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Author
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Topic: Will this leak ruin my clutch disk ?
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Pierre
Gearhead Posts: 541
From: Near Paris, France
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 05-31-2002 03:07 AM
   
I know, old car have a tendancy to leak. I am just curious though: I have had an oil leak at the rear of the crank shaft probably around the rear main seal since I bought the car (I did use sealer on the flywheel bolts so It should'nt come from there !!). It slightly drips from the bottom edge of the bell housing. Assuming that it only leaks from the rear main seal, can this eventually get on the disk side of the flywheel (and of course ruin the clutch system) ?
I have about 5K miles since I converted to manual and so far the clutch shows no slipage problem.
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Cruzer
Gearhead Posts: 275
From: Lancaster, South Carolina, USA
Registered: May 99
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posted 05-31-2002 08:55 AM
I have basically the same leak with my 302 toploader & haven't had any problems in over a year. Unless it's a major leak I think you'll be ok.
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Pierre
Gearhead Posts: 541
From: Near Paris, France
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 05-31-2002 04:35 PM
By the way, is there a short cut to replace a main bearing (doesn't look like it but I ask anyway)or do you have to tear down the whole engine ?
Also, If I were to remove the main bearing cap and only replace the bottom half of the seal (which would buy me some time), should I torque the main bearing bolt back to normal specs (without changing the bearings)
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n2oMike
Gearhead Posts: 2395
From: Spencer, WV
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 05-31-2002 05:26 PM
You can drop the pan and loosen all the main caps (but don't remove them) They will support the weight of the rear of the crank. This will allow the back of the crank to drop down just far enough to remove both halves of the rear main seal. Now it can be replaced and everything put back together. You might have to remove the cross member and drop the steering linkage to get the oil pan off, and give more room to work. If the bearings look bad, you might try changing them... but it will be a pretty tight job. All the top ones (especially toward the front of the engine where the timing chain is attached) will be hard to get to. Some might be impossible to get in and out... depending on how 'tight' the timing chain is. To safely get all the bearings changed, you'll need to remove the timing chain to let the front of the crank to hang down a little. Replacement seals are a neoprene (rubber) type. If the rear seal is the stock rope style, you'll need to use a hammer and punch (nails work fine) to drive the little retaining pin out of the rear main cap. Fill the hole with silicone. I would NOT replace just the bottom half of the rear seal. Good Luck! ------------------
Mike Burch
66 mustang real street
302 4-speed 289 heads
10.63 @ 129.3
http://www.geocities.com/carbedstangs/cmml_mburch.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/healey/367
http://www.mustangworks.com/cgi-bin/moi-display.cgi?220
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BLstangin
Gearhead Posts: 765
From: St. James, MN
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 05-31-2002 06:56 PM
My dad has a little trick that he uses to get main bearings out, he takes a small standard screwdriver and puts it behind the little lock or tab on the top half of the bearing and slowly pries it around the crank, by pressing the screwdriver against the block. You have to have the main cap off to do this, and can only do one at a time, don't drop all the main caps, just one at a time and they will come out, to put a new one it, put a little oil on the bearing where it runs on the crank, set it on the crank, and push it around the crank, back into the block. Hope you can understand, as it is kind of hard to explain without pictures.
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Pierre
Gearhead Posts: 541
From: Near Paris, France
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 06-01-2002 03:32 AM
Mike,
If it is that easy, I may do it in the same time I am upgrading my oil pump. Now here are a few complementary questions regarding the replacement of the rear main seal (If bearings are bad I will follow Tom MONROE's direction in his SB book, I don't have enough experience to feel confortable doing it this way):- In order to drop the crank a little, I will need to press the clutch in (it's a manual) so the flywheel can slide down a little in relation to the trans output? - Once the crank is dropped 1/10" or so, how easy is it to remove the top old 1/2 seal and how easy to slide the new one in ? - If I still have the rope kind, is there a pin in the upper half too ! If yes I'm dead I guess (can't slide the new one in)! - Tom MONROE says that he rotates the seal's position in relation to the cap so the junctions (caps & seals) are not in line with each other. Do I have to do that too here ? - Last question  , Do I use the original torq specs to tighten the caps back ? Thanks a lot for your advices, I will probably save a lot of time this way BLstangin,
Your explaination makes total sense but its my first time  and this part is so critical that I will probably take the long road if I have to do it 
BL
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mustangboy
Gearhead Posts: 774
From: Ont, Canada
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-03-2002 12:08 AM
You will have to pull your input shaft out of the pilot bearing and crankshaft.Pushing in the clutch won't let the crank come down.
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Pierre
Gearhead Posts: 541
From: Near Paris, France
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 06-03-2002 04:21 AM
OOps ! I should know I installed that Pilot bearing myself when I converted the car !!Oh well so much for this short cut !
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n2oMike
Gearhead Posts: 2395
From: Spencer, WV
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 06-03-2002 09:45 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Pierre:
- In order to drop the crank a little, I will need to press the clutch in (it's a manual) so the flywheel can slide down a little in relation to the trans output? - Once the crank is dropped 1/10" or so, how easy is it to remove the top old 1/2 seal and how easy to slide the new one in ? - If I still have the rope kind, is there a pin in the upper half too ! If yes I'm dead I guess (can't slide the new one in)! - Tom MONROE says that he rotates the seal's position in relation to the cap so the junctions (caps & seals) are not in line with each other. Do I have to do that too here ? - Last question , Do I use the original torq specs to tighten the caps back ? BL
You -may- get enough clearance by pushing the clutch. It will drop a little. How easy is it to remove the top half of the seal? Not bad (if it's rubber)... If it's rope, you'll have to work on it a while, but it's not impossible. Hopefully it stays in one piece and you can just pull it out. There is no 'upper' pin in the block. Rotating the rubber seal a tad is a good idea. Use the original torque specs if you are using the original bolts. Good Luck! ------------------
Mike Burch
66 mustang real street
302 4-speed 289 heads
10.63 @ 129.3
http://www.geocities.com/carbedstangs/cmml_mburch.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/healey/367
http://www.mustangworks.com/cgi-bin/moi-display.cgi?220 [This message has been edited by n2oMike (edited 06-03-2002).]
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