This should be an easy question for those of you who have replaced the driveshaft bearing on the chaincase side. My bearing turned to shrapnel on a recent ride after 8,100 miles on my 99 SRX 700. Luckily, I heard it, and was about fifty feet away from my trailer so I could still load it without doing serious damage. Since I had nothing to photograph other than an outside bearing trace still in the chaincase, I am going by the repair manual and my experience with replacing the top bearing in the chaincase. My question is there seems to be a gap between the collar and rubber seal which seems strange. It is nowhere near as tight as the top bearing collar and how nicely it fits through the rubber oil seal. Everything follows the manual from the chain side and are brand new Yamaha parts...Circlip, Bearing, Collar, rubber O ring in the collar, and rubber oil seal on the outside (clutch side). Is it normal for this Gap to exist since it seems as though the outside rubber seal would not prevent snow and dirt from entering the chaincase. See picture.
