QuestionQUESTION: I have had an oil leak since i purchased this 75 Midget, towards the back of the engine. I just pulled the engine/trans and separated them. According to the manual and parts books, there should be an "O" ring and an oil seal between the engine and trans, which there is not. I purchased both, but can not find a c'bore to fit the seal into due to length stack-up. And I do not have the "O" ring in place yet.
ANSWER: Hi Jim,
There are no seals between the engine and transmission on a 75 MG Midget. There is a seal on the input shaft of the transmission and a large seal and gasket on the back of the block on the engine.
You should look at the leak to see where it is coming from then correct that. If it was the rear crank seal, you will see a lot of oil streaks on the back of the flywheel and on the engine backing plate. If it is the seal on the front of the transmission you will see oil dripping from the release bearing slider tube on the transmission.
If it were the oil pan, you would see oil dripping from the pan and from the front of the engine backing plate.
Howard
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QUESTION: Hi Howard. I should have clarified that the leak is between the bell housing and the trans. The back of the engine is clean. (Oil is exiting the bell housing through a small hole at the bottom of the bell housing.) The input shaft on the trans has no place to fit the oil seal. Since it is an open bearing...the oil builds up and runs through the tube fitted in the bell housing. I see in the parts book that some of the 1500's do not have any type of a seal; it just looks undone. Maybe a small amount of leakage will occur regardless. Thanks, Jim
AnswerHi Jim,
You are right the Spitfire don't have a seal there. The TR-6 does. The Spitfire depends on an oil slinger on the gearbox side of the bearing to keep excess oil from the bearing. However, a slinger will not keep back an excess of oil if the box is over filled or if the vent is stopped up.
Howard
