Information needed regarding front oil seal replacement.
Can the front crankshaft oil seal be replaced in an early xj6 without removing the engine?
I have a serious leak that so far has not responded to Lucas oil stop leak treatment. Car was not driven for about a year and treatment amount may not have been sufficient for 12 quart capacity series 1 requires but I am seriously considering options.
Thanks everyone.
I think my Series III leaks there a bit, tuning in to see what others say.
I replaced the little spring-rubber donut in the timing cover on the TR6 a couple years ago and that has helped even though the old seal didn’t look that bad.
Yes indeed. I have a 1972 XJ6 and other Jags and have done this job on several occasions with the engine in-situ. IIRC some seals on older models (than the XJ6) push in from the inside of the time cover - requiring its removal. You won’t have this problem.
Remove the radiator, fan, drive belts and the pulley on the harmonic balancer. You will need a puller to separate the harmonic balancer from the end of the crankshaft and then you will need to recover the mounting cone and its woodruff key. I made a puller out of 3/8" steel plate to keep the profile very low so that I could work within the available space.
Prise out the old seal and inspect the contact surface where the seal runs on the crankshaft - any wear here will have to be attended as any reduction in radius will compromise the integrity of the seal. There are after market sleeves for this type of repair.
If above is satisfactory, fit a new seal (use an appropriate sealant on the outer diameter, if you wish) by carefully tapping into place using a suitable drift. I use something of similar dimensions to the seal to make the placement as “even” as possible. Run a little engine oil around the seal at the crankshaft so that it doesn’t start up dry.
Replace all items removed ensuring that the crankshaft bolt is tensioned to specification. Refill coolant.
Engine oil?
The oil pan has to come off, right? So the engine needs to come out or the IFS has to come down?
All XJ6 are the same in this area so anything applies to all years.
From XK140 up to the end of the XK engine in the late 1980s the front crank seal is completely captured into a groove in the timing cover and the oil pan. With the oil pan off the car, the seal is put over the crankshaft and pushed up into the groove into the timing cover. Then the inner seal track is put on the crankshaft. Then the oil pan is installed capturing the seal completely front and back.
So yes, you can do it in the car but removing the oil pan means the front suspension subframe needs to come off or at least lowered enough to remove the oil pan. We used to do it by installing the tool that holds the engine in place, then swinging down the front subframe removing the rear mounts but just loosening the front mounts as they are retained by one big bolt in the middle and will rotate.
My thoughts were similar. The only issue will be making the puller. Thanks.
GregB…what is…“Then the inner seal track is put on the crankshaft”?
Bentley workshop manual Page 91 or B.35 and or plate 2 (Jaguars own illustration) shows…#15 cone c.2466 then oil seal c-24611 then #14 distance piece c-2173 or c.34064 then o-ring on distance piece c.34065 then #13 c.23701 oil thrower…
Again…what is inner seal track??
And…it seems the oil pan needs to be lowered (at the front) to allow for the seal to slide into its track (.415 inch track built into the oil pan)
this begs the question…the crank does not have to be dropped for this same oil seal to slide into the built in track on the timing chain cover (also known as the water pump cover)…so one is squeezing in the oil seal between the crank and cover…why not between the crank and oil pan??
Also…there are 2 different front main oil seals…the aforementioned c-24611 is Jaguar standard…
Then enhanced eac-8815-a (Welsh #) and eac-8101 (WelsH #) and c-40147 (Welsh #)
Still 2 questions, what is…1) Then the inner seal track is put…???
2)…if the seal can be SQUEEZED between the crank and timing chain cover into its
track. then why can the seal not be SQUEEZED between the crank and oil pan
into its track on the oil pan??
Mitch
The distance piece or inner seal track are two names for the same part. You could name it for either of its two functions.
C2173 is the oldest part number
C34064 is a later number.
C40147 is the latest part which has a provision for an inner O-ring to stop leaks.
In order to put the oil seal in, the oil pan has to be off. Then the seal is moved down as far as it goes toward where the oil pan was or will be, and then moved at an angle into the DEEP groove in the timing cover. Then the inner seal track is slid on the crank, which stops the seal from moving down. The DEEP groove in the oil pan is identical to the one in the timing cover.
If you take off the Crank Damper, you can easily see that the only amount of front seal visible is about 1/8" of the smallest part. Once you do this you can see how the bizarre procedure mentioned above is impossible on this design.
To be fair the pan only has to drop under an inch for the seal to come out, right, but how do we reseal it?
GregB…there is only 1 seal…you are referencing 2…referencing the the part numbers would solve this…
Part numbers please? realize there are 2 systems…
one the upgraded uses 3 parts…an oil seal, a distance piece, and an o ring
the other just uses an oil seal only…c-24611
Mitch
ps communication can be very difficult
Best if we use Welsh enterprises…thus using Jag numbers
Mitch
No, Mitch, he is talking about one seal, one steel tube (the inner seal track) and a possible (and optional) o ring. Perfectly logical. You are talking about the same things. 
Thank you David!!
the oil seal jag part number is c-24611 as referenced on plate ! number 48
I, also have the upgraded kit…on the table from Welsh…I know the oil seals are different with this up graded kit…and I BELIEVE the distance piece IS different…Do You Know…ARE THE DISTANCE PIECES DIFFERENT (still doing the same thing
This is exactly true. The OP will be unhappily surprised if he tries to do this without dropping the pan at least enough at the front to get the old seal out and the new one back in. Unless the pan or front cover groove has been machined away or similar radical mod the seal is trapped.
Still…there is no seal or anything between the aluminium timing cover and the crank…correct
Mitch
and if there is…I need a part number and a reference…please
I think I got this in my “PUMPKIN” head…
by using the distance piece…one inserts the oil seal (with the front part of the oil pan loosened to gain a gap between the pan and the crank) then the distance piece is slid over the crank and pushed into position…thus allowing for the squeezing of the oil seal between the crand and block…
I think I got it?
Mitch
The seal seals to the distance piece. The seal is installed and then the distance piece is pushed in. The seal touches the timing cover and the oil pan… find a parts diagram or photos yourself, there’s plenty!
Thank you…David !!
Mitch
C24611 is an ancient part number, already dead and superceded a couple of times to EAC3411 by the time we computerized our Jaguar inventory in 1977. The last conventional front seal number is EAC4219. That stayed a common item long after Jaguar came out with an improved front seal kit that included a precision teflon seal, inner seal track, and O-Ring. That kit was phased out 20 years ago and you buy the components, EAC8815, EAC8101, ad C40147. Unlike the conventional lip seals used before that, the updated seal EAC8815 needs an inner seal track that is perfect with zero wear.
With the updated seal, OE inner seal track, and hi temp O-ring adding up to about $135, I still sell EAC4219 regularly at $10. On an early car with a breather just venting to the air intake, the original seal works fine for a loooong time. US emission cars had much higher crankcase pressures as the 1970s turned into the 1980s and higher heat driven by catalysts etc. caused issues.