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240 Does my Elring rear main seal lip look tight?

S

smncutler

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Hey, this is the third time I've replaced the rear main seal on my rebuilt B23. The first one was a 7 mm wide brown, the lip didn't seal at all and leaked everywhere. Second one was a 10 mm orange Elring which I concluded I likely screwed up the install. Now I've installed another orange Elring but the lip doesn't seem to be very tight against the crankshaft flange. I removed the carrier this time, cleaned it up and installed the seal in the carrier dry with a perfectly sized paint can and a mallet. Here are some pics. Does it look odd to you?
I have a brown 7 mil Reinz seal as a backup but I'm pretty sure the same one puked oil the first time around.

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=e92b8b89578e3ce9150020b542d3f601&oe=5BC47776

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=65b14ca892eec25b794a37f9bece9eb1&oe=5B96D33F

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=16cfb99b30e7c6916df64ef052568bd2&oe=5B80ACAC

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=dc6bf8f93f75738401ffc8e928d0bead&oe=5B850E3D

https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=9441c6238377b2ae3932c7d03710d1de&oe=5B82E807
 
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I used a Volvo seal and it seal perfectly, moved it a hair off the old wear line. Ita been about 10 k miles but no leaks yet (fingers crossed)

I used 10w-30 as lube and used a cam gear to push it into place. The Volvo ones have a plastic retainer to make it easy to install onto the crank end

<a href='http://i.imgur.com/XTxEFiW' title=''><img src='http://i.imgur.com/XTxEFiWl.jpg' alt='' title='Hosted by imgur.com' /></a>

<a href='http://i.imgur.com/0DsTB8e' title=''><img src='http://i.imgur.com/0DsTB8el.jpg' alt='' title='Hosted by imgur.com' /></a>

Plus I didnt realize what the plastic case was for so I removed it. Only to jave to put it back on later cause I couldn't get it to go on...

<a href='http://i.imgur.com/6ySahLJ' title=''><img src='http://i.imgur.com/6ySahLJl.jpg' alt='' title='Hosted by imgur.com' /></a>
 
My car is on blocks and my neighbors hate me. I have two seals, which one should I use? I can't wait and get a Volvo seal tomorrow. I don't care if it drips a little.
I tried using a cam gear but mine was about a millimeter larger than the carrier, it wouldn't go in. I pressed the seal in upside down on a hardwood table, flipped it back over, stuck a small paint can on it and gave it a few whacks in a circle.
 
I would wait till a more experienced tber chimes in...I would think those pictures look okay, but ive done this a total of ONE times.
 
Ok, well thanks for your pics, I do appreciate it.
Wait, you lubed the seal when installing it in the carrier? Or just the lip when sliding it onto the crank?
 
No problem, mine seems to be set back farther than your pictures but it could be the angle of the picture. Also I hear offsetting it off the old wear mark is key
 
Yeah I tried to do that. I had the machine shop clean up the crank a bit so it should be ok. My worry (this time around anyway) is less that I've installed it wrong and more that the seal doesn't seem like it will seal very well. I'm considering bolting up the flywheel and starter and cranking it over to see if it gushes oil or what.
 
A couple if things I see.

The seal doesn't appear to be an Elring brand. The i.d. is 1mm too small. This is what a genuine Elring silicone rubber seal looks like.

https://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/45120/Crankshaft-Seal-Rear-93x110x10mm-0044598/

lg_173c4fca-d0bf-4254-b514-432e1828d3e1.jpg


Other than that, I don't see a problem with your installation.

FYI, the garter spring on the brown viton rubber seals will fall off when you try to install it on the crank if you don't use white plastic installation sleeve. You can't see it when it happens unless the pan is off.
 
Ok so I must have an off-brand orange one. I had different seal kits mixed up, some were elring. Should I pull the carrier once again and install the brown Reinz seal?
I never had an installation sleeve, maybe that waspart of the problem? Though the spring hadn't popped out when I removed it...
 
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That's kinda up to you. I prefer the silicone seals but the general consensus on TB is the OE viton seals are superior. I think the Elring orange silicone seals got a bad reputation from all the aftermarket crap that looks the same. Even the Elring seal that IPD is selling is different than the one from FCP (which is the one I prefer). Elring must have more than one plant making their seals or they're repackaging someone else's seals.

fullsize_2695.jpg
 
If it will leak a minimum of oil for 20,000 miles I will be happy. I got all of mine from a variety of seal kits ordered by my machinist. I guess I'll bolt up the starter and flywheel and crank it just to be sure it won't puke oil.
 
That plastic thing is just to get it to slip onto the crank, then you take it off and keep tapping the volvo seal in right? How I did it, that plastic thing will not go all the way with the seal..

Seems now thinking about it, I did it a few weeks ago and was not able to get it to go on the crank at all with that plastic thing. I had to take it out of the plastic then I could get it on.
 
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Found the problem. Past times I'd tried the rear main seal was in fact leaking a little, but the whole time there was a goddamn pinhole through the center of the plug in the back of the goddamn oil gallery. brb throwing tools
 
smncutler said:
Found the problem. Past times I'd tried the rear main seal was in fact leaking a little, but the whole time there was a goddamn pinhole through the center of the plug in the back of the goddamn oil gallery. brb throwing tools
Click to expand...

Sounds like you got a hold of a plug that was modified to oil the timing gears/chain for a 'murican V8.

TimingChainOilMod_2417.jpg


sbabbs said:
Yes that is what everybody says but I think it would be better or more clear if you say to get it started slipped onto the crank and then take if off and complete tapping the seal all the way to where it needs to go.
Click to expand...

You're right.

Think of it as an installation tool to get the seal started on the crank. Once the seal is on the crank, remove the tool.
 
More important than the color of the seal is that, it fits the crank.

The next most important is that the seal gets installed properly square to the crank and with no distortion.

Isn't the brown a Buna N silicone? I think that may be better, either seal will provide many years of leak free service.
 
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