Drive shaft oil seals

[rsawatson]

Hello,

Advice please - my car has been off the road for a year or two and I took it out for a drive yesterday. There’s a strong smell of gear oil coming from the nearside rear drum and so I think it’s safe to assume that the driveshaft has leaked oil into the drum.

This is not the first time this has happened. The breather is clear and when I reassembled the car (months about now) I carefully fitted the gasket and smeared some Wellseal on to it as I was advised to. It’s a pain!

Any advice on how to solve this once and for all? What could be causing the leak? Is it that the wheels were off the car for a period of time whilst it was in storage and that these have allowed the gaskets to break? Or is it likely to be the oil seal rather than the gasket?

As said, advice on what to do to prevent this happening yet again would be much appreciated!

[philthehill]

I would suggest that you replace the hub oil seals, replace the drive shaft gasket (smeared in grease not Wellseal) and make sure that the drain holes in the backplates are clear.
As the car has been stood the lip oil seals could have picked up on the axle stub and torn.
If the car is in storage the hubs should be turned on a regular basis to keep the seals from sticking to the axle stub.
You may have the later hubs with the rubber 'O' ring fitted - if you have the 'O' ring seals replace them.
As the axle shaft is held to the hub by one screw it is of benefit to fit the wheel nuts (reversed when the wheels are removed to hold it all together.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Grease isn't a sealant.

If you take the drum off you will see where the oil is leaking from. If it's the hub seal it'll have run down the backplate. If it's the halfshaft paper seal it will be dripping from there (but if the backplate drain hole is blocked a leaking hub seal can cause oil to run to the halfshaft end too). Unlikely to be the halfshaft paper seal as you've already replaced it using a proper sealing compound.

[philthehill]

" grease is not a sealant" - I know!
The grease is used to settle the gasket and keep it supple. If the gasket is not greased the gasket goes hard and allows oil to weep past.
If the joint faces are clean and true then there is no need for a 'proper sealing compound'.
BMC never used it and I have never had the need to use a proper sealing compound on the hub to half-shaft gasket but each to their own.

[rsawatson]

Thank you both for your opinions. Given that the car has been standing with little use and I’m going to have to take things apart whatever the cause, I think that I’ll replace everything - oil seals, gaskets and ‘O’ rings.

Fingers crossed I’ll have better luck now the car is going to be in more regular use again!

[oliver90owner]

Thank you both for your opinions. Given that the car has been standing with little use and I’m going to have to take things apart whatever the cause, I think that I’ll replace everything - oil seals, gaskets and ‘O’ rings.

Fingers crossed I’ll have better luck now the car is going to be in more regular use again!

Follow PTH’s advice. He is the one with sensible information and obvious practical knowledge of remedial procedures. For most joints, the gaskets are the seal - the only seal. In this instance the grease simply provides the ‘freedom of movement as the joint is secured.

One question: Are the seals installed in the correct orientation?

[JOWETTJAVELIN]