Chasing oil leaks

[Rockape]

Right - so now the car is on the road -I turn my attention to reducing the oil drips.

I have a drip of gearbox oil from the drain plug - having just put in new oil , I can see that’s what it is and I can see a small bead of oil on the plug itself. Have tried to simply tighten it (i put some PTFE tape on the plug , but that is really a thread lubricant not a seal)

so - next step - drain the oil out, and try the plug without the tape? Or is there a thread sealant product that would be good for this application?

I also have what might be a small weep at the speedometer connection - but want to eliminate the oil drip from the plug before going on to the next one !

thanks!

[PeteH]

9 hours ago, Mathew said:

All oil leaks look worse than they are. This is triumphs way of keeping rust at bay.

Didn`t actually work too well on many!.☹️ I full 8x4 (old money) sheet of steel went back into the 13/60!.😁

Pete.

[Pete Lewis]

the plug should be a tapered thread so doing it up firly it should self seal  there is no reason to not use a sealer.......... any type is ok 

the speedo drive output does have an oil seal 

Gearbox : Canley Classics

Pete

[Wagger]

If you have inadvertently swapped the filler plug with the drain plug, they will have bedded in differently. However, tigtening it should make it re-seal unless the casing has a crack. As Pete says, BSP tapered plugs should not need sealant.

You would have to drain, clean, dry and apply something like Hylomar, and screw it in very swiftly in order for sealant to be all around the plug.

 

[Rockape]

thanks all ..... pretty sure I haven't swapped the plugs around (not to say previous owner didn't do that!)

I will drop the oil (again !!) and have a closer look at the threads, and also check for cracks in the case. If I can't find anything untoward, I will get some Hylomar on and see if that does the trick.

Need to check the speedo seal I guess..... 

Those decent CJ Autos ramps are becoming more and more attractive !

[PeteH]

With taper plugs. The operative word(s) are "it shouldnt", however by 50+years most have been so well abused that it`s become mandatory!. "Boss" white and hemp are/where in much use back in the "day", especially on steam. Once it "cooked" it set like concrete!!. The quality of the threads had a lot of influence on the ability to seal as well.

Pete.

[Colin Lindsay]

Don’t blame the drain plug until you’re sure it’s the cause. Remember it’s the lowest point of the assembly so oil drips migrate there without necessarily starting there.

[68vitesse]

Have used Loctite 55, looks like dental floss, to seal threads, according to my Vitesse WSM drain and full plugs are Dryseal, American National Taper Fuel, which when new should seal without any sealant.

Regards

Paul.

[Rockape]

32 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Don’t blame the drain plug until you’re sure it’s the cause. Remember it’s the lowest point of the assembly so oil drips migrate there without necessarily starting there.

Thats a good point that had occurred to me . I read here somewhere that the trick is to dry off the offending area and then apply a light dusting of talcum powder - this will show where the leaks/tracks are.

i should probably do this before dropping the oil again…..!

[PeteH]

13 minutes ago, Rockape said:

Thats a good point that had occurred to me . I read here somewhere that the trick is to dry off the offending area and then apply a light dusting of talcum powder - this will show where the leaks/tracks are.

i should probably do this before dropping the oil again…..!

👍. I do the same using the developer normally part of the NDT crack detection kit, Mind after 20 years my "stock" is depleting.

Pete

[Pete Lewis]

if talc doesnt find the trace it will smell nice 

Pete

[Wagger]

'Walk this way' comes to mind.

[Chris A]

2 hours ago, PeteH said:

crack detection kit,

Now we are definitely drifting this thread to somewhere we shouldn't . .

[Colin Lindsay]

[Chris A]

Definitely "No comment!" to that

[Rockape]

Right ho….

am now the proud possessor of a pair of CJ Autos ramp jacks (jack ramps? - whatever)

so now I can get underneath really easily and quickly. Applied the talc powder yesterday and had a look this morning….

found a few bolts loose - engine oil sump mainly - so got those tightened up

the gearbox oil leak seems to be mainly from the speedo cable entry. I happen to have a spare and it seems the seals are a pair of “O” rings around the barrel - so in principle tightening the ferrule won’t make any difference - the answer is to probably remove the speedo connection, replace the seals and re-install. 
 

tricky getting fingers onto that ferrule though….carpets out ??
 

does the hive-mind have any thoughts on this?

cheers

 

[Pete Lewis]

on a std gearbox there is an ) ring to seal the pinion housing and an oil seal to seal the pinion drive shaft 

Gearbox : Canley Classics

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

3 hours ago, Rockape said:

does the hive-mind have any thoughts on this?

cheers

All of my multiple personalities are thinking that's only removable from above; it sits above the floorpan so it's tunnel off time.

They're easily broken if they've not been removed in years so be very careful, it's possible you may be able to draw it out by keeping the speedo cable fully attached and pulling / levering on that but being plastic the threads on the drive itself are easily damaged. I've had some that pulled out easily, others came out in pieces so you can be lucky, but be careful.

Once out it's just two o-rings.

 

[68vitesse]

If Oil Seal Speedo Drive 108757

Also known as AAU2304A AAU2304J NKC105 according to internet.

Seems to be a common part used by different makers, plenty on eBay.

Changed the one one my J Type overdrive some years ago, the seal was hard and brittle and leaked.

Regards

Paul