[Healeys] Rear main seal

[Earl Kagna]

Steve:

I've done the rear seal kit on both Healeys - definitely worth doing if the 
trans/OD is already out of the car.

The flywheel has to come off, which you should probably have resurfaced at 
this time anyway, and the engine rear plate comes off so that the opening 
can be machined larger to take the seal kit housing, so you'll need a rear 
engine plate gasket, and a couple of new flywheel locktabs.  The machining 
pattern is included with the kit.  The procedure is fairly straight forward, 
and the seal kits have good instructions.  The new split lipped crankshaft 
seal seals against the crankshaft just forward of the flange, so need for 
anything else to be done there.  The original scroll 'seal' is still in 
position.

You should be aware that you probably won't ever get it completely dry - 
it's a Healey, right! - but it will likely be greatly improved.  Consider a 
bit of oil leakage to be a factory included undercarriage rust prevention 
'option'.

I think I have a printed instruction sheet somewhere from one of my kits - 
I'll have to look - that I can scan and send you if it will help you 
understand the procedure beforehand.  Let me know.

Earl Kagna
Victoria, B.C.
BJ8, BT7 tri-carb

-----Original Message----- 
From: BJ8Healeys
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 2:47 PM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] Rear main seal

Hello, Healeyphiles -



The engine flywheel bolts to a flange on the rear of the crankshaft.  Is the
flange removable, and if so, how?  The parts manual illustration would
suggest that it's machined as an integral part of the crankshaft.



I have my gearbox out to fix that overdrive slipping problem I mentioned
earlier, and as long as I have it out I thought I should probably change the
clutch.   For some time I've had a moderate to severe chatter ("judder"?)
when trying to reverse the car up after the engine has warmed up (no
chattering until then, and there are 80,500 miles on the clutch.



Well, one thing always leads to another.  As long as the clutch and flywheel
are off the car, why not replace the rear main seal?  It has 80,500 miles on
it, too.   But the rear main seal is a solid circle, like a typical wheel
oil seal, and so is the housing that retains it at the back of the engine.
I don't see any way to replace that seal without removing the flange first.
Has anyone done this before?



By the way, the clutch disk still looks new, except that it does have a
narrow dark ring in the center of the friction material.   That's probably
burning from trying to slip the clutch gently when the chattering starts.
There is more of a greasy film on the pressure plate than I would like to
see, too, which may explain the chattering.



Thanks, and Happy Healeying!



Steve Byers

HBJ8L/36666

BJ8 Registry

AHCA Delegate at Large

Havelock, NC