I have the J17 Churchill tool from JCNA’s tool loan program. I inserted the oil soaked seal halves into the retainer. Bolted the upper retainer and rear main cap to the block. Put the Churchill tool in the rear main and installed the lower retainer. Slowly tightened the lower retainer screws while turning the Churchill tool. The Churchill tool was sort of hard to turn thru the whole process. After fully tightening the lower seal retainer screws the Churchill tool does not turn easily. Is that correct or should it be easy to turn?
If it should be “easy” to turn, how should I size the seal further?
I don’t think you are supposed to soak the seals in oil.
The only instruction I ever heard of is to coat the rope seal with graphite grease where it contacts the sizing tool. And then graphite grease on the crankshaft at final assembly, where it contacts the rope seal.
I think soaking the rope seal in oil might make it easier to turn once it is installed as the seal housing may not grip an oiled seal as well as a dry seal
Other may wish to comment on this
Dennis 69 OTS
Oddly enough I couldn’t find any instructions for installing the seal in the Bentley manual but did find it in the Haynes book. They make no mention of oiling the seal or soaking it in oil or applying any kind of slickem to either the seal or crank journal. They do admonish the installer NOT to cut it. and mention no sealants or mechanical means to hold it in place. They don 't mention the Churchill tool either.
That’s not to say any of that means anything, I just thought I’d pass along what I found.
I checked three… . A little more research revealed that the rope seal was not fitted to the earliest E-Types, and so probably not included in the Workshop Manual. Somehow, it was overlooked in the later revisions (like so many things, such as removing the bonnet without removing the hinges). The rope seal was introduced by Service Bulletin B.13 dated December 1961, and Spare Parts Bulletin A.66 at engine number R.2564.
The first reference I’ve found to the Churchill tool J.17 is in Service Bulletin B.33 dated June 1964 when discussing retrofit of the rope seal to engines that pre-date it’s introduction. It also makes a reference to instructions on using the sizing tool to be found on Page 35 of the Mark X Service Manual.
That means you have the seal perfectly sized. The comments about a dab of RTV are good ones. Soaking the seal in oil was recommended for the old asbestos ones but we don’t bother any more with the new non asbestos ones.
Original Jaguar asbestos seals were the correct length and not to be cut…non asbestos seals as supplied by most of the ususls are actually longer and will need to be cut…however its up to the installer to decide when to cut…too short and you will have problems…unfortunatly installing the rear seal is not an exact science. …the sizeing tools and the crank are not all an exact size
A modern leak free lip seal kit from Terry’s Jaguar is $388 plus tax and shipping. Machining the crank was in the $150 range when I had it done. A bargain in the long (more likely the short) run.
. A little more research revealed that the rope seal was not fitted to the earliest E-Types, and so probably not included in the Workshop Manual. Somehow, it was overlooked in the later revisions (like so many things, such as removing the bonnet without removing the hinges). The rope seal was introduced by Service Bulletin B.13 dated December 1961, and Spare Parts Bulletin A.66 at engine number R.2564.