Thread: Rear main seal and crucifix seals

Hi Jazzman, just did my cruciform seals (89 RRC) and found that the new style seals are a !@#% dog to install. The new design is ribbed along each arm of the seal with raised edges. The horizontal arms are much shorter than the old style seal. Because of the raised edges the seals seat higher in the bearing cap and protrude more above the recess they sit in - making it impossible to push the bearing cap home without ripping the seals to bits on the edge of the block.

When I wen to buy another pair of seals, I was very lucky that my local specialist in old Land Rovers lent me a special pair of guides he'd fabricated to do this job - essentially two flat pieces of about 6mm thick flat aluminium (45mm x 30mm) with a rounded shoulder on a 45mm side of each.

Each flat piece is drilled (slightly slotted hole to allow accurate positioning) to allow a bolt to secure it to the sump bolt holes immediately adjacent to the rear main bearing cap. The rounded 45 mm edge of each then sits exactly on the edge of the block so that the cruciform seals can be guided in as the bearing cap is installed without their catching on the sharp squared edge of the block.

This worked a treat for me though you still have to very careful getting the cap started evenly and slowly into the block. I oiled the seals well too.

Sorry this is so wordy - you'll see what I mean as soon as you try to install the rear main bearing cap

You can use old feeler gauges, too. I just did this job a while ago but I can't remember having any problems - or how I did it.

Here's a picture from a Series IIA workshop manual with "E" pointing to the sort of tool that Ron describes:

Thanks for the tips fellas. I'll let you know how I go.

Yep that's it exactly.
While we're on it - I've read in some posts that people cut off the extruding ends flush with the sump gasket face before fitting the sump. Yet the manual states emphatically that the seals must protrude 1.5 mm. Do the ends just compress in when you fit the sump or what's the go?

I left them poking out as recommended and put a cork sump gasket on. It should be all nicely squished up.