Crankshaft oil seal too deep

David Ceruti · 10-18-2002, 11:35 AM

I decided to replace the crankshft oil seal while doing the clutch and tapped it in about a millimetre or two too deep - dumb dumb dumb

Now the question - is this ok or do I need to pull it out again and put in another seal while waiting another few days for the new one to arrive. also I am quite frustrated after all the delays I have had so far and really want to get the engine back together.

So help me - am I being stupid taking the risk or can I relax?

I'm despairing of ever getting back into the p-car and having to drive my wife's non airconditioned car around in our first heat wave of the year doesn't make me feel any better

marcesq · marcesq's Garage

Unless someone like John Walker or Warren gives you advice to the contrary, I would start all over again.

When we dropped Richard's 3.2 he nicked the seal while installing and even though it was on the rim of the seal, we pulled it and started again.

The last thing you want is to have to do is pull the engine again.

My 2c

Superman · 10-18-2002, 12:44 PM

I think there is a surface back there that keeps the seal from getting shoved way back into the crankcase. I think we're only talking about a millimeter or two here. And besides, seals wear a groove on crankshafts (how does rubber wear out steel?), so some might say it is preferable for the new seal to ride on an un-worn surface. If it were mine, I would bolt it all together and GO. In fact, that may be what I did last time.

KTL · 10-18-2002, 01:39 PM

I'm with Super here. Mine went in a little deep. No biggie. Not a drip in 4000 miles.

Jim T · 10-18-2002, 01:41 PM

Me too. Unless someone like John Walker or someone else with a lot of engine building experience advises to the contrary, I'd just go with it. 1 mm wouldn't bother me, based on what I've seen with the seal and the setup back there.

Superman · 10-18-2002, 02:37 PM

One day I was at John Walker's Workshop (I love everything about cars and there's nowhere I'd rather be than a shop) telling him how surprized I was to see upon disassembly that my rear main seal was not leaking. He looked at me like I was a creature from outer space, and said "They almost never do." turns out taht the most common reason why oil gets into the bellhousing is it leaks past the tranny input shaft seal, worms its way up the input shaft to the clutch disk and out that way. My previous experience with rear main seals in other cars is that they often leak. Apparently it is rare for them to leak in our cars. Not impossible, just rare.

Yes indeed. I would not hesitate to button her up, warm her up and flog her mercilessly.

Doug Zielke · 10-18-2002, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman
.........Yes indeed. I would not hesitate to button her up, warm her up and flog her mercilessly.

What Jim just said!!!!

Tyson Schmidt · 10-18-2002, 05:41 PM

I've noticed that rear main seal leaks are a lot more common down here in So. Cal. than they were back home in Seattle.

the heat down here combined with the traffic just basically cooks anything rubber. You should see what older turbo's look like! Petrified hoses and o-rings! The Rear cabriolet mount on a Turbo-Cab was sanforized! Same on a regular SC cab. Never saw that back in Seattle.

Oh, and Superjim, the seals get harder from age and heat. That's when they start to wear the groove in the crank. They'll start doing this before they ever leak. But once they finally do crack, it's gusher city.

David Ceruti · 10-18-2002, 08:37 PM

Thanks guys - I'm off to the garage