Rear Axle Hub Seal

[Wrovert]

I have been refurbishing the rear axle of my Austin Healey BN4 100/6 and have hit a problem when fitting the oil seal. After prising and digging out the oil seal, it seems to have welded itself to the hub. I went to fit the oil seal that I had purchased, but it is too big. No amount of pushing, drifting would make it go in.

Looking at all the suppliers websites - SM Parts, AH Spares, A Head for Healeys, etc. - they all list the seal for BN1 221536-BJ8. Is it possible that the earlier seal was slightly smaller? Has anyone else come across this problem? Maybe I have just got a bad batch of manufactured seals.

Finally, where does this number come from? I had only BN4 LO/33534, IC/33534, body 3381/1296, but none of these numbers have six digits. Looking at the original parts list, the oil seal original number was 3H1589. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I see you're in Italy, so this won't be much help but, FWIW, I put new seals from Moss on my BN2 a few months ago and they fit fine. I sprung for their 'Premium' seals for $19.99/ea. Why are they 'Premium?' I have no idea, but they're 'SKF' brand @ 2-7/8"

SEAL, oil (2-7/8"), premium

SEAL, REAR HUB, PREMIUM

mossmotors.com

How does a seal get 'welded' to a hub? Corrosion?

 

[Wrovert]

thanks for this I can use Moss Europe Paris branch.
as for the welding I assumed heat as there was also heat marks on the bearing casing? but it was not rusted at all. I don't know how it happened but it was a pig to get it out like mining. I also measured the space where the seal is to fit and it is 2"3/4 which is the same as fitted to the BN1?

 

[Healey Nut]

Are you 100% sure you actually got the shell of the seal out of the hub ?

 

[roscoe]

Post a photo of what you were able to remove. I'm with Healey Nut in that perhaps you left the steel rim of the seal stuck in the bore of the hub.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

It's possible the bearing spun in its housing. Tom Monaco told me he's done a lot of repairs, sometimes involving sleeving. Steve Gerow, on this forum, reports gaskets that are too thick to allow the spacer to clamp the outer bearing outer race.

 

[Wrovert]

Post a photo of what you were able to remove. I'm with Healey Nut in that perhaps you left the steel rim of the seal stuck in the bore of the hub.

Thanks for this as it is possible that I have left the steel rim in the hub. I will investigate further and report back. Having never changed the oil seale on an Austin Healey before this is the most likely scenario now I know I can de a bit more forceful.

 

[roscoe]

Older seals tend to have outside diameters that may not be coated with materials that are used to both seal and inhibit corrosion. They are bare steel. A very thin layer is often found on newer seals and it is true that some of this material gets scraped, pushed and peeled off as the seal is pressed into the bore but it still serves it's purpose. If you find that in fact the outer shell of the seal has corroded itself to the hub, soak it in some good penetrating oil for a day or two and try to pry a sopt away so you can get a grip on it with a vice grip or needle nose pliers and peel it out. Some heat might help.

 

[John Turney]

...
Looking at all the suppliers websites - SM Parts, AH Spares, A Head for Healeys, etc. - they all list the seal for BN1 221536-BJ8. Is it possible that the earlier seal was slightly smaller? Has anyone else come across this problem? Maybe I have just got a bad batch of manufactured seals.

Finally, where does this number come from? I had only BN4 LO/33534, IC/33534, body 3381/1296, but none of these numbers have six digits. Looking at the original parts list, the oil seal original number was 3H1589. Any help would be much appreciated.

The serial numbers (BN4L-O-33543) should only have 5 digits for a BN4. Apparently, the BN1s and BN2s had six digits because their serial numbers were mixed in with the rest of the Austins using the 4-cylinder engines, dating from 1945. The 6-cylinder engine cars were also mixed in with other 6-cylinder Austins, but they started later.