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MG MGA - rear hub leak

advice on rebuilding, the half shaft goes back in with a paper gasket and an o ring, on removal the groove for the o ring was full of sealant? and o ring, and the gasket was difficult to remove from the hub (I assume sealant applied to one side only of gasket).

which is best, or recommended;
1 dry paper gasket and clean o ring.
2 a smear of grease on both sides of gasket and on o ring.
3 use a sealant with the gasket and the o ring.

thanks Ross

PS anyone here in sunny but damp Scotland have the correct socket to tighten the large eight sided nut that holds the hub in place? (1 59/64" I think)
rw mcintosh

Use paper gasket exactly 0.010 inch thick, as it affects clamping of the wheel bearing outer race in the rotating hub. Install O-ring and gasket dry, no sticky stuff. O-ring does the sealing, while gasket serves as parting agent (next time you take it apart). Be sure the first flat head screw is in place to hold the half shaft into the hub, so it doesn't leak next time you remove the brake drum.
barneymg

I agree that you should not use sealant but I always lightly wipe O-rings and the lip of neoprene seals with oil.
This gives the seal initial lubrication until the arrival of the oil to be sealed. The wiping action of seals requires some lubrication.

Mick
M F Anderson

Ross
Not too far away from you just over the bridges. I have removed this nut a few times but haven't got a spanner as I have always used the crude method of hammer and cold chisel.
Paul
Paul Dean

Ross

There was recently a thread on the Autoshrine MGA Forum about the big 8-sided socket, with some options for sourcing.

If you are handy with a hacksaw and welder you can easily make your own using the nut as a former.

Cheers

Dave
Bolney Coupe

Mick,
The 'O' ring in question is simply compressed between two metal mating faces in this application. The two clamped faces rotate together and the 'O' ring does not wipe against any metal surface.

Regards
Colin
Colin Manley

Colin.

Sorry, I am not an expert on the pushrod MGA.
I have only worked on mga twin cams in recent years.
They do not have the O-ring at all, only the seal.
However it should be noted that O-rings and neoprene seals that run on moving surfaces should be oiled when fitting.

Mick
M F Anderson

Paul, you realize that is a capital offence?
Art Pearse

Ross. Where are you in Lothian? I'm a relative newbie to MGA and in Craiglockhart. Nice to know there is another owner nearby. Regards. Tim
TJ Prime

What Art said... You can't really get it tight enough that way.

-Del
D Rawlins

Isn't there a complication about the sizes of o rings used depending on the ear of the car?
Graeme Williams

Yeah, it's been 2-3 years since I had the info fresh in my head, but IIRC the original fitment to my 1500 was a square cross section o-ring of a size that is no longer available. I found some that seemed to be closer to original than what the usual suppliers offer, at "The O-Ring Store" online.

The gaskets that are currently sold are also borked... I think they are the right thickness, but they are a little too small. Some will tell you that is due to shrinkage of the material after they are cut out, and recommend soaking them in water to expand. I think that's mostly bullsh*t, and they are just made wrong, like everything else for our cars seems to be these days.

-Del
D Rawlins

While working on the rear axle it is timely to remember to clean the breather in the rear axle casing.
The rear axle gears develop quite a bit of heat and any expansion of the air in the housing can lead to oil leaks.

Mick
M F Anderson

Be careful removing the breather plug, because it is easy to damage, and the available replacements all suck. Best method of removal is probably to grab the plug body with a pair of soft jawed pliers, and carefully turn it out.

-Del
D Rawlins

With regard to the crude hammer and chisel method it was certainly common 'in the day'. The 2 MGAs I bought at only 11 and 14 years old both had nuts on both axle ends that had been tightened by this method. I suppose it is reasonable to assume the first time this method had been used to tighten it had also been used to slacken so it must be possible to exert enough force.

By the way I am reformed now and would probably fabricate a spanner so hopefully I will be allowed a reprieve from Art''s capital punishment!

Paul
Paul Dean

Reprieve granted!
Art
Art Pearse

It is actually quite difficult in the uk to by imperial sized chisels nowadays.
Graeme Williams

Hi Guys
thanks for the usual quality answers and some odd humour.
I am waiting on wheel bearing kits coming from Moss, they include brgs. seal, gasket and o ring. I will go with dry as is, for the gasket and o ring.

Mick the o ring is clamped between two surfaces and all rotate together so no moving friction as such.

Tim I am in Linlithgow, the Royal and Ancient Burgh, we have a Classic Car Day Sunday 27th August, this is in the centre of the town, fairly unique as most are out in a field or car park. entries now closed as we reach 200 entry mark, we don't want to be so big as we would have to move out of town. sorry for advert.

also thanks for info re breather plug, I was intending to do this, but thanks for heads up on it's fragility. (if that's a word)

also tempted to fabricate socket, as not sure how long delivery would take, on a search, for "only UK" comes up with 3,000 odd miles away.

I will get back, and report on outcome.

thanks Ross
rw mcintosh

Ross

Barney mentions this socket on his site, which seems quite reasonably priced

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunex-10213-64-Inch-Joint-Socket/dp/B003IOEQ1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503149257&sr=8-1&keywords=Sunex-10213-64-Inch-Joint-Socket
Dave O'Neill 2

I bought a replacement banjo axle from an ex racer who said they always discarded the pathetic breather and made up a pig tail from old brake pipe with the end facing downwards.

We are all racers now!

Worth a try if stuck for the original.

Cheers

Dave
Bolney Coupe

Hi Dave
I did see the amazon socket, and do think it's quiet reasonable at approx. £19.20.
but the seller is amazon US, and the company is
410 Terry Avenue North
Seattle
so I don't think their optimistic view of £4.26 postage and 2-6 days is realistic.
I now have less than a week to get it back on the road, my gut feeling was it wouldn't come in time, would be delighted to be proved wrong, but I am not going to take the chance.

Ross

p.s. noticed another discussion on the o ring, my MGA is relatively early being 1957 and it has the groove and o ring, so they must have introduced it fairly early in the manufacture.
rw mcintosh

hi all
thank for all the info.
I did several other things, replaced front shock absorbers, and added a anti roll bar to the front
got it all ready our Classic Car Day, just.
fabricated socket, 8 bits of bar 21mm long, used a nut at the top and one at the bottom then held them all together with a jubilee clip while tack welding. 20mm slice of 2" bar with a 1/2 hole in the centre and filled out the corners to fit 1/2 sq. drive. with the jubilee clip and nuts removed this was welded on top and the 8 sides welded up. not pretty looking but worked fine.
assembled all dry.
had a bit of difficulty with the o ring, kept popping out, I then put in 3/4 the way round held with thumb and finger, pinched the 1/4 left between other thumb and finger, rolled this opposite then it just rolled in to the groove. while first attempts it just seemed to rollout it's self, where by twisting it actually rolled in.
also before putting in the c'nk screws to the half shaft and drum I tightened them up with the wheel nuts first then put in the screws.
all seems fine but time will tell.

Ross
rw mcintosh

This thread was discussed between 17/08/2017 and 31/08/2017

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