I'll just add that Loctite makes a "Retaining Compound" that
will stop the bearing spinning in slightly worn hubs. It cured the
oil leak (seep) I was seeing via this path.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Angela Hervey-Tennyson & Peter Westcott <toobmany@bigpond.com>
To: spridgets@autox.team.net <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Wednesday, 28 April 1999 21:20
Subject: Re: stubborn axle oil leak
>1/ a Speedi sleeve will cure the axle ends, ask your bearing specialist
>2/ make sure the bearing isn't spinning in the hub, oil gets driven through
>here by the bearing rotation
>3/ make sure the drain hole through the backing plate is clear, it's on the
>underside of the axle tube and is there to give leaks a path away from the
>brakes
>
>Peter
>
>----------
>From: Ric Otte <otte@cats.ucsc.edu>
>To: spridgets@autox.team.net
>Subject: stubborn axle oil leak
>Date: Wednesday, 28 April 1999 1:12
>
>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.
>
>
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