Engine oil leak after new clutch install

Todd77 · Postby **Todd77** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:33 pm

ilovemassageparlours wrote:That picture has a new seal installed, but it still leaked. So he tried applying silicon, however it still leaked after but apparently not as much.

Is the silicon a bad thing?

It is if it's everywhere,,, like on seal surface. You would have to send a pic of removed seal and crank seal surface. Then I would be able to tell you if it's a bad thing or not

Regie · Postby **Regie** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:30 pm

you should get a better mechanic.

Mr Morlock · Postby **Mr Morlock** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:07 pm

actually it is not all that uncommon to apply a sealant to a seal- very common practise in some applications. I replaced a crank seal front pulley and did not fancy removing it again but it was obliging and it did stop leaking. I also had a sump plug that leaked after a clutch and sump gasket change and the shop changed the oil again and re sealed the plug with no charge.Not all sealants are silicone based.

Todd77 · Postby **Todd77** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:53 am

Mr Morlock wrote:actually it is not all that uncommon to apply a sealant to a seal- very common practise in some applications. I replaced a crank seal front pulley and did not fancy removing it again but it was obliging and it did stop leaking. I also had a sump plug that leaked after a clutch and sump gasket change and the shop changed the oil again and re sealed the plug with no charge.Not all sealants are silicone based.

Yes that's fine, as I said, on the seal plate, block and sump surfaces on the nc engine, on other engines where it's just a seal it's fine to smear a little sealant around the outside surface ( not too much as some have excess oil drainback holes that block up with too much sealant ) but if it gets on the seal surface.... ( seal lip to crank ) NOT GOOD

Maverick · Postby **Maverick** » Sun Sep 03, 2017 12:11 pm

Sounds like he damaged the seal on installation, sometimes they use sockets to do install of seal, perhaps he used too small a socket distorting the seal, have seen this happen.

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juld0zer · Postby **juld0zer** » Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:39 am

Old thread but i just went through this debacle. Bought the car used, previous owner had their local mechanic replace the clutch. They replaced the rear main as a while you're there job and botched it. The seal lip folded on the upper section, which is very easy to do and can be difficult to tell due to the confined space and non-conventional style of seal.

Not all oil seals are the same.
Make sure you find out what material the seal is made of.
Some are meant to be lubed on the seal lip and crank surface but many newer type seals must be installed dry.
Use the SST or installation tool where specified. Some seals for this engine are sold without the plastic cone. You can make a tool using a stiff 1.5L spring water bottle (choose one with a smooth neck/funnel section).
Do not use metal tools to touch the seal lip. You can use plastic trim tools, toothpick or pieces of the plastic bottle you just cut up.

The repair manual also does not go into enough detail and is incorrect in some areas.
This seal has a reversed lip so the inner lip actually points in the direction of insertion. There is a big risk of the lip folding over as you push it onto the crank as the inner lip is a tight fit. By stretching it slightly using your bottle neck tool it will go over easier. Use a blunt toothpick or piece of plastic bottle to make sure the lip did not fold over.

The seal i used was a Kelpro brand one, made in Japan. It is made of PTFE.
This type of seal must be installed dry - do not oil it or the crank!
You must wait 4hrs for the seal to relax back to original shape and size before starting the engine. I left mine overnight with an empty sump for good measure to help the sealant cure properly also.
Be very gentle working with the seal as it distorts easily and is paper thin.