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Crankshaft oil seal leak.


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It was all going so well!

I restarted my new engine today to run in the cam....all went well apart from an alarming amount of engine oil leaking out of the bell housing. I am assuming that it is the rear oil seal, but won't really be able to tell until I have pulled the gearbox and flywheel.

Looking ahead, I am thinking I will be able to disconnect the big ends and take out the crank to replace the seal, leaving the head etc. in place. It has a replacement split oil seal conversion.

Any thoughts and suggestions as to other possibilities gratefully received.

Cheers,

Dave.

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Hi Dave,

 

If it is a lot of oil it could be the oilway plug at the rear of the engine. The crank seal would only drip a little oil. Can you get an endoscope to have a look inside the bell housing?

 

Unfortunately it is a g/box out or engine out to repair.

 

Cheers

Graeme

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Hi Dave,

much the same idea as Graeme. But I don;t think a boroscope will give you a conclusive answer - it will not get in there.

 

Did you have the oil gallery screw in plugs removed - where they replaced/tightened.?????

 

The is also the camshaft core plug!!

 

I'm sure you have looked to see if the rocker cover is well sealed.

 

GB out from me as well.

 

Roger

Edited by RogerH
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Thanks both, I will make haste slowly! Fortunately it is still a bare chassis, so relatively easy to take it to pieces again.

I will take out the engine and gearbox, split the two, and pull off the flywheel and have a good look before I leap into taking the crank out. It may take some time as I am working away at the moment and only get a couple of hours each weekend to work on the car.

Dave.

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Assuming its a 6, you don't have to take the crank out to change the rear oil seal. Did you fit a copper washer on the top middle bolt retaining the seal housing? +1 to checking rear oil gallery plug and rear cam core plug.

 

Did you follow the instructions for centring the oil seal before tightening the housing.

 

If its any consolation in 2016 on a freshly build engine I also had an annoying leak from that seal, (ran the car with a diaper that season) on stripping at the end of the season I could find no cause, other than the seal was a cheap black one from one of the major major Triumph Parts suppliers, fitting a good Payen one solved the problem.

 

Alan

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Assuming its a 6, you don't have to take the crank out to change the rear oil seal. Did you fit a copper washer on the top middle bolt retaining the seal housing? +1 to checking rear oil gallery plug and rear cam core plug.

 

Did you follow the instructions for centring the oil seal before tightening the housing.

 

If its any consolation in 2016 on a freshly build engine I also had an annoying leak from that seal, (ran the car with a diaper that season) on stripping at the end of the season I could find no cause, other than the seal was a cheap black one from one of the major major Triumph Parts suppliers, fitting a good Payen one solved the problem.

 

Alan

Extraordinary that anybody would use a cheap seal on an engine rebuild! In fact no 'cheap' item should be used in such a situation.

Cheers.

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Extraordinary that anybody would use a cheap seal on an engine rebuild! In fact no 'cheap' item should be used in such a situation.

Cheers.

 

And thereby the cause of much discontent regarding many classic car parts, not just cheap seals....................

 

If OE spec items are available (you may have to do some homework yourself, ask questions, including on this forum, and shop around) they are invariably better than repro items that cost less.

 

Quality doesn't cost, it always pays in the long run.

 

Ian

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Extraordinary that anybody would use a cheap seal on an engine rebuild! In fact no 'cheap' item should be used in such a situation.

Cheers.

 

I think that is the problem, I hadn't intentionally bought cheap! just a conclusion now arrived at by bad experience!

 

And whilst I have a stock of Payen head and manifold gaskets (which age well) NOS Payen oil seals are all getting to the age where I start wondering about their state, but in my case it appears still better than a new one made in?..............

 

Same applies to NOS Vandervell Bearing sets that have been sat around for 30 years, I've seen a number recently I wouldn't use in an engine.

 

Alan

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You need to do a bit of investigation Dave, there are too many options for an oil leak from that area.

 

Get a trolley jack with a block of wood under the engine sump at the rear for support, start up the engine to provoke the leak and then whip off the gearbox, clutch cover, flywheel so you can get to the back of the engine. I reckon in your position you should be able to see in there within an hour so you'll see fresh oil residue and where it's coming from (don't forget to check inside the gearbox bellhousing for clues).

 

If it's inside the engine then undo the front mounts and lift the engine off the trolley jack and continue stripping.

 

Mick Richards

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