Rear main bearing oil seal

[AustinWood]

I had oil leaking from the lip seal profusely. However the flywheel boss was well worn. Felt seals make a very good lap.
It was far from parallel. My local engineering company turned it true and I fitted a speedi sleeve.
With a new lip seal it's been OK ever since. I checked that the oil seal fitted the boss correctly. It was a nice firm fit.
There's very little clearance in the area of the seal and getting it the correct distance into the cover plate is tricky.
I left the cover plate slightly loose then trial fitted the flywheel so that it could find it's centre and also to check that the seal was running on the sleeve.
I only have the original oil breather holes in the tappet cover.

[John P]

I know this has been suggested but I believe some of the seal housings don't have the required groove to allow oil to drain back into the sump and the suppliers assume you will file this in yourself.

I bought mine from "Austin7Ulster" and it had the required groove already machined although only at one position which obviously needs to be at the bottom.

My engine had always leaked from the original scroll type seal and the modern lip seal together with a speedi sleeve on the flywheel boss virtually eliminated any leakage.

John.

[Dave Mann]

Temporary solution     

[Dave Mann]

The temporary solution reveals that not a vast amount of oil is leaking about desert spoon full over 60 miles.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Dave

I have less than that coming from the seal on my van but somehow it gets on the flywheel and coats the starter pinion with oil.

Cheers

Howard

[Alan]

My Ulster has had that same temporary fix for about 30 years, Dave. I first fitted it as an emergency to pass scruitineering sometime in the late 80s. Despite many engine rebuilds and the fact that it never has any oil in it, it seems temping providence to take it off.

[Terrytuned]

I use the Viton metric seal 48x72x10 as I found the nitrile seal hardens and doesn't like high revs, I use the scroll type cover and machine for the metric seal. A7 components have a seal plate for the metric seal and stock the Viton seal, use the repair sleeve if any doubt about flywheel boss surface. Terry.

[AustinWood]

The early crankcases don't have the drain hole from the rear main housing back to the sump. I think it appeared with the 1-5/16" crank. This needs to be drilled with care to avoid the oil gallery along the back of the crankcase.

[Dave Mann]

I dismantled it today and checked the flywheel boss diameter which is 1.875"      . The seal is concentric with the shaft, the only thing I could find was the seal tended to cover part of the drain slot which I have remedied      and the drain hole is clear.

[Reckless Rat]

I hope you've managed to sort it, Dave. I would be well cheesed off if I had just rebuilt an engine to then find a leak like this. Having to take it all apart again must have been a bougre (french)