crankshaft oil seal

[doyle]

hi guys im having a few problems with a crankshaft oil seal on a vauxhall meriva 1.4 2006.

whats happend is the oil pressure switch went and sprewed out oil, oil went below minimum mark but still visable on on dip stick, problem was noticed as the valves got noisy with the hydrolics and had only been serviced by me two months earlier ie oil changed ect.

clutch was beign repaired by some more experienced students young apprentices so i asked could they do the rear oil seal at same time yeah no problem reply.

the first oil seal they put in was forced in with a piston ring compressor, oil sprewed out of the car when it was started and didnt work to well, so a new one was bought the following day again from ecp same make and type, this time the aprentis bosses put the oil seal in using a pen on the inside circular bit first having lubricated it with engine oil.

drove car home and noticed an oil leak again, so the second one has failed too. ive spoken to my tutor at college who says change it again for the third time but use genuine part from vauxhall rather than a ten pound part from ecp.

so when im armed with the genuine part what is the best way to fit the seal for perfect fit and seal first time.

oh yes i forgot the part that the seal goes around(not sure of its name) appears in good condition and is not grooved car has 55k ish on clock.
this repair is forcasted for half term in a few weeks

 

[Mursal]

If the seal is leaking it is probably due to damage caused while fitting. They can be difficult to fit properly, even for the most experienced. I very much doubt the quality of the seal would allow it to fail so quickly.

Ensure the oil is coming from the lip of the seal and not around the outside.
Also double check the sump ventilation isn't causing the piston back pressure to blow the oil out. If in doubt ventilate to the outside with a pipe (like the old engines). Oh, and don't over fill. It is fresh engine oil and not old stuff, lying in the housing from the repair?

Good Luck

PS
Is there excessive end-float in the crankshaft due to previous owners foot resting on the clutch and wearing out the trust washers?

 

[Burnerman]

Sounds like the first guys were clueless.....
The crankshaft spigot, that the seal fits round, musn't be marked in any way. If it is, the seal will fail for sure.
A good smear of grease is spread around the spigot - oil will be fine, but you can't overdo the quantity of lube - and the seal is pushed or lightly tapped into position using a mandrel that is just less in diameter than the outer diameter of the new seal. The mandrel needs to be hollow so that the crank spigot can fit inside, if needs be.
The seal must be pushed in square - any distortion and it'll leak again.
A skilled person can do away with the mandrel really, so long as great care is used.
Naturally the seal is fitted with the lips inwards, and the fine coiled spring mustn't jump out....
John

 

[doyle]

thansk guys oil leek presumed to be same as last seal leek to the inside against the spigot.
am i better off changing the spigot too, my tutor says this can become worn/ grooved and oval if so does the spigot come out easy and from teh flywheel end or does crank need out and special tools or anything never done one before but feel i can do the oil seal.

mursal aint sure whether it got damaged screw driver was used to extract it and piston compessor to knock it home and beyond when it leaked again.... float end?? can you explain more to me we havent covered this at college so would need laymans terms as to what i would need to check on it and how to check it thanks

sorry mursal just googled it will check it when gearbox comes out, how much movement is allowable or is it meant to be solid still.

 

[Burnerman]

If this is a conventional engine, the spigot I'm going on about would be part of the crankshaft forging and therefore not replaceable.
Frankly, I doubt if there was any need to disturb this seal anyway.....your oil level wasn't critically low and the crank journals would have suffered first if the oil pressure disappeared.
The flywheel bolts directly to the crankshaft (spigot) so any leaks would be on the engine side of the flywheel. The spigot will not wear oval, but if the oil seal was heaved out with a screwdriver there could be damage to the seal mating face.....game over if thats the case.
A piston ring compressor was completely the wrong tool to drive the new oil seal home - I don't know where they got that idea from.
Crankshaft float is where the crankshaft can move to and fro in its main bearings.....on original assembly, thrust washers are placed either side of a main bearing to bring that to tolerance. Yours should be fine at that mileage. See if you can pull the crankshaft front pulley in and out to test this.
Keep us informed about this one!
John

 

[wotan]

Brass shim or acetate shim wrapped around the crankshaft, lubricated so oil seal will slide over the same, seal offered up square and using a tube of suitable diameter, or a very large socket seal tapped into housing squarely, then carefully remove shim.
This method is used in industry for fitting Crane seals.

Wotan

 

[doyle]

thanks burnerman, ive uploaded pictures of the crankshaft configuration which shows the part as removable but does not say or show how etc.

//www.diynot.com/network/doyle/albums/

from the pics you can see on the spigot goes a large disk which i think may be the speed sensor signal thingymebob and then a steel disk that the oil seal attaches to where the flywheel would bolt to.
if they scratched it it is repalcable but im nto sure what its called, ive googled pulse generator as vauxhall main dealer aclaimed and it came up with brakes and suspension but i think they may have been on about the large disk to the rear of of the smaller steel section.

im thinking change it to reduce need to strip again if genuine part leeds in case of damage and ware from past use and changes.