Good Afternoon,
I have an X-ring seal in my (1964 AMC2) gearbox kickstart shaft hole in the outer cover which leaked down the side of the outer cover when I overfilled the gearbox, but now the oil level is correct, oil is no longer leaking from the seal but appears to be leaking from the end of the shaft and collecting in the pinch gap part of the kickstart before dripping onto the exhaust pipe and thence floorwards.
It appears my kickstart shaft is hollow behind the dimple in the end. I can find no other reference to this and I hadn’t noticed anything odd when rebuilding the gearbox.
Is this usual? If so how do I stop the oil seepage from the shaft. Photo attached.
Thanks in advance.
Alan
I don't claim experience…
I don't claim experience apart from my own Dommie, but I agree with Tony. No hole through the shaft - just a hole in the tip for a lathe centre to fit. The groove my X-ring sits in is much deeper than the size of the ring. I also ran silicone sealant into it and assembled before it set.
Thanks
Thanks both,
I thought I could see oil in the hole in the end of the shaft. I’ll check to see if oil is running along the underside of the shaft to the kick start.
If so, I’ll take the outer cover off and look at the o ring channel. I have a spare X-ring, thankfully.
Add a proper oil seal
I fitted a seal (link below) by heating the cover, taking out the steel bush, dropping seal to bottom that was previously occupied by an o ring or x ring, steel bush back in and plunge into water to avoid overheating the new seal. I had to carefully Dremel away the very small step where the splined area meets the main shaft area to help seal pass over , also insulating tape over spline when refitting cover to protect seal. Works a treat, mine used to leak badly now not a drop
Years ago, Russell Motors …
Years ago, Russell Motors (and probably others) used to mill out a recess in the outer face of the alloy cover to fit a seal like Peter's. A bit more of a specialist (machine shop) task, but perhaps easier if you have the tools than persuading the steel bush to drop out.
Hi Alan. I’m no expert but I don’t think any kickstart shafts were hollow - I know that my 1961 one isn’t and neither is my AN replacement. Did you put a bit of silicon sealant in the outer cover seal groove before installing the new X-ring seal? My bet is that it’s still a seal problem: either oil is still leaking from around the edge of the seal or that the seal lips have been snagged when putting the outer cover back on. I also think that it just happens to appear in the groove of the kickstart clamp as that’s the lowest point. Hopefully someone with a lot more experience than me will chip in.
Regards
Tony