Cheers Zed! Yeah the last engine had a similar issue. But it is the same flywheel so I wonder. I've finished for tonight so I'll look tomorrow. But the flywheel is already off. Here is the offending seal...
Clean up the flywheel with degreaser and take another pic. It should be one smooth shiny surface. Is the seal torn or is it distorted because you have your finger on it?
Just torn, I'm just pushing against it to show the tear. I always see your post as I get home from working on the van...
I only just posted - been working on a twinport today as well. Torn is unusual unless it tore straight after fitting. The seal and flywheel face must be well lubricated with engine oil when it's assembled. The flywheel face in you pic looks very dry as if it's been starved of oil.
Today I was fitting my engine, when I felt like a break I stickers up my rear hatch. (as my wife didn't want any more stickers on the windows) So here it is as well as my old window stickers... Here it is in place, Windows, Geeky I know and not to everybody's taste but I'm a big kid that likes stickers... More engine work tomorrow.
You know "it's not leaking, it's marking it's spot". Mine is coming out for the same seal replacement, what can I do to have a different result?
Buy the best quality seal you can! I think I bought a cheaper seal unknowing there was a better one till later...
polish up the flywheel sealing surface, or if it has a groove worn in it, replace the flywheel or have it turned down to the next seal size.
Cheers! The van made the 30 mile trip to Revesby Garage for its MOT (+ other bits...) but the bloody crankshaft seal went again! Covered my wife's windscreen in oil (yeah, she was pleased...) but oil pressure and temperature remained normal. I think there is another issue in there.
I remember commenting when you removed the first torn one, that the flywheel looked like it'd been starved of oil. I'm wracking my tiny brain, but somewhere I have read about an assembly mistake that causes this. When you remove the flywheel, you would normally find oil pooled behind the seal up to the level it can hold without the flywheel. Was it like this? I can't imagine it would tear the seal unless starved of oil, I've changed many of these and never seen a torn one.
