Slight axle leak. Advice please.

[67-2door]

Hi all.
Just as I'm getting close to getting my morris back on the road another problem jumps up to bite me on the backside .
I was fitting new drums today & adjusting the brakes, when I removed the rear drivers side drum I noticed that the flange that the drum sits on is oily (gearbox oil smell so leaking axle).
It hasn't leaked enough to contaminate the shoes, just wet with oil, seems to be weeping out of the paper seal at the flange. If I remove the single screw can I just pull out the half-shaft & replace the paper seal & put it back together or do I need to buy new seals & things & strip it down further?
Thanks.
Neil.

[bmcecosse]

Yes - you can, and later cars have a large O ring in there too. But it should all be clamped up really tight by the wheel studs/nuts. Worth checking the axle is not overfilled - and the breather is clear. Oil more usually leaks at the back of the hub - dribbling into the backplate - where it should escape out of a little drain hole. So make sure that hole is clear - poke it clear with a bit of welding wire.

[67-2door]

It only seemed to start weeping from the flange after I took the drum off & I had to give the drum a few taps with a soft mallet to remove it. Do you think I might just have made the paper seal leak a bit by removing the drum?

[panky]

Are the two counter sunk screws still there that hold the half shaft in place?

[67-2door]

There's one countersunk screw. It's still tight.

[panky]

You could have disturbed the joint then, but not a massive job to replace the gasket and 'O' ring - dead easy in fact. You will need to drain the axle first though. It might be worth fitting another screw (same as the ones that hold the drum in place), clean everything up and see if the weep stops - but do check the drain as Roy suggests.

[bmcecosse]

There is only 1 screw to temporarily hold the half shaft till you get the drum and wheel on. Pretty sure it will be fine - just refit the drum and wheel - but do check the points I mentioned earlier.

[amgrave]

No need to drain the diff oil just jack the one side up high enough to make the oil run to the other end

[bmcecosse]

Exactly - and again it's a 5 minute job provided you have the new gasket and O ring in stock. But seriously - the O ring never leaks in service, unless it has been previously damaged by cack-handed installation.

[67-2door]

I'm pretty sure it's only leaking as I've disturbed the paper gasket whilst removing the drum as it didn't seem to leak before but to be on the safe side I think I'll get a new paper gasket & o-ring and change them both before I put the car on the road.

[philthehill]

You can only fit the 'O' ring if your hub is machined to accept it otherwise you have to be content with the paper gasket.
See BMC wksp Man Section HH10 for details.
Phil

[67-2door]

Confused now .
I've bought new paper gaskets & O-rings to cure my weep at the hub flange, but I was talking to a friend tonight & he said that I'd definitely need to change the main seals too as if they weren't leaking there'd be no oil getting past to leak through the paper gasket.
Is he right? Do I need to buy the other seals too & strip it all further, or should I be ok with my original plan of just pulling the half-shaft & changing the paper gasket & o-ring??
Thanks.
Neil.

[Trickydicky]

You only need to replace the paper gasket and O ring for the half shafts, can you see for definite where the oil is coming from? If it's from the hub seals then it will be weeping from the rear of the hub.

[bmcecosse]

Oil gets through into the hub bearings - they do NEED lubrication!! The seal rubs on the non revolving axle casing.....not on the half shaft. Your friend needs to go read the workshop manual! So provided there's no leakage at the back of each hub -all is well. This is a tiny molehill that is rapidly turning into Mt Everest!!!

[67-2door]

That's as I'd hoped, and originally thought.
Thankyou

[bmcecosse]

[mowogg]

Have you checked the drain holes are clear on the inside of the hub? I had a similar issue which wad linked to these being blocked

[67-2door]

I've had a look but haven't found them yet, I'll have another look this morning. I've checked & cleaned the main breather on the diff housing.

[67-2door]

Found them, I was looking on the outside of the hubs, didn't realise they were on the back .
They were blocked up, all clear now.