Kent 1700 front oil seal - how to fix questions

[pleask]

The front oil seal in my '91 with the above motor is leaking more oil than I like around the front oil seal.

I looked up in my manual (Lotus Seven by Tony Weale you all suggested) but was not able to find out the following:

Is the oil seal in two halves or one piece?
Do I have to drop the crank to replace it? (how I hope not)
Is this common in these motors?
Any other thoughts or suggestions??? (Please!)
Thanks, Pat

[Doug Liedblad]

It might be the same as a Pinto 1600 engine in which case your local auto parts store should be able to get one.

Note I checked O'Reilly's and they list one but also list a REDISLEEVE repair kit for them. So if the crank surface is worn there may be a repair you an use with minor fuss.

YMMV as I don't own a 1700 powered Caterham and have never worked on that engine.

Doug

[GWise]

There are three seals around the front crank on a kent.

The first is on the timing chain cover to the crank- this is a full circle. The second is where the oil pan meets the timing chain cover - this is a semi-circle. In general, the latter leaks more often than the former. The third (which rarely leaks) is the timing chain cover to the block. Do you know which one is leaking exactly?

The good news is the crank does not need to come out to replace either.

Dropping the pan is relatively easy, but you may have some challenges getting the rear bolts depending on the bell housing and you may have to separate the bellhousing from the block to get to them.

The timing chain cover comes off once the pan is off. All seals are easy to replace, but getting the semi-circular oil pan gasket to seal can be tricky. Here are the tips I found for getting them to seal:

1. Get the rubber style ones instead of the cork. Also - make sure they're the right size as the timing chain covers came with different seal sizes.

2. Pay close attention to the mating of the oil pan gasket parts. There are 4 places the 4 gaskets meet. This is difficult to do if you're trying to do it upside-down. I've found that using studs at the corners of the block helps keep the cork gaskets in place better.

3. use a high quality sealant. I really like "the right stuff" by permatex.

4. do not over-tighten!

[NigelT]

Changed my front crank seal 3 years ago. Was quick and pretty painless from what I recall. Got the seal from Dave Bean Engineering. Phone 209 754 5802. Part number 026E 6022

[pleask]

Thanks all, big help!