Crank seals
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2000 7:58 am
Hi Whitworth Heads,
I found it amusing to read all the messages about XPAG crank seals last
week. Most of you know I'm not a rabid advocate of "originality". Possibly
my experience below will allow a couple of you to cut me some slack for my
custodianship in preserving my Bishop Cam steering "mechanism" in my garage.
Here is my crank seal experience: I removed the short index dowels from my
rear main oil slinger cap, but lapped, cleaned and carefully positioned then
glued this cap in place with a temporary 0.002 inch (if memory serves me
correctly) brass shim to position it. I ran my rebuilt engine in using
marginal quality thin oil without EP additive for the first hundred miles,
switched to proper oil for the next 1500 miles or so, then changed to 10W40
Redline synthetic oil. I had to re-adjust the idle down when I did this,
noticing an immediate increase in rpm as soon as the regular oil was
displaced by the synthetic. BTW I also use Redline products in the
transmission and rear axle.
I'm pleased to report that the rear main usually does not drip oil, except
after long hard runs, and then only leaves a spot about the size of a
quarter. I regard this as polite marking of territory and can be great fun
at a meet when you tape a target to the pavement. The front main seal does
not leak at all, except that oil residue collects on the sump in this
location. If the sealing surface on the front pulley is worn, it was
correctly advised to obtain a thin sleeve to repair this surface from a
bearing/seal supply house. This has the additional benefit of strengthening
a structurally weak spot directly above the key-way.
Cheers, Peter
I found it amusing to read all the messages about XPAG crank seals last
week. Most of you know I'm not a rabid advocate of "originality". Possibly
my experience below will allow a couple of you to cut me some slack for my
custodianship in preserving my Bishop Cam steering "mechanism" in my garage.
Here is my crank seal experience: I removed the short index dowels from my
rear main oil slinger cap, but lapped, cleaned and carefully positioned then
glued this cap in place with a temporary 0.002 inch (if memory serves me
correctly) brass shim to position it. I ran my rebuilt engine in using
marginal quality thin oil without EP additive for the first hundred miles,
switched to proper oil for the next 1500 miles or so, then changed to 10W40
Redline synthetic oil. I had to re-adjust the idle down when I did this,
noticing an immediate increase in rpm as soon as the regular oil was
displaced by the synthetic. BTW I also use Redline products in the
transmission and rear axle.
I'm pleased to report that the rear main usually does not drip oil, except
after long hard runs, and then only leaves a spot about the size of a
quarter. I regard this as polite marking of territory and can be great fun
at a meet when you tape a target to the pavement. The front main seal does
not leak at all, except that oil residue collects on the sump in this
location. If the sealing surface on the front pulley is worn, it was
correctly advised to obtain a thin sleeve to repair this surface from a
bearing/seal supply house. This has the additional benefit of strengthening
a structurally weak spot directly above the key-way.
Cheers, Peter