Is it safe to use this rear main seal? *PIC*
Is it safe to use this rear main seal? *PIC*
Hey guys,
I am getting down to the last couple of projects before the engine goes back in. One of the things I was hoping to accomplish this weekend was to change the rear main oil seal. I have a sneaky suspicion that it is leaking so I thought I'd go ahead and change it just to be safe. Ordered the seal a while back from Victoria British and just got to looking at it a little bit closer.
I noticed that on the outer edge of the oil seal, some of the rubber coating has been torn away from the steel ring before I even opened the package it was in. I know this is a very tiny tear in the rubber coating of the seal, but I'd like to know if you guys think it is safe to use this thing. I tend to be a perfectionist, so I may just be blowing this out of proportion. However, I'd hate to put it in there and then have it start leaking again. Is it possible that this tear in the rubber could spread through the seal after I install it? Let me know if you think I should get a replacement seal instead of using this one. I'm interested in hearing your opinions on this subject. Thanks guys.
Jamie
I am getting down to the last couple of projects before the engine goes back in. One of the things I was hoping to accomplish this weekend was to change the rear main oil seal. I have a sneaky suspicion that it is leaking so I thought I'd go ahead and change it just to be safe. Ordered the seal a while back from Victoria British and just got to looking at it a little bit closer.
I noticed that on the outer edge of the oil seal, some of the rubber coating has been torn away from the steel ring before I even opened the package it was in. I know this is a very tiny tear in the rubber coating of the seal, but I'd like to know if you guys think it is safe to use this thing. I tend to be a perfectionist, so I may just be blowing this out of proportion. However, I'd hate to put it in there and then have it start leaking again. Is it possible that this tear in the rubber could spread through the seal after I install it? Let me know if you think I should get a replacement seal instead of using this one. I'm interested in hearing your opinions on this subject. Thanks guys.
Jamie
Old [Sch|F]ool
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 12,869
Likes: 574
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Don't worry about it. That's not the important part of the seal. You're going to damage it more just by hammering it in, which is why you smear a thin layer of RTV around the outside before trying to install it.
And yes, you're blowing it way out of proportion. After all, it's probably going to leak anyway, since you're not going to be installing it in the exact precise location as the old one, and guaranteed that the flywheel has a wear groove in it from the old seal, and the groove and the new seal location probably won't line up 100%. So it'll probably leak a bit.
Still be much better than an old-timey rope seal, which has to leak by design in order to work.
And yes, you're blowing it way out of proportion. After all, it's probably going to leak anyway, since you're not going to be installing it in the exact precise location as the old one, and guaranteed that the flywheel has a wear groove in it from the old seal, and the groove and the new seal location probably won't line up 100%. So it'll probably leak a bit.
Still be much better than an old-timey rope seal, which has to leak by design in order to work.
Last edited by peejay; Oct 31, 2004 at 01:26 PM.
That's exactly what I hoped you were going to say. I didn't think that the outer edge of the seal was very critical anyway. 
I was going to ask about installation damage in my post, but wasn't sure if that was true or not. And as far as the RTV, thanks for mentioning that. I wouldn't have done that because I've never heard doing that before. Now its time to go break some tools working on that counterweight and 54mm nut. 
Man I love this freakin' forum. Thanks Peejay!
I was going to ask about installation damage in my post, but wasn't sure if that was true or not. And as far as the RTV, thanks for mentioning that. I wouldn't have done that because I've never heard doing that before. Now its time to go break some tools working on that counterweight and 54mm nut. Man I love this freakin' forum. Thanks Peejay!
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