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MG MGA - Rear cranshaft rubber seal?

A club member of ours is preparing to fit a rubber rear crankshaft seal to his twin cam engine as described on Barney's site http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/cs202a.htm
Has anyone done this modification, are there lessons to be learnt, is it successfull?
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Sorry about the thread title spelling - I had one too many glasses of red - but it is Australia Dai sorry Day!
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

That would have been some glass of red Mike, Australia Day was 26 Jan.!!!
Barry
BM Gannon

Patience. Follow the instructions. Sounds elementary enough but I still managed to screw it up. Oh, and don't try to rush it in a parking lot in front of an apartment. Not good.

I did it about 6 months ago with promising results.

Barney spells it out as easy as it can be. I had to do it twice, though. The first time I buggered up the seal, the spring popped off the lip and I had a true gusher. Plus I used WAY too much RTV. I was in a rush.

That turned out OK as I needed to replace reverse and laygear as they were in bad shape. Discovered when I had everything out. Oh, and Barney drove 3+ hours to meet me to deleiver a gearbox while I was back in the US on business. What a fun (and nice) guy to hang out with. More time next time Barney!

I would be happy to answer specifics since it is still fresh. I may even have some pictures on the computer at home.

Tom

Tom Baker

Thanks Tom,
I will pass your comments on and get him to list any queries that arise. Any photos would be of assistance.

It seems like not a lot of people have tried this mod from the feedback so far.
Regards
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

A properly/carefully installed rope seal should be quite satisfactory for the Twin cam rear main seal.
Garry
Garry Kemm

Garry, -- I am not too proud to get down on my knees and beg and grovel. Can you tell me how it might be possible to install a rope seal in the MGA engine without having to machine something first?
Barney Gaylord

Hi Barney,
No need to grovel around here, arise Sir Barney.
Garry suggested I should respond to your query because I have hand-on experience with these things.
The key to the original question was the reference to it being a Twin Cam engine. The T.C. had a rope type seal behind the rear main bearing. There is a deep groove already machined in the block and cap and the crank has a plain surface instead of the Archimedes Scroll type oil slinger of the pushrod engine.
I have attached an image of a cap out of my shed.
The seal comes as a long length of normal impregnated steam packing which is pressed into the groove and cut flush with the joint face. This is not unlike the front seal on an XPAG engine.


R Somerville

This thread was discussed between 28/01/2008 and 30/01/2008

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