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| Moderated by: Greg Fletcher |
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| Rear seal | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: 11-28-2006 03:26 pm |
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1st Post |
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j23mau Member 
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I pulled the tranny Sunday and am attempting to replace the rear seal of the transmission. The new seal is from Delta and looks to be too tight. The seal needs to be inset about an 1/8th of an inch in order for the clip to fit back in place. Other than brute force and a rubber mallet, is there a good way to install this? There is some minor cracking around the lip where the clip holds in. Should I look at replacing the transmission all together? It appears the lip is still 90% intact. Second question, should I bother with the front seal on the tranny. It looks to be a little more complicated than the rear and doesn't appear to be leaking from there. Third thing, I believe that the rear seal on the engine needs replaced. (mostly due to the large amounts of oil loss while driving.) Should I replace the clutch, pressure plate and pinion bearing (I was going to replace the pinion anyways). I think there may be some oil that leaked on them. Better safe than sorry right? On installing the engine seal and the pinion bearing, are there any tips, tricks, or warnings getting into this... Jeremy Mau 14289 - JH - Iowa City, Iowa
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| Posted: 11-28-2006 05:57 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Jim Ketcham Member
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Jeremy, The transmission rear seal must be pressed or tapped in (gently) SQUARLEY. I use a large socket, but a pipe coupling should also work. I also use aviation seal to lube the OD. If the cracking in the tail housing is rearward of the seal don't worry about it. As a matter of fact, some of the 4 speed transmissions do not even have a snap ring or snap ring groove. If the cracking is causing a sealing or structural issue, just replace the tail housing, not the whole transmission. The transmission front seal requires a complete disassembly of the tranny. If it does not leak leave it alone. The rear engine seal, assuming you have a later lip seal design, is a little trickier. There are instructions in the shop manual for this. The rear seal housing must be removed to do it properly. It is critical to make sure that the seal sits in the housing squarely to ensure that the seal is not distorted, as this is a very large diameter seal and will distort easily. Lotus has a special tool for centering and seating this seal. You can do it without the tool but must take care. You should check the crank surface to make sure it is not grooved from the old seal. I like to try to vary the positioning of the new seal so that it does not wipe the crank in the same spot as the old one. You should use your own judgment of whether to do a clutch job. It certainly is a good time to do it while you have everything apart. Good Luck, Jim
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| Posted: 11-28-2006 07:08 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Judson Manning Member 
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Jeremy, Jim gives some good advice only to which I can add one bit of philosophy which is the much debated: "While you're at it" rule. Even here in the deep South, the weather has turned such that a convertible isn't my first choice for driving. Come Spring that will all change and you'll want your car as reliable as possible. While Spring is several months away and you've got the car up in the air....While You're At It...spend some time (and money) on doing everything you think you'll need done before NEXT Winter. Use this time to learn about all the pieces & parts and avoid a rush job - it will only come back to haunt you later (Unfortunately, I AM speaking from experience!). If the transmission is that bad, find a local shop that can handle the seals. If the clutch disc is too thin, replace it and ...while you're at it...machine the flywheel and replace the T/O & pilot bearings. How about the front seal, timing belt, points, condensor, spark-plugs?....the list goes on and on....again, use the bad-weather time for fix-it-up so you can DRIVE in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Learn to maximize your fun-to-dollar quotient and you'll be a VERY happy JH Owner! Judson
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| Posted: 11-28-2006 07:19 pm |
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4th Post |
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Scott Robinson Member
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Jeremy, Installing the rear main seal is tricky, and the time cost of getting it wrong is high. I have a special seal installation tool I'm willing to lend you. Let me know when you're about ready and I'll send it UPS. Say hi to your Mom & Dad for me. Scott Robinson KCMO
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| Posted: 11-28-2006 09:43 pm |
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5th Post |
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j23mau Member
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Scott, Thanks for the help. I am removing the clutch, press plate, tonight. I am in no hurry to do the seal yet as I am not quite feeling up to par, and it sounds like quite the ordeal. Can you email at my personal email and we can discuss arrangements for the tool. j23mau@hotmail.com thanks Jeremy
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| Posted: 11-30-2006 05:05 pm |
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6th Post |
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j23mau Member
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On going question here. Is there a specific sealant that I should look at getting to use in conjunction with the rear seal? Just to make sure I don't use the wrong one. And then are there any clearances that I need to worry about on the inside of the seal? or just tap it in until it looks right?
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| Posted: 11-30-2006 10:12 pm |
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7th Post |
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Jim Ketcham Member
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Section A34 of the workshop manual- .....insert the new seal with the aid of a press, until its inner face is 2.54mm (.10in) from the machined face, ....
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| Posted: 12-05-2006 11:35 pm |
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8th Post |
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j23mau Member
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What about the sealant? Is there any specific types of seals to stay away from? Suggestions?
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| Posted: 12-06-2006 12:24 am |
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9th Post |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator 
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I don't recall using any sealant. I think they are installed dry.
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| Posted: 12-06-2006 05:25 pm |
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10th Post |
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j23mau Member
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The current seal has some sealant on it. It leaked out around the edges. Anyoen else have any ideas? I can install dry if that will work, but really don't want to take it all apart again if it leaks again.
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| Posted: 12-06-2006 06:49 pm |
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11th Post |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator 
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I always assume the worst on my car. I added a very thin coating of Wellseal (Hylomar would work well also) around the outside to insure a positive seal the last time I installed this part. Both Wellseal and Hylomar are impervious to oil and fill into small gaps.
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