Balance Shaft Oil Leak
#1
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Balance Shaft Oil Leak
I just finished my first timing belt/waterpump/ft seal job on my 86 NA a few weeks ago. After 400 miles, I noticed a puddle of oil underneath the car. I pulled the timing covers and removed the balance belt and balance sprockets/rollers. The oil is coming from the lower balance shaft and leaking between the balance shaft and the sleeve (not the seal and the sleeve). Both the sleeve and seal are new.
Is the sleeve at fault or is it another seal in the BS assembly that has failed?
Thanks,
Pete
Is the sleeve at fault or is it another seal in the BS assembly that has failed?
Thanks,
Pete
#3
We had the very same problem, and we did replace the Mylar seal. Our seal kit was the Kaco kit. Leaked like a sieve.
If you got it from Vertex, did you check all the part numbers? They originally ent the wrong part for the camshaft seal...
Second time seems to be OK, but I haven't pulled the pan to check yet.
If you got it from Vertex, did you check all the part numbers? They originally ent the wrong part for the camshaft seal...
Second time seems to be OK, but I haven't pulled the pan to check yet.
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Originally Posted by WolfeMacleod
We had the very same problem, and we did replace the Mylar seal. Our seal kit was the Kaco kit. Leaked like a sieve.
If you got it from Vertex, did you check all the part numbers? They originally ent the wrong part for the camshaft seal...
Second time seems to be OK, but I haven't pulled the pan to check yet.
If you got it from Vertex, did you check all the part numbers? They originally ent the wrong part for the camshaft seal...
Second time seems to be OK, but I haven't pulled the pan to check yet.
If you know you used the mylar, and your SURE you've used the correct seal (there can be 1mm diference between upper/lower bal. seals), than maybe it is a leaker caused by a worn seal spacer, or.......what I suspect in our case, just a defective off brand seal that won't seal properly. This is also assuming, the seal was not damaged installing it. And I'm also assuming you removed the entire front bearing cap, and replaced the O-ring seal that goes behind that.
Sometimes, it can be very hard to tell exactly where the leak is coming from. Are you SURE its coming from between the spacer and shaft? If so, most likely the mylar washer.
#5
I did have a problem when I re-used worn seal spacers. It had a groove that was just noticable but I though 'naa that won't cause a leak'. Wrong. The same thing happened when I re-used a worn oil pump drive spacer.... D'oh!
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Thanks for the replys everyone.
The leak is definitely coming from between the shaft and the sleeve.
I took the seal out tonight and the sleeve is stuck. It won't rotate independently of the balance shaft and thus won't slide off. The balance sprocket slid right off.
Anyone have a good idea how to get the stuck sleeve off?
The leak is definitely coming from between the shaft and the sleeve.
I took the seal out tonight and the sleeve is stuck. It won't rotate independently of the balance shaft and thus won't slide off. The balance sprocket slid right off.
Anyone have a good idea how to get the stuck sleeve off?