Leeroy_25

I have not long rebuilt my engine and have being trying to trace a very small oil spray on the inside of my bonnet for a while it looks like it might be a very small weep off front cover oil seal. which is getting picked up by the belt and sprayed onto the inside of the bonnet. This was of course replaced during the rebuild and the old one did not leak as far as I am aware. Has anyone had an issue like this with a new seal before and is there anything to try before pulling off the front hub and trying to replace it again in situe? Which I gather has a few risks and will be a bit of a pig of a job! It is a 20B but assume same principle on all rotaries. Very annoying in deed.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

Just for clarity, are you speaking of the oil seal under the front cover or are you talking about the front main? I know sometimes things get lost in translation across the ocean. I assume you must be talking about the front main, because otherwise this would be a thread about oil pressure.

Anyways, yes, it sounds like the front main to me. I had to replace the one on my Rx-8 several years ago (when the car was only about 4 year old). Doing it in the car made me a bit nervous, due to the possibility of misaligning the thrust bearings, but I had little choice. Just keep constant pressure on the clutch pedal as you change it and all should be well.

Leeroy_25

Yes I am talking main front oil seal. My main questions is why would a new one leak? it was not damaged during the install that I am aware of. The old seal was fine and just replaced because it was old! I don't want to go all through it again and find it still leaks! If the seal was in too far or not far enough would that cause it. I am 99.9% sure it wen in just sub flush with the front of the cover the same as the one I took out. It is a complete PIA!

insightful

did you scuff up the front pulley hub during the rebuild in thinking that it would lap itself to the new seal? unfortunately the way these seals work they require a near mirror like polish in the sealing surface to start with otherwise the seal will get burned before burnishing the metal it needs to seal to.

i use a very fine 1000 grit sandpaper with the hub on my lathe to give them a nice polish, but technically if you don't do that, just leaving them alone in the first place is usually the next best alternative, as the seal surface is already polished from the factory in such a way.

additionally, be sure to lube the seal with something like wheel bearing grease, it will help keep the seal wet until the oil takes over for it in keeping the seal moist and lubed.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

^ this. if you put them in dry, they will usually leak.

Leeroy_25

I cannot remember for sure.. I may have put it in dry but I have plenty of oil over most parts during rebuild. I drove it today and after drying the tiny leak I spotted away last time there is no new oil today. There was a finer than usual spray inside the bonnet as well? I definitely did not rub the hub up but having looked at my seal again this evening compare to a cover I have off a 13B in the shed I remember that I did not push the seal sub flush on my cover. I remember how it was before I took it out and the one in my 13B cover is the say. it is maybe 3/16" sub flush in the front cover. Mine is basically flush. I guess in turn this could mean it is not running on a clean mirror part of the shaft. The question is now do I risk trying to carefully lever it in a bit further.. Could make a spacer and use a little lever bar off the back of the hub maybe if I just pull the pullies off and out of the way.. Or do I leave it and hope it settles or am I more like to cause a major leak if I try and move it now? If I have to replace it I will but I want that to be a winter job so I can get some miles on it over the remaining summer. If there is a chance I can rectify the seal by pushing it home more great but I don't want to risk it if it will more likely make it worse! The engine only has about 350 miles on it and it has had the spray mark on the bonnet since day 1? What to do?

Thanks
Lee

insightful

don't bother, the seal is already ruined once it starts flinging oil. getting your hands dirty again is the only way.

i suppose before doing that though, check your crankcase ventilation system to be sure it is adequate, it may only be leaking under boost. you can do the test to see if its flinging oil by trying to run the car with little to no boost through the RPM range for a bit and see if it's still leaking, if it is then the seal needs to get replaced again. if it's not and only shows oil after boosting then you may be building too much blowby pressure in the crankcase which is pushing oil past the weakest link, which is usually this seal.

Leeroy_25

Thanks for info.. Great news as well!! But pretty much what I expected. I am only running at about 6 psi boost right now as running in. I have a large vent on the oil filler neck that is vented to atmosphere via a catch tank. No sign of any real breathing at all to be fair.

Leeroy_25

Hhhmmm? I got a reply from Atkins rotary who supplied the seal asking if it was installed lubed or not. Then one saying they should be installed dry and have only ever seen problems when lubed?! now as I cannot say without 100% certainty whether it was wet or dry I now don't know where I am.. and they also said should matter if it is flush or not?

What do I do now?