Final drive problem on US trip

[Colban]

Aidans 1150 shat its bearing/seal a few days ago.
A new seal along with a used/good bearing were fitted and all has looked good for a thousand miles until this AM when a pool of oil appeared when parked up at a gas station in the middle of Oklahoma.
The oil was black after the 1K miles but it may be that the drive needed flushing after the first failure.We tapped the seal inwards about 2 mm all round,filled with fresh oil and now appears OK after a 150 mile ride.
When i originally fitted the new seal,i tapped it in flush to the casing;the same as the seal coming out.We noticed that the wheel span easier than usual,so i guess that the seal contacting the bearing inner race provides that missing friction as well as sealing the path of the oil thru the bearing and out thru the wheel nut holes.Question is.....if the seal had not been seated correctly originally,why did it last a few days before leaking again and how can we be sure that the seal is seated correctly against the bearing to stop the oil coming thru the wheelbolt holes?.

 

[MattW]

Others may correct me here but as far as I'm aware, the seal doesn't have to make contact with the bearing to provide any additional sealing function - it's just a big shaft seal.

Oil can come through the wheel stud holes if the alloy cone and bevel gear which make up the hub start to lose their 'fit' (they're an interference / press fit) and allow a leak path between the two components but this is nothing to do with the seal - oil through the stud holes and oil leaking from the seal are two different problems. If you are getting oil out of the stud holes then it's not good - a replacement FD is the only usual remedy.

If the oil is leaking from the seal rather than the stud holes, then I've had the same sort of issue as you with a newly fitted gearbox output shaft seal - worked fine for a while, then started to leak. It turned out that there was a slight wear groove on the shaft which chewed the seal and caused a leak after a couple of hundred miles. A new seal, driven in a couple of mm further so that it sat on an undamaged piece of shaft cured it. This may be the case with you - did you notice any grooving on the hub where the seal face sits when you had it apart?

Sorry - last thing you want on a trip - hopefully Steptoe will be along soon and tell me I'm talking bollox.
Good luck

 

[Timolgra]

Others may correct me here but as far as I'm aware, the seal doesn't have to make contact with the bearing to provide any additional sealing function - it's just a big shaft seal.

Agreed

Sometimes there corrosion on the output shaft, which should be polished off.
When a new seal is fitted it may now be running on a corroded section causing premamture wear of the seal lip. A smear of grease may help with a new seal.
Good luck

 

[CHANGELING]

Did you say oil through the wheel bolt holes ? I hope that was a terminology error.
Oh my word. Stick your finger through the hole in the wheel hub inside the FD gear from the left side of the bike and give it a good wipe round. Any oil ?
This leak is not from the seal it is from the press fitted parts on the gearset ! Maybe caused by using excess heat when changing the big bearing. Do not fear I rode for 6000kms with a sock stuffed in that space to soak up the oil. Just change socks every 2 weeks! Bad news you will need to find a new FD or re-machine a new spacer part. Eventually.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Agreed

Sometimes there corrosion on the output shaft, which should be polished off.
When a new seal is fitted it may now be running on a corroded section causing premamture wear of the seal lip. A smear of grease may help with a new seal.
Good luck

Aidann cleaned the corrosion with some emery.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Did you say oil through the wheel bolt holes ? I hope that was a terminology error.
Oh my word. Stick your finger through the hole in the wheel hub inside the FD gear from the left side of the bike and give it a good wipe round. Any oil ?
This leak is not from the seal it is from the press fitted parts on the gearset ! Maybe caused by using excess heat when changing the big bearing. Do not fear I rode for 6000kms with a sock stuffed in that space to soak up the oil. Just change socks every 2 weeks! Bad news you will need to find a new FD or re-machine a new spacer part. Eventually.

So,using a welding torch for a heat source and an angle grinder to remove the inner race may not have been the ideal solutions.Cheers guys.

 

[Greg Masters]

A new seal along with a used/good bearing were fitted and all has looked good for a thousand miles ...

Maybe the replacement bearing has also failed. Dial in your nearest BM dealer and do the job properly and then enjoy the rest of your ride.

Greg

 

[Canuck]

I'd do it yourself... then you know you should have done it correctly... my bike came shimmed horribly wrong from the factory...

 

[z900guy]

Others may correct me here but as far as I'm aware, the seal doesn't have to make contact with the bearing to provide any additional sealing function - it's just a big shaft seal.

Oil can come through the wheel stud holes if the alloy cone and bevel gear which make up the hub start to lose their 'fit' (they're an interference / press fit) and allow a leak path between the two components but this is nothing to do with the seal - oil through the stud holes and oil leaking from the seal are two different problems. If you are getting oil out of the stud holes then it's not good - a replacement FD is the only usual remedy.

If the oil is leaking from the seal rather than the stud holes, then I've had the same sort of issue as you with a newly fitted gearbox output shaft seal - worked fine for a while, then started to leak. It turned out that there was a slight wear groove on the shaft which chewed the seal and caused a leak after a couple of hundred miles. A new seal, driven in a couple of mm further so that it sat on an undamaged piece of shaft cured it. This may be the case with you - did you notice any grooving on the hub where the seal face sits when you had it apart?

Sorry - last thing you want on a trip - hopefully Steptoe will be along soon and tell me I'm talking bollox.
Good luck

If you have problems with a groove worn by the oil seal lip or corrosion on the shaft then this product will remedy the damage and is a permanent repair . I sell them at work ( no profit in it for me , I am just an employee )

Chris

http://www.skf.com/files/778249.pdf


http://www.skf.com/files/778249.pdf

 

[MattW]

If you have problems with a groove worn by the oil seal lip or corrosion on the shaft then this product will remedy the damage and is a permanent repair . I sell them at work ( no profit in it for me , I am just an employee )

Chris

http://www.skf.com/files/778249.pdf


http://www.skf.com/files/778249.pdf

Nice one Chris - this was to be my next option if driving the seal deeper didn't work but I had no idea how to size / specify them. Good to know that there's someone on here who can help

 

[CHANGELING]

I have one of these on my output shaft, held tight with a spot of Loctite bearing retainer and it works a treat. And has done for three and a half years / 80000 kms.

 

[(RIP) Yamaha1]

Looks a good solution - but someone has to ask - what stops the oil leaking between the shaft and the new ring?

Mike