Installing halfshafts

[GavinL]

I discovered the reason my rear brakes were imbalanced was due to the near side hub bearing oil seal leaking oil into the drum through the gasket ( off side is also showing signs of leaking, so will be replaced as well).

So, I've removed the half shaft, cleaned it up, new gasket and 'o' ring, and ready to reassemble. i will use a smear of blue hermetite on the gasket for good measure, are there any other tricks to ensuring this seal doesn't leak. Also, any tricks on aligning the half shaft to get it into the diff, or is it just a matter of trial and error?

[Nickol]

The Consensus of opinion is not to use any compound, just use the gasket and ring and meke sure the whole area is as clean as possible. Use of course a new gasket and ring and make sure there are no bits of the old ring or gasket still in place before refitting the new.

Aligning the half-shafts when reinstalling can be a bit frustrating I know. When introducing them it is difficult to Keep the shafts Level and then direct into the diff cogs. I found it helpful to Twist and very lightly push ( they go in very very easily once the right Location has been located) and get the feel of where the end is. Keeping an eye on the mating flange and making sure they are parallel to each other is a good rough guide.

[philthehill]

There is absolutely no need for any sealing compound to be applied to the mating faces of the hub or half-shaft.
Make sure that everything is spotlessly clean though.
Apply general purpose grease to the gasket and 'O' ring before assembly. This helps bed the gasket and 'O' ring into place and ensures that the gasket does not dry out and start leaking prematurely.

Make sure that the oil drain hole in the brake back plate is clear (see illustration below).

Have you checked the serviceability of the hub oil seal?

[Nickol]

Is this an older Diagramme? It does not appear to Show the oil seal ring...or have I overlooked it?

[philthehill]

No you have not overlooked the 'O' ring - that is illustrated and referenced in illustration HH12 of the BMC Minor wksp man.
The diagram posted was only to show the location of the drain hole. The 'O' Ring appears in the same exploded view but later issue No: 3...............54936

[liammonty]

For interest Nickol, the Series II cars that used the Austin type axle (very early ones had the Nuffield axle) didn't have the o-ring fitted, nor was there a groove for it in the hub. That was introduced, I believe, later, possibly with the Minor 1000.

[philthehill]

There appears to be no specific car number quoted in the wksp manual as to when the additional 'O' Ring seal was introduced.
In Section HH10 it just states 'Later Cars'.
The hubs with 'O' Ring seal groove can be retro fitted to the same type of axle but which did not have the 'O' Ring seal.

[liammonty]

The hubs with 'O' Ring seal groove can be retro fitted to the same type of axle but which did not have the 'O' Ring seal.

that's exactly what I did when I had to replace a hub on my SII

Agreed - I am uncertain when exactly they were introduced, but I know that my 1954 car didn't have them, and all the Minor 1000s I have owned did.

[ampwhu]

on the Austin A30, there was no groove in the rear hub for an o ring. when the A35 came along in 1956, they then had the o ring groove. if memory serves me correct, it was September 1956.

I had years of leaking seals on the rear axle. one good point mentioned by Phil is the hole in the back axle. it must be clear.

the other thing I did was make my gaskets out of cork sheet. use the paper one as a template and cut it out.

[GavinL]

Thanks for the advice. Good point about the hub oil seals, I hadn't intended taking the hubs off as the bearings appear ok, But for the price of a couple of oil seals and tab washers it would be daft not to replace them, and I can check the drain holes.

[philthehill]

Reference using cork for the half-shaft gasket:-

Personally I could not recommend its use in this application - the correct thickness gasket paper (0.004" max) should be used as it determines the hold on the outer race of the hub bearing by the half-shaft flange.
See Minor wksp man Section HH2 for full details
A cork gasket does not have the strength/integratory of the paper gasket. Cork will compress when a load is applied and it may allow the bearing outer race to become free in the hub and allow it to move laterally.
A little lateral movement can become a large lateral movement which may result tin the hub becoming so worn that it has to be replaced.
Whilst it may work initially - cork is a good material where no load is applied but is certainly not suitable for use as a half-shaft/hub gasket.
Phil