My apologies for answering so late, but I just joined the group. I changed the left seal on my B1700 a year or two ago and it was fairly difficult, mostly having to do with getting the old seal totally out (the inner seal sleeve is pressed on and tends to stay on the shaft; it must be removed or the new seal installation will fail). I posted my activity on some forum but I don't remember where. But after replacing the seal, I remembered that when I had removed the oil filler/dipstick on top of the axle a bunch of trapped air had escaped, like it was under pressure, and later realized that this may have been the reason for the leak. So I drilled a pair of tiny holes in the dipstick, one up the middle from the bottom, not through, and one on the outside at an up angle intersecting the other so water would not enter the axle when washing. DaveD
