Oil seal problem - help urgently needed!!!!

What you doing with the old engine?

 

Oh man! Good luck with the new one. We've all been there, where you are just ready to use the Van and something has to be done. It either flies to -ell or all comes together for ya in the end. I'm (We're in your corner), this one is going to work out great. Holidays await you, look straight ahead and go for it.

 

Looks pretty now dont get any oil all over it will you

 

Not sure yet, other than this terminal bottom end problem it's been a great engine. Plenty of compression, no smoke and would start on the button. Better still it's been getting 28mpg on long runs keeping it below 60mph.

Inclination is to hang on to it as secondhand parts seem to be rocketing in price in recent years and this will likely continue.

Should I keep it intact or dismantle? Would be interesting to see the insides for the first time!

 

If its been a good engine I would look at a rebuild or at least split it and find out where the issue is? When its time for mine to go to hospital I am rebuilding it rather than replace, mine is also an AS late model engine and its been the dogs, other than a little incontinence , which is normal anyway. (The engine not me btw!)

 

I have been told by two different people that you need to make sure the oil seal is pushed in about 2mm below the end of the case, so its off the taper of the flywheel or it will leak with even the correct endfloat. I got my oil seal right on the second try using an EMPI "big washer" tool and a few taps with a mallet to straighten it exactly , remembering to take the dowel pins out first ...
and then I torqued up the gland nut finger tight when I put the flywheel back on the second time.

I tried the end float by hand at that point and it was nice and small but more than zero. Drove it 50 miles and the vibration got worse. Got home and the 3mm endfloat was quite visible with the nut loose -

While driving I spent time believing it was the oil cooler air duct rattling, then the clutch release bearings - ..

But it didnt leak oil from the crankshaft seal , some came past the loose gland nut instead..

The engine is at SGS while we work through what is the best action to take with the crank and flywheel with elliptical dowel holes - the most likely option is drilling for 8 holes unless I have also chewed up the bearings with the crank bouncing around. Also one of the shims had been ground to metal dust ..