Engine Crankshaft Seal Savers ?????

[mariner45]

Hi Guys,

I have some oil leaks on my 86 6.9 and would like, if at all possible, to get a couple of years out of the engine before having to replace both crankshaft seals.

The engine seals are original and have only started to leak noticeably, a few months ago (six or seven months before storage). The engine runs clear and there is no blow bye from the oil fill neck - with cap off. Incidently the truck has been stored in a shed for almost a year, but now I want to get it ready for the coming winter. My guess is about 2 litres oil loss over 5,000 km.

It is a long shot, but I was wondering if there is an additive that is added to engine oil, to cause shaft seals to swell slightly ? If there are, are they any good and what brands would you recommend. I know that some people swear by these for auto transmissions, but never having had a serious transmission leak, I don't know. Of course there are a lot of people who profess to have had success, but I would rather hear from you guys on this forum.

So, in short, is there any additive that can be used to help seal crankshaft oil leaks ?

Oh, and yes I do intend toeventually replace the seals, but at the moment I am pushed for cash etc.

Thanks in advance for any infomation you could provide.

mariner

 

[Wyreth]

AutoRX does condition seals in addition to cleaning. I doubt it will help much with the oil leaks, but it does clean everything out of your block in a way that's not going to clog a passage, oil jet or turbo line.

That's about all I would try.

 

[89dieselbko]

i would avoid using auto RX personally, not that its a bad product or anything like that, but here is my reasoning (in this situation)

you have a dirty engine and oil leaks. you run autorx and clean up the engine (including any junk on the backside of said leaking seals)

Next thing you know, your slight oil leaks are BIG oil leaks, because you cleaned the crud out of the backside that was actually helping to keep some oil from getting to the leaky area.

thats what happened to me, about a month ago when i auto RXed the 351 in my 95 crew cab. slight rear main leak is now a quart per 500 miles, and next week i have to replace it. Only thing i did was auto RX it, and i assume cleaning the junk allowed more oil to hit the bad seal, increasing my leak substantialy

 

[idiabuse]

Now this is a classic here with the expert shade tree mechanics.
Gravy train work here, don't let the secret out the bag.

Now why would seals leak here? AGE ALONE?

Can you pour a bottle of anything to solve this?

Who or what is to blame?

I like to see things as they are.

Age in this case will be the biggest factor.

Rubber and heat along with Sump oil contamination will beatup any seal.
Any low quality lube that has a very low HTHS index will burnup quickly leaving
a residue behind that attaches itself to the insides of your engine especially the
seals!

Simply replacing the seal and repairing the groove cut into the balancer and the crankshaft flange
Is the only sure way to seal it up.

How did it happen? Well just look at the seal real close, use a magnifying glass and view the
burnt up oil that layered onto the seal in which overheats the seal making it hard and grinds
into the flange causing that wonderful leak that so many mechanics love to fix for ya!

Solution to this problem? YES! Stop using cheap Motorcraft oil filters and start using XTRA EFFINCENCY FILTERS
Like the WIX 1734XE these type filters catch contaminate much smaller in size than all other filters in which
makes for a cleaner running engine with less repairs over the life of your engine.

It is so simple. Watch how many insult's come my way...


Javier

 

[jaluhn83]

So you're saying that age causes seal failure which I think we all agree on, but then go off on a tangent about cheap oil and claim to fix it with a special whatzit oil filter. Your logic does not follow here.....

To the OP:

Are you sure it's the seals? It's amazing how often a leak is actually from something completely different than what it appears to be.

2L/5000 km really isn't all that bad for these engines. It's pretty common for them to burn close to that much without leaking a drop.

Honestly I'd just run it and keep an eye on the oil level. I doubt that any additive will help much, and there's some potential for harm from that.

 

[79jasper]

Solution to this problem? YES! Stop using cheap Motorcraft oil filters and start using XTRA EFFINCENCY FILTERS
Like the WIX 1734XE these type filters catch contaminate much smaller in size than all other filters in which
makes for a cleaner running engine with less repairs over the life of your engine.

It is so simple. Watch how many insult's come my way...


Javier

I for one understood the reasoning behind it.
Cheap oil burning off easier, leaving crusty formations behind, which cheap filters wont pick up, ends up wearing down seals/bearings. (I don't know if this is an actual problem, but the logic fits)

How do you feel about Mobil 1 filters?

 

[Kevin 007]

I have seen front and rear mains "sweat" for years and many many miles without getting to the point of concern. I would not hesitate to keep running it until you have the time/money for a rebuild/reseal down the road. Keep an eye on it...and keep trucking.

Im not an additive guy per se; but in a bind, I would choose Rislone Ring Seal to stop consumption and or leaking. Not trying to feed the additive debate, thats just what I would choose if it came to that. Hard stuff to find in Canada by the way.

 

[franklin2]

Ok, I will stick my neck out. There are home remedies that are floating around out there that do work and don't harm the engine. A raw egg can be used in the coolant system in an emergency to stop radiator leaks(I have heard pepper works also?) and a small can of brake fluid added to the oil can also stop small seeping oil leaks. It softens the rubber like you described. I would not be afraid to try any of the small bottles of engine stop leak. Like you said, they attack the rubber softening it up a little bit. Of course you have to drive it for awhile for it to work. But it runs out the leaky seal with the oil, so it has a good opportunity to be concentrated right at the problem area.

I am also a believer in that Lucas transmission fix. I personally saw it work on a tranny that was surging(the torque convertor clutches were slipping/grabbing). If you add it during cold weather it won't hardly come out of the bottle, and I am thinking to myself what in the world am I pouring in my tranny, but I could not believe how it fixed the problem.

 

[icanfixall]

Changine the front or rear main sels are going to be a tuff job. The front requires special Ford tools to do it easy and correctly. the rear requires the trans and flywheel to be removed. No easy undertaking either. The rear seal make for ford is part number F2TZ-6701-A. It has the sleeve in it as part of the deal. It also has the installer with it too but I never could make it work..

 

[FoMoCo]

Be sure to check your crankcase breather, if this is clogged it will cause oil leaks due to the increased crankcase pressures.

 

[idiabuse]

Mobil1 filtration

I for one understood the reasoning behind it.
Cheap oil burning off easier, leaving crusty formations behind, which cheap filters wont pick up, ends up wearing down seals/bearings. (I don't know if this is an actual problem, but the logic fits)

How do you feel about Mobil 1 filters?

Mobil1 filters are better than Fram/Motorcraft any day of the week! When in a bind for time I sometimes have to get a Mobil1 filter instead of my favorite brand.
Now I rarely have issues with filters but I did have an issue on my truck trans filter which was a Mobil1, it somehow was a restriction and it caused me to lose all the lubricant in my transmission due to overheating, fluid turned black! Transmission survived and Im still driving it. I did cut open and inspect the filter closely but found nothing wrong, So I left it alone until I have more time to view it closer to find the actual source of failure. You know strange things happen when your having fun...


Javier

 

[79jasper]

That's good to hear. Especially since it's about a dollar more than motorcraft filter.

I decided to try one on my PSD on my oil change last week. Having the heui system, I definitely wanted better filtration.

 

[idiabuse]

Let me add why purchase cellulose filters for your trucks fuel filters and oil filters when Micro Glass filters are available and are 5/8 times more efficient than the discount cellulose filters?
You want to rid of every tiny spec of dust your engine has to drink or be lubricated with why spend more money buying cheaper filters more often that let more dirt pass through? Really WHY?


Javier

 

[Kevin 007]

Are Baldwin any good? From what I can tell they seem to work great. Thats just what I use

 

[idiabuse]

Baldwin is a top quality filter as well and they do make a glass media style filter so search for them and use the best quality you can buy! You only live once right?
Baldwin is one of the top companies for filters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XSty3_XMn0

My favorite company is Donaldson and EzyFlow filters Which I use as well, The Donaldson is renamed into AMSOIL so I get a discount when I purchase.

EzyFlow I use because I custom order filters when needed.

When you need filtration you don't go cheap because it cost exponentially more money when it fails.


Javier