Halfshaft oil seals

[sixdogs]

I'm confused yet again!! Having taken my Minor for MOT today, I was surprised when told the offside rear brakes were not working and the drum was leaking oil or fluid, as it was only a few weeks ago that I had all the drums off to check for leaks etc.

When I removed the drum, sure enough it was all a mess, but it seemed more like grease than oil which seemed to be coming from the edge of the half shaft flange joint. Now, Rob Thomasson did an article in last months Minor Matters, on replacing half shaft oil seals. Reading this and my infamous Leyland worshop manual has served to confuse me. No one mentions grease in the hub, or replacing the hub oil seal. Only replacing the O- ring and flange gasket are mentioned.

No mention is made of draining the diff before removing the half shaft. Will oil pour out ?

I would appreciate more input from those who have been down this road. Is it a good idea to use some "instant gasket" (the blue silicon rubber stuff) on the flange gasket ?

Also, bearing in mind that the rear brake shoes are recently new and have only just bedded in, and that new ones will take ages to bed in again, and I will have no MOT on the car to run it around bedding them in, should I try boiling the linings in washing powder, as we used to do in the old days, in order to remove the contamination ? I would be quite happy to replace the shoes once I have an MOT and they can bed in naturally in the fullness of time.

Would welcome any advice and tips.

Regards, Clive.

[Willie]

The inner oil seal is the usual rubber type with a coil spring inside it.
obviously you must remove the offending half shaft to get at the large
nut which retains the hub (the NEAR SIDE nut is a left hand thread). when
you have removed the hub you will be able to tap[ out the bearing so
that the old seal can be removed. A new seal will usually cure the leak
but, if it does not then the casing of the rear axle on to which the seal
rubs is probably worn with age and it is then necessary to fit the seal so that
it is not quite so far home in its housing i.e. say a 1/16" less far in which means that it will now be running on a virginal section of the axle.Unfortunately you will not know if this is necessary until you have replaced the assembly!! With a new paper gasket on the half shaft flange
you should NOT use any sort of gasket cement as it is of a certain thickness
which allows for a secure clamping of the ballrace. Regarding the oil soaked
linings you have my sympathy. I too often saved oily linings by boiling them
in TIDE washing powder years ago but the Minor ones are so cheap and the
rear axle EP oil is so 'sticky' that it isn't worth the bother. Remember to lightly oil the lip of the new oil seal on reassembly.

[bmcecosse]

There is also an O ring in there beside the paper gasket. But check the diff is not over-filled - and check the breather is not blocked. If the hub bearing is a bit loose this could allow the half-shaft to move about rather more than the seal could cope with. If you jack the car up high enough on the side you are working on - the oil should not run out. I too as a poor student used to try boiling linings in all kinds of solutions- none of them really worked for long. Oil remains in the lining and when it gets hot in use, this oil comes to the surface. So it's a new set of linings - they don't need to bed in. Just take the edges off with a file.

[MikeNash]

Corr! You're brave to suggest boiling brake linings in oil! But the gurus have been nice to you - admitting they've done it in their youth. Simmered for two hours in Persil will do the trick. 15k miles and two MOTs later mine're still doing the job and will lock up the brakes on a wet road. I'm surprised it doesn't wreck the adhesive that bonds the linings to the shoes. Regards, MikeN.

[sixdogs]

There is also an O ring in there beside the paper gasket. But check the diff is not over-filled - and check the breather is not blocked. If the hub bearing is a bit loose this could allow the half-shaft to move about rather more than the seal could cope with. If you jack the car up high enough on the side you are working on - the oil should not run out. I too as a poor student used to try boiling linings in all kinds of solutions- none of them really worked for long. Oil remains in the lining and when it gets hot in use, this oil comes to the surface. So it's a new set of linings - they don't need to bed in. Just take the edges off with a file.

Where is the Breather ?

Clive

[RogerRust]

Probably worth replacing the wheel bearings at the same time- they are cheap and have to come out anyway.

[bmcecosse]

On top side of the diff casing. If there is pressure in the axle it can push oil out past the seal(s).

[Willie]

I don't think we advocated boiling the linings in oil!! 'Tide' detergent used
to do the job but is probably no longer available.

[bmcecosse]

Did anyone suggest 'boiling in oil'? The idea of boiling them in any sort of solution - I think we mainly used washing soda - is to try to saponify the oil - but as I said - it stays deep down in the lining - and then when used on the car, rises to the surface and bang goes the coeff of friction.

[sixdogs]

Thanks for all your input guys. When I started to remove the half shaft, I noticed that I could slide the assembly in and out of the axle casing by about 1/4 inch (6mm !!). This did not seem right. Once I'd got the half shaft out, the cause was revealed. The hub nut had unscrewed itself, having left the tab washer, which was not adequatley bent, behind on the shaft. This was obviously the cause of the whole problem.

We all despise the MOT test, but the truth is that had the test not picked up the oil leak, another few miles would have seen the nut completely off the shaft and a resulting disaster. All the work which has been carried out on the car was done on behalf of the previous owner by a reputable company who specialise in Minor restorations. Says somethink I think!!

The forum has thrown up some useful points. I would no doubt have got there under my own steam, as once one actualy gets hands on the job, it usualy becomes obvious what is required. But what is the point of falling into traps which can be avoided by heading the advice of those people who have already been there and survived.

In the end, this morning, I decided to buy a hub kit from Minor Developments in Kidderminster, which is only a few miles from my home. The kit was £12-50 and comprises a bearing, oil seal, paper gasket, "o"-ring and tab washer. It is now obvious that there was not a problem with the flange leaking, but for the price of the kit, I might as well replace the lot. I just hope that the old bearing, being allowed to slide about in the
housing, has not wrecked the housing.

One useful tip which the fellow at Minor Developments gave me was to clean out the hole in the axle casing, just below the point where it passes through the brake back plate. The hole is to allow leaked oil to drain out harmlessly, it being caught in the gantry surrounding the axle case. Hopefully, one would notice the oil dripping down from behind the back plate before it wrecked the linings etc.

Thanks again for all the postings.

Clive.

[MikeNash]

Sorry about the "boiling in oil" . Brane failure again. How could have I written that even when I meant something completely different? And then let it go out after reading it on the screen in front of me? Corr! MikeN.

[Willie]

SIXDOGS.....crikey! Glad that you found it before the wheel fell off. That is a
worrying fault if it was done by a 'specialist'.