I would take a really good look at the seal surface on the axle. Measure
it to see if it is the right diameter. If you really think it is the
scratches, I would try the JB Weld.
Option 7. would be to fit a superthin sleeve over the seal surface.
Barney Gaylord's "MGA with an attitude" web page shows step-by-step how
to do this.
Ulix
On Tue, 27 Apr 1999, Ric Otte wrote:
> I've been trying for a long time, unsuccessfully, to stop the oil seal on
> the axle from leaking on my MK II sprite. I now have no leaks where the
> paper gasket and rubber ring goes (due to silicone), but I get oil that
> leaks out and down the back of the brake plate (it doesn't get into the
> brakes lately because I put silicone between the brake backing plate and
> the mounts). But I'd like to fix this leak, since I don't know how long it
> will be before it starts leaking into the brakes again. When I replaced
> the rubber oil seal, and noticed that the axle tube has some scratches on
> it where the oil seal rubs, and while they aren't real deep, they may be
> deep enough to let oil through (I don't know how deep a scratch would have
> to be to let oil pass through). I can only think of a few options:
>
> 1. get new rear end. How available are they in N. California and how much
> would this cost?
> 2. I have a rear end from a later sprite. I was wondering if I could take
> it and the one on the car to a welder. Have him cut off the mounting
> brackets from both axle tubes, and weld the old ones on the newer axle
> tubes. Then I should be able to simply mount this axle tube onto my car.
> Would this really work?
> 3. get some fine sandpaper and try to sand down the axle tube where the
> oil seal rubs. This might take a while, and I'd have no guarantee of
> ending up with a perfectly round tube for the seal to go on. And then the
> narrower tube might not seal as well.
> 4. get some epoxy or JB weld and try to fill in the cracks, and then sand
> until it is flush with the steel surface. I don't think the cracks are
> deep enough for the glue to sink in and stick, but perhaps it would work.
> 5. get dual bearing hubs or some other upgrade to rear so oil seals might
> be some other place on the axle tube. I don't know if this would work, and
> it sounds expensive.
> 6. get another new oil seal and try again. If it fails, live with the oil
> leak and hope it doesn't get into the brakes again.
>
> Anybody have any wisdom or suggestions? Thanks.
>
> Ric Otte
> p.s. I also checked to make sure the breather valve is clear,and it is;
> didn't want any pressure pushing oil out.
>
>
Ulix __/__,__ ___/__|__
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'67 Sprite '74 X1/9
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