1st Gen S/C runny nose

Next time you always buy two seals just in case one doesn’t work correctly

 

Pulled the old seal and cleaned it all up with brake cleaner today. Prior to cleaning the shaft spun smooth and quiet. Now after cleaning it feels a bit rough and squeaks. Can I assume that is due to the lack of lubrication as it was washed away from cleaning?

 

Possibly as long as you didn’t get and dirt in there.but sounds a little strange

 

One last thing, make sure the seal is in the snout perfectly square, if it’s not and one side is pushed in a little more or less than the other side the seal might not seal and also if there is a slight offset angle the seal lip will push into the shaft that will cause a low wear spot on the shaft.

 

Yeah I looked like the old seal was offset like you say. The C-ring wasn't even locked in place. I suppose if I just push it down fully and evenly it will seat properly.

 

Ok great, the Viton material is so strong it will wear a grove in the shaft if not perfect square over time.
Ask me how I know? Because this happened to me. My seal was not perfect square
and had to have the shaft repaired when I Had it rebuilt

 

So I searched out a local machine shop and the dude was really cool. They're industrial, widget and stuff. I think I broke up the monotony. He pressed out the shaft so I could spray the individual bearings with brake cleaner and clean the inside of the snout. I did that and applied a bit of WD40 and smooth as silk. BTW when he was pressing out the shaft I saw the outer(front) bearing drop down and fully seat. Looked like it dropped 1/8-1/4". Blew me away. It wasn't even fully seated. It is now.

Anyway he was going to tap a plug in the top but drill was in use and he didn't want to stop production and change everything up and back. So he told me to come back Monday morning and he would take care of me.

Yesterday I tried fishing a 1/4 tube through the original port with the snout partially attached to the rotor plate with just a small gap so I could peer in and the tubing would not go to the bottom of chamber as gears were blocking. It's obviously tight in there. So I'm happy I'm getting that port tapped. Once he does that he will press the shaft back on and I can get back to it.

 

Very good, looks like it was definitely not seated,
since he’s going to do it Monday, should you overnight a new bearing and replace it since it’s apart? How many miles on that snout bearing?
Usually the snout bearing goes out first. Would be easy to replace it now.

 

Here is a good how to do link for the nose rebuild and fill hole mod.

 

So did the plug you had drilled go in vertical to the nose as it is set on S/C or perpendicular to surface it was drilled through? This machinist can only set it in drill press as it sits on S/C if you know what I mean and I'm concerned it will leak if not drilled at 90 degrees to surface. What is your experience?

Basically is the top surface of your plug level and slightly offset due the pitch or slope of the drilled surface?

 

It was drilled so when the screw plug is set in its flush with the surface

 

So after I asked the question I decided instead of a widget factory, I should go to an auto machine shop. Ran into another cool dude there and he tapped me an nice hole, perpendicular to the surface, to fit an aluminum plug which he supplied. Then he pressed in the shaft and I was good to go.

I decided to go with the bearings that were in it as they seemed in great shape. Also cleaned out the rear needle bearings and repacking with that Redline CV2 moly grease.

I'll reassemble tomorrow and be ready to role the day after. From what you say that gasket sealer needs 24hrs to fully cure.

 

So I cranked it up yesterday and that thing squealed like a pig...for about 30 seconds. Then quiet as can be. I figured it was the new seal to shaft interface. I had put grease on it when installing seal but I guess it just needed to do its thang.

The plug was weeping a bit after a drive but that's because I didn't wrap enough Teflon tape around it. Tight as a drum now.

 

Mmmm should not have squeezed at all. Hopefully it seats ok.
You should keep a spare seal on hand just in case

 

Maybe it was the dry bearings from being washed with brake cleaner. It took them a bit to get the lube of S/C oil. Or now that I think of it, may have been the belt on the pulley as things were getting settled in. As I said it's quiet now. And no leaks. I am keeping an eye on it.