MK2 Fiesta drive shaft flange seal help

I'll have ago anyone else feel free to correct me, it's been a while since I worked on one of these.


1. Jack it up so both front wheels are off the ground and hanging at full suspension droop.
2. Securely support on axle stands.
3. Locate and make sure you can undo the gearbox oil filler plug.
4. Remove wheel
5. you need to disconnect the suspension to allow the shaft to pull out, the easiest way on one of these without damaging something is probably to undo the 2 bolts holding the lower ball joint to the suspension control arm.
6. place a drain tray under the gearbox, when the shaft comes out all the foul smelling oil will follow.
7. Lever the shaft out of the gearbox, it should just pop out usually I use a crow bar behind the joint levered against a solid part of the diff housing.
8. Once the oil has drained out lever the seal out
9. Tap a new seal in.
10. lube seal with oil and push the shaft in (should go in easier than it came out make sure it is snapped in)
11. Re-assemble the lower ball joint, use new lock nuts or loctite.
12. re-fill gearbox.
13. re-fit wheel and lower vehicle.

The only part which can be a challenge is getting the joint out, but you really have no option but to get stuck in and see how it goes.

Honestly best thing to do is buy a proper old skool Haynes manual. It will have all that info and they are ten a penny for cars that age.

As kevins said, the tricky part is getting the shaft out of the gearbox.
Your Haynes manual will say something along the lines of 'remove drive shaft from gearbox'
In my case this became 'beat repeatedly whilst trying not to crack gearbox casing with large pry par and largest persuader, whilst swearing repeatedly and occasionally hitting parts of anatomy causing leaks from mechanic!'
Once that bits out of the way it's not a difficult job _ honest!
Gearbox oil should be ep80/90, and from memory the filler is on the front of the box on the left-hand side, from the drivers seat.
Top tip - make sure the filler plug will come undone BEFORE you drain the gearbox oil, ask me how I know that one 🙁

Not familiar with Fiesta, but we took the engine and box out of a Corsa yesterday.

The long shaft tugged out fairly easily, but the short (passenger side) shaft wouldn’t come out, we tried tugging, prying etc, but it was going to damage something. In the end I tugged it whilst someone tapped the joint with a hammer a few times and it popped out.
There is normally a circlip that holds it in, and you need to overcome that for it to pull out (so at the very least it needs a good yank)





Also, at the worst you can often fill through the reverse light switch hole.

HTH, good luck

MK2, so guessing it's a 5speed?
Not 100% sure, my experience is mainly 4 speed, I'll see if I can find out from a mate
Otherwise someone who knows better than me will be along soon.

according to a post on an old xr2 thread I think they refer to the yellow one being used for drainage and the blue as a filler?

Start with a good bay/ underside clean and see what develops? Keep an eye on brake fluid levels, no brakes is no fun