Replacing cam seals k-series

[skydragon]

My eu3 k-series car seems to have developed a slight oil weep from behind the upper cambelt cover. Until i take the verniers and upper part of the cambelt cover off, i can't tell exactly where the leak/weep is coming from but it looks likely to be the exhaust cam front seal. (after a lot of peering with a torch i'm 99% sure it isn't the camcover gasket, it may of course be the cam carrier sealant joint).

 

Question is, after taking the verniers off, what is the easiest and best way of replacing the front cam seal?

 

Doing some online web research, it seems that it isn't necessary to take the cam cover etc off and that the best way is to carefully drill two 2mm holes into the existing cam seal on opposite sides, screw in a couple of small self tappers and use these to prise the seal out. To fit the new seal, it's suggested to put a thin smear of aerobic sealant on the outside of the new seal and then use the old seal and a suitable socket to carefully drift the new seal in.

 

Does anyone have ant practical experience of replacing cam seals in situ? Any advice?

 

Saw this comment on a rover forum, from an ex-rover employee

Just for information - we tried various methods of fitting the cam seals at Longbridge and found that fitting them to the cams and then bolting up the carrier resulted in leaks at the point where the split line crosses the seal location. Best results were obtained by pressing the seals into place while the cam carrier to head sealant was still wet.

 

When assembling seals into an old carrier/head assembly, it may pay to put a dab of sealant on the seal outer next to the casting joint line.

---

 

[Tin Man]

Hi Skydragon

 

I found easier to remove the seals swith a small flat screwdiver. I pushed the screwdriver under the lip of the seal between the cam shaft & used my finger to lever the scewdriver against upwards; this causes to cam seal to turn and come out. Be very carefull not to scratch the camshaft. I used a 30mm socket to drift the new seals in.

 

Hope this helps

 

Regards

 

John

[skydragon]

Thanks John

 

Did you add any sealant around the outside of the cam seal, or leave it dry?

[Chris Norman]

Hi Skydragon

 

I did the drill small hole in the seal and use a self tapper to pull the seal out method. I only used one self tapper and the seal came out very easily. If you remove the seal this way be careful drilling the hole in the seal as it is soft and you do not want to mark the head.

 

Chris

[Englishmaninwales]

Chris

A single self tapper method is very easy, just take your time and drill carefully. The Rover manual says to put the seal in dry. BUT make sure you use a genuine seal rather than a cheapie. I have had trouble with an underside (front crank) seal, from a motor factor, that fell out.......makes a real mess at 7k rpm

Malcolm

[Bricol]

Drilling seems a good way to drop rubbish into the engine. Hook and lever out would be the way to go. If you feel the urge, you can buy proper tools for the job, but as mentioned above, small screwdriver and some care works well.

 

Bri

[skydragon]

small screwdriver and some care works well.

---

Noted, thanks for the advice

 

make sure you use a genuine seal rather than a cheapie

Genuine Rover front seal now ordered.

[prs]

K series cam seals should always be replaced dry

[7 wonders of the world]

Make sure you get the right seals, the fronts and rears are different colours to distinguise the direction of rotation. Thay are also marked with arrows on the lip too.

 

Too young to be old !

[skydragon]

Ok, managed to change the oil seal yesterday and it seems to have cured problem (will only know for sure after 3 or 4 heat cycles whether it still weeps)

 

When I'd removed the vernier, it was obvious that the weeping was coming from the bottom of the cam oil seal itself.

 

Thanks to Richard Price for the advice and engine manual and to Oily for additional advice.

 

For future guidance and perhaps to help a future 'weeper' this is what I did;

 

tools/parts needed;

 

new cam seal (i bought a genuine rover part from rimmer bros)

Socket set

torque gauge

cam lock tool

cam sprocket holding tool

 

 

1. Turn engine crank over with 22mm socket on front pulley until main front pulley mark is aligned with 12 o'clock mark on cambelt cover (bear in mind engine is leant over on mounts, so this will really be approx 1.00 ref the vertical). The pulley marker is on the front face of the larger part of the pulley. Once the engine is in this position do not move the engine crank in any way until all steps are fully complete.

 

2. Ensure marks on cam pulleys/verniers are exactly lined up with each other in middle at 3 and 9 o'clock respectively. If there are no marks, make some clear marks on pulleys/verniers with tippex/paint so that you can identify exactly their position later.

 

3. Using a cam sprocket holder tool to hold vernier still, crack open camshaft sprocket bolt (Note do not try and do this with a cam locking tool, you may damage the belt/teeth - you need a can sprocket holding tool!)

 

3. Slacken off manual cambelt tensioner bolt after marking position and also loosen main allen bolt inside tensioner wheel (or losen off if auto tensioner). make sure tensioner is fully slackened on belt.

 

4. Using a cam sprocket holder tool to hold vernier still, remove camshaft sprocket bolt and remove vernier. Note position of cam pin on cam with ref the pulley/vernier. (Note do not try and do this with a cam locking tool, you may damage the belt/teeth - you need a can sprocket holding tool!)

 

5. Remove cambelt

 

5. Carefully lever out old seal with a small flatblade screwdriver and replace cam seal with new item

 

6. Replace vernier onto camshaft noting pin position and using cam sprocket tool to hold vernier still whilst torquing bolt up to 60NM

 

7. Carefully ensure both verniers are exactly aligned as they were in step 2 and now use cam locking tool to lock the two pulleys.

 

8. Put belt over verniers - To make this work properly, with the lock device in, turn the exhaust pulley marginally clockwise and slip the belt 1/3rd of the way on, then turn the exhaust pulley anticlockwise carefully to remove an slack from the belt run, then do the same to the inlet pulley and slip the blet 1/3rd the way on, then take up the slack be turning the inlet pulley gently anti-clockwise to take up the slack. this should move the slack to the left side where you can then carefully slip the belt over the tensioner, then carefully push it all the way onto the pulleys. then remove the lock device and tension the belt

 

9. Tighten up manual tensioner bolt to same position as previously

 

10. Recheck vernier position is 100% ok

 

 

11. Start engine and check all is ok and then replace covers etc

 

 

12. Hope that oil leak is now cured ;-)