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MG MGA - MGA 1600 Gearbox Rear Seal Replacement

Does anybody know if it's possible to change the rear gearbox seal without engine/gearbox removal? Means the gearbox flange has to be pulled for seal removal. Nothing in the manual...

Pete
Pete Tipping

There is a tool to remove it without removing the engine and trans. Check your local auto parts store for the tool or look online for a supplier. Last ditch is to take it to a local trans shop and have it done.
JEFF BECKER

Hi Peter. I just had a look at my manual. After removing the drive flange nut, and pulling off the drive flange, this leaves the seal exposed. Directly behind the seal is a snap ring that holds the output shaft bearing in place. I think you could probably extract the seal this way: carefully punch or drill a few holes around the circumference of the seal. (just through the seal sheet metal, no deeper) Then thread in some short sheet metal screws. The heads of the screws could then be grabbed by vise grips, and hopefully, the seal could be extracted. The seal is simply a press fit in the bore, so it should be fairly easy to remove. Hope this helps. Glenn
Glenn

Thanks Glenn

My manual only shows a drawing 1500 version of the gearbox. I was guessing I needed to do exactly what you said here, but it was needing to hear somebody had actually done it with the gearbox in situ before attempting it myself.

Anybody been there?

Pete
Pete Tipping

Just crawled under my 62. The seal is real tight to get at in the narrow tunnel. After the drive shaft is pulled(4 bolt and nuts at each end) and the flange unbolted and pulled and the seal pries out and a new one drives in conventionally.
R J Brown


The seal removal tool looks like a miniature umbrella on a stick. You hook the seal and pry it out with the other side of the tool as a rocking point.Failing that a slim center punch will make a hole and you can pry it out that way.
Sandy
Sandy Sanders

Is it a similar procedure for the 1500 with sliding-spline joint? Or must I pull the gearbox to replace the seal?
Tom Heath

Tom, it may be a little eaiser as you don't have to deal with removing the rear gearbox flange.
John H

Hi Tom. If memory serves, there were 2 differnt types of rear transmission oil seals used on the 1500's. The later seal is an internal type, much like the 1600 seal. The earlier seal is a stamped metal "bucket" that contains an integral oil seal. This metal bucket slips over the end of the transmission tail housing, and somehow gets crimped to hold the bucket and seal to the transmission. I also believe that the bucket style of seal uses a felt sealing ring as the actual seal. The later 1500 transmissions used an internal seal with a "proper" rubber seal. I have never had to replace a rear transmission seal personally, so cannot comment on the level of difficulty for doing this job.
Glenn

Thanks all for your thoughts - esp "RJ" for crawling underneath - surely you had to jack it up to do that or are you really skinny?

Nobody's actually done in situ it then...

Pete
Pete Tipping

The floor boards are not in yet. Would not want to do this job on my back. Without having the car on a hoist this tedious but simple job would become miserable. Another good reason to replace all the seals that you can while accessible.
R J Brown

Glen, the bucket type seal drives on over the end of the transmission, no crimping necessary.
John H

RJ
Got the picture. I don't really want to do it on my back, but I will have to if I can and yes it will be a miserable job. As I have just rebuilt the engine and fitted a new-to-me 1600 gearbox, which is really great but appears to leak at the back end, you can imagine, I'm not keen to get the lot out again, just to change a tuppenny seal!
Pete
Pete Tipping

This thread was discussed between 28/03/2006 and 04/04/2006

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