hey,
i have been told that my crankshaft gasket could be shot...
there is oil inside the clutch area.
does this mean the gasket has gone or maybe another problem?
i can not select 1st when the car is on but can when it is off.
there is also crunching when down shifting.
and i am finding it very difficult to up shift aswell.


is this an engine out job?

any help and guidance would be great!

Cheers James

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'75 windowless van
~LOLA~

yep... rear main seal

it's not strictly an engine out job, but it's a flywheel off job which is always a pain

replace the clutch as well - just because you should while you've got it all apart, your clutch is probably cactus anyway. Normally when the rear main goes, the clutch still works, unless it's already on the way out

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

ahh yeah mine got replaced the other week.

jack one side of motor up to get bell-housing off - all pretty straight forward

Cheers Brenton

the worst thing is i only just did a throw out bearing the other week on it....
how long did it take you bubbacluby, weekend job?
and where would i be able to get the gasket from?

cheers guys
james

_________________
'75 windowless van
~LOLA~

I wouldn't take the whole bellhousing off, no need.
Remove the clutch cover, pull the flywheel (with puller) off, lever the seal out, and tap a new one in after protecting the primary gear splines with some tape, or wrap some shim around it.
Do a search- we beat this one to death here a few weeks ago.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

will do

thanks doc

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'75 windowless van
~LOLA~

If you have the special service tool, primary gear seal replacement is a piece of piss with the engine in the car. Otherwise it's a bit of a pain but still do-able.

If it wasn't for the fact that you have just replaced the release bearing, I would have suggested that was the cause of the problem. A leaking primary gear seal usually just causes clutch slip and shudder but you should still get gears fine. If you have the clutch pushed in, what difference does an oiled up clutch make? Unless your primary gear is somehow sticking.

I drove my 1310 home from Wakefield Pk once with the clutch 1/2 full of oil (broken clutch housing) and NO it didn't slip. It did tend to make gear selection a bit harder though, the plate tends to drag. Poor man's torque converter...

But if the clutch plate is pretty worn, yes add some oil and it'll slip for sure.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I just replaced my rear bearing seal and clutch assembly
I took the engine out and it was easy to change the above.
I thought I stuffed the clutch as it was graunching in all the gears,
but thanks to Doc it was only out of adjustment.
Padstow mini spares sell the clutch and seal

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1966 mustang coupe 289 auto
1970 mgb roadster auto
1970 cooper S mk2
1976 mini S
1964 wolseley 24/80
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t173/1966mini/

I've had a few seal failures but they've always been a slow intake of oil - usually on engines that have been sitting a number of years. My theory the seal goes hard or whatever from lack of use, as every engine/car I've had that has sat around for a while has done the same thing. When I pull the clutch out, one (or both!) sides of the clutch plate are black mirror finish. I've noticed that it always takes a while for it to start slipping, but does tend to judder a fair bit.

I'd imagine a clutch half full of oil would be a bit more serious, the seal must have broken big time!

Wasn't the seal. A tooth broke off the starter pinion, the ring gear propelled it to escape velocity, and it broke the side of the PCV vent in the top of housing (which was thin there because not drilled properly).
So, then the primary gear flung oil up there and it waterfalled into the clutch/flywheel area...
Gotta love a Mini though, it got me home...
I repeated the drive `er home exercise a while later, when I collapsed an antique Mahle piston skirt at the same track. Minis are tuff.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.