Rear oil seal

[Ignatzcatz]

After my run out to Precision Porsche's Saturday's meet, I noticed some oil drips on the bottom of the rearmost bodywork. It looks like the seal just in front of the lower pulley is slightly leaking. After removing the lower pulley, am I correct in thinking this seal can then be accessed and can be replaced fairly easily, or do you have to start pulling the engine apart, something I definitely do not want to do.

[Mike Smith]

Yes - you can access it the way that you suggest

The Bolt can be very tight on occassions

Go very easy on the Pulley, when pulling it off - they are brittle (some are tight on the crank some are a nice fit)

Make sure that you get the new seal in Square - if it is on the wonk the sealing surface will be oval and not round - more drips (there is a special Tool)

The sealing is done on the Pulley - examine that for condition of the Sealing surface

If you are going to the 356 International -Leave it until afterwards

[Ignatzcatz]

Thanks Mike, I'll make sure it's not on the wonk. And I'm going to have to miss the 356 International cos 'er indoors has given my dinner jacket and bow tie away to the charity shop.

[Mike Smith]

`Dinner Jackets` - `Black Tie` - `Le Smoking` is all a Wicked Rumour

356 Internationals are always - Jeans and sweaters through the day - Smart Casual in the Evenings

The year I have to wear a DJ is the Year you will not see me there

[Mike Smith]

The Saturday Night Bash - Not a DJ in Site

[Kneeslider]

Mike is right that the nut can be properly tight. I had a mangled brass distributor drive gear which I wanted to change with the engine in the car. I tried all sorts, and couldn't get it off. Heat, big spanners, bigger spanners, hitting big spanners and combinations of all of them. Eventually, I took the engine out and used an electric impact wrench to shift it.

I discovered that my pulley had developed a crack at the corner of the keyway, and had to replace the pulley.

When I put it back together again with a new seal in the 3rd piece, and after torquing the nut to the correct number (can't remember now, but 70lbft rings a bell. It was way tighter than that.), I had a slight oil weep from the washer under the nut, but a smear of jointing compound on it, and reassembly has kept the car oil tight since.

[Ignatzcatz]

It still looks a bit posh to me, apart from Paul, he looks 'proper'.

[Ignatzcatz]

Job's done, I should have had it done for a drive last weekend but I got a flywheel end seal instead of a pulley end seal, no worries though because it gave me the opportunity to change the transmission oil. I took out the straight EP90 and threw in some synthetic competition 75-90 which I'm hoping might ease the gear shifting although I'm not holding out much hope that it will cut down on the third gear bearing whine. A transmission rebuild is definitely coming my way.
The only probs I encountered swapping that rear seal was sliding the lower pulley back on, it kept picking up the little dowel on the keyway on the crankshaft. I sat the pulley on my leadlight for a half hour whilst I had a coffee and on return the pulley had swelled up just enough to slide right on. I didn't go mental getting the pulley tight but I don't think it will be coming off anytime soon. So I'm all set for a Sunday cruise in this great weather.