more than that, would be a good idea to change it. That price seems high for changing a pinion seal, but I haven't done one for a L/R. For most vehicles, it's a 1/2hr or 45 min job. There might be a crush washer that needs to be bought/installed. Go with a Land Rover seal no matter who does the job. OEM is almost always better than aftermarket parts store seals. Good time to put in new Gear lube too.

 

Just keep your level full, check it once a month or so depending on how bad it is leaking. Does it actually leak or is it a seaper?

 

That's like saying OEM tires are better than aftermarket. It depends on the seal you use.

newdr, FWIW I just replaced one of mine for $20 worth of parts, and that included a new locknut on the pinion.

 

Do you still have the original u-joints in your shaft? A vibrating driveshaft can cause your pinion seal to fail, so you may want to get your driveshaft rebuilt when you have it off. A transmission shop would probably replace both of those for you I bet.

 

It's not the same argument at all. Seals are almost always proprietary, tires are not. If you compare thetypical CR and other typical parts store brand aftermarket sealsagainsttheOEM seals be itGM, Toyota, Nissan, Land Rover and other makes, there is typically nocomparison of quality.I say "typically" becausethere are times where aftermarket companies source sealsdirectly from themfgr or mfgr supplier.But that is the exception and not the rule ...and ya never know what you'll get until you open thebox.

After problems with leaks, I finally got to the point where Ijust quit buyingaftermarket seals. Generallyit only costsa couple bucks more, if even that, from the dealer, and then ya only havedo the job once.

 

THE U JOINTS ARE ORIG, BUT NO VIBRATION I CAN FEEL.

 

You may not feel it. At your mileage, I would replace the u-joints with greasable ones while you have the shaft off. As far as the seal, if oil is getting out, it seems logical that water can get in too. Not as bad as with the rear seal which gets a lot of road spray though.

 

Sure, a "Land Rover" pinion seal looks different, but that has nothing to do with quality. There's nothing unique about a Land Rover shaft and bore as opposed to any other make of shaft and bore. If you size a seal properly, buy a design suitable for the application (there are a lot of seal profiles) and install it properly, it won't leak, provided your shaft and bore are in good shape. Proprietary and quality are not the same thing.
I've been using non-OEM seals for over 30 years on Land Rovers with no problems.