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MG MGA - Felt Oil Seal Installation

So I gave it my honest try several times on Saturday to install a new felt seal into the timing cover.

I tried it dry first, then soaked the seal in oil and tried again. I get around the ring and the last bit is just sticking out like you wouldn't believe, is all twisted up, and has no possible chance of ever being uniform in the seal race.

Any tips, tricks, or ideas on this?

Anything would be helpful!

Thanks!

-Jamie
J DeRienzo

Can't work from one side, as you stretch it and the "excess" piles up on the other side. Bend the felt in half and start two opposite sides into the groove, being sure not to twist it. Then work the quarter points in. You need to always tend to compress the seal toward the parts already in the groove, else you get what you've got.

FRM
FR Millmore

Soak the felt in oil overnight before you start doing as FRM describes...
Pete
P N Tipping

Change the cover to MGB and you get a better seal as well!
Barry
Barry Gannon

Jamie,

You are doing it with the timing cover OFF the engine aren't you!

Andy
Andrew Dear

As Barry says, throw it away, and use the MGB cover, which has the neoprene seal.
Gary Lock

What is it with people and modern seals?
A felt seal may be a bit damp, but it never leaks badly, until the engine is thoroughly clapped out. Lip seals stay very dry at first, if properly centered on a good surface, then they leak more than a felt one ever does, until they fail catastrophically and dump all the oil out of the engine. Never had to buy an exorbitant SpeediSleeve either for a felt seal.

FRM
FR Millmore

The way I fitted mine was this:
First soak the felt seal in engine oil. Then sandwich the seal in between two flat surfaces (I used two small pieces of fibreboard). Lock in a vice overnight a bit tight, and the next day they become thinner and more pliable to fit in. It was an easy enough job for me.

Frank
F. Camilleri

Considering that the car has original paint and has had one owner, my grandmother, before me, I'm not quite interested in overt modifications to the car.

The funniest thing though is that I never can seem to remember if the car has a felt or rubber oil seal! So everytime I've done this I've ordered a new rubber and felt seal because I'm not around the car to check it out. When exactly was a rubber seal used on the A? Never? If so, why in the heck do the parts suppliers list the oil seal under A...you'd have to switch to a B cover to....oh ;)

When the car was brand new the front oil seal had issues. The dealer wouldn't fix it even though it was a known warranty issue. My family wound up going around the dealer to the distributor to get the issue fixed. Then the dealer asked why they didn't let them help them out...!

I knew this had to be a technique issue. Starting witht he two opposite sides and compressing towards each other certainly makes sense! Sounds like I might need to sit in a chair with a nice beverage and some nice jazz and give it another whirl.

Thanks a lot!
J DeRienzo

This thread was discussed between 16/11/2011 and 17/11/2011

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