Oil leak behind flywheel I can't find Options

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Hi all, have an oil leak that I have been trying to fix for over a month and 4 main seals. Symptom is oil coming from hole between transmission and case. My first thought were that I needed to replace the main crank seal, well long story, when this thing is leaking it seems you need to to drive at freeway speed for a little while and when you stop and look under the car the entire passenger side has oil slung on the roof and all over the trans and muffler, but only on the passenger side. Today removed the transmission and the inside cavity is covered with oil, this is engine oil and not gear oil. Removed the flywheel and seal looked dry?? Have been cleaning and scanning for anyplace oil could come from. Seems like the drivers side case shell is moist with oil and passenger side is dry. This should be an easy fix but I can't think of another place to check. Could I have a micro crack and oil leaking out under pressure from an oil galley? The oil galley plug on drivers side has been epoxied in and the passenger side has been tapped and plugged. Help!!!

[realred914]

GoWesty website has a write up on the engine seal issues on wasserboxer and aircooled VW van motors , applicable info there. info speaks truth to power!!!!(or some silly shit like that) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving-girl.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/flag.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/santa_smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yellowsleep[1].gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

(sorry new computer i use does not allow me to copy/paste websites for some reason, look it up cuase they gots photos also )

from them: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

Flywheel or "Rear Main" Seal Story

All seals are equal, but some seals are more equal than others.

The "rear main seal" on VW flat four engines (all of them) does not actually seal against the crankshaft. Instead, the flywheel bolts to the back of the crankshaft with an O-ring in between, and the lip seal (pictured) seals against a polished surface on the flywheel. The flywheel seal on all 72-79 Buses and all years of the Vanagon air and water cooled flat four engines (not diesel, which is just a Rabbit/Jetta diesel engine) all have the same outside diameter (OD) and inside diameter (ID). All the seals we measured had the same OD and ID. However, the thickness (front to back, or width) were different on two of them, and on one (the dealer part, and of course the most expensive by a factor of about 10) had a substantially larger diameter spring wire diameter (22%). Why are we talking about this?


An Aftermarket seal on the left, OEM seal on the right.

Well the most common problem we have to address on the waterboxer engines we build are flywheel seal leaks. This has been a reoccurring problem for years. There are probably some of our engine customers reading this that know what I am talking about. I had to replace the one on my own 2.5 a couple of weeks ago. We have gone out of our way to make sure every flywheel we install not only gets the thrust surface ground perfectly smooth and square, but everyone gets the sealing surface polished to practically a mirror finish. Even still, one in twenty our of engines, or so, would LEAK! I just figured there must me something up with the seal.

So, I decided to buy one of every seal we could get our hands on. In the process of my investigation, I heard all sorts of theories, like "you gotta use this super gee-wiz goop", or "You gotta put it in with a golden hammer", or "You gotta use the factory VW, OEM seal only available at the dealer for ten time the cost". I had no trouble believing everything I was told, except the last one. I KNEW that was BS...




Well, good thing I did not bet any money. Sure as $#%@, the damn VW dealer-only seal is the bomb bitch seal! It was actually Randall in the shop that pointed the difference out to me. Randall has not been here a year yet, so I did not know whether he was BS'ing me or not, so I had to go through this exercise. Sorry Randall, I should have just listened to you in the first place. What's that? Double your pay to show my appreciation? Oh, I mean, yea, yea, I already knew about the seal thing, I thought we were talking about the seal problem in the Morro Bay harbor. Sorry, my bad....

Anyway, what we found was that the common seal that comes in ALL the gasket kits has two problems. The first is that they are too narrow (width), front to back. So, when you install them in a Waterboxer, you can put them in too far, not far enough, or catty-wompus (that's Randall's technical jargon for eccentrically mis-aligned). We found one seal that was the correct thickness, a Victor-Reinz part that was all orange, and sold separately--in it's own box and everything. Interestingly, it is NOT the same seal that is included in the Victor-Reinz full engine gasket set. Go figure. So we thought, viola! We don't have to buy the stupid expensive seal at VW. WRONG. What Randall correctly pointed out is that the OE VW seal comes designed with a considerably heavier spring. None of the other seals have a spring nearly as heavy. Kudos, Randall.

What is even more interesting about this VW dealer only seal is that, A) It is all black and, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif) It is made in Brazil (SABO brand). These two traits are typically what we refer in the industry as, well, CRAP. But, you can't argue with success, right?

So, we bought every seal VW had in the United States. Starting about five engines ago, we have switched to the VW dealer only seal. We are keeping track of which engines have them with an extra "dot" next to the engine displacement stamp we put on each GoWesty engine. Let's see if the seal is worth it. If it turns out to be the fix, I may have a trip to Rio De Janeiro in my future...

For now, if you need a flywheel seal for your waterboxer (029-105-245), we got them for $29.95 In fact, last I checked with VW, we got ALL of them! Click here to grab a new Rear Main Seal.

Cheers.




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