01-12-2019, 03:48 AM
Steve, you don't say what year your engine is? As far as I'm aware engines up to 1930 had a washer behind the rear bearing then a felt seal before the flywheel. I've never worked on a pre-1930 engine but I imagined the washer was flat. There is no seal other than the felt. Later engines replaced this arrangement with a dished washer (oil thrower) between rear bearing and flywheel, dispensing with the other parts. Again there is no seal. A spring washer here has possibly been added by a previous owner to inhibit the rear main bearing from spinning on the shaft (which it won't if it's loose). Most people do the flywheel nut up VERY tight, so the flywheel is forced up the taper, is there still a clearance then? The ideal situation is the flywheel fully home on the taper but the rear bearing just pinched by the thrower to stop it spinning - that's why they put compressible 'dimples' in the throwers. The bearing assembly must not hold the flywheel off the taper. If you have a rear lip seal it is a modern aftermarket part and the spring washer has been put in purely to hold the rear bearing from spinning.