Installing Torque Converter Seal

[Achilles]

I'm doing this with the trans out of the car and pretty well disassembled (not the gears, just the clutch).

Here's a pic of the torque converter seal which I had pressed on earlier today.  This is a later type seal with the spring on the inside.

Just wondering if anyone has done this, does it look right?  It is centered on the shaft, but I'm not sure it is fully seated.  You can see the tapered edge of the seal body and the gap between it and the mating piece (not sure what that piece is called).

If you have seen the inside of one of these seals, it is coated with an orange polymer coating.  You can see this on the right, where the coating creates a lip at the leading edge of the seal.

Closer to the base you can see shredded coating protruding beyond the tapered edge of the seal.   Does anyone see a problem with that?

The fit feels snug, but there is some 'give' when I attempt to push the seal down farther.

[68AutoBug]

Hi,
I use the first type of seal, but they do look the same , apart from the spring..
as i have had the later seal...
I don't have a pic of My Torque converter oil seal in the housing
as I have always covered it over with masking tape to stop any dirt/dust from entering...

Your pic looks really odd...
I think I now know the reason behind the change in spring direction..

Your late seal is NOT knocked into the gearbox housing, as mine is...
so the ATF pressure is coming from the opposite direction...
thats why the seal springs are opposite...
so, the late seal cannot be used in the early boxes...
I'll try and find a pic of mine or take one from one of My spare early gearboxes..

Lee Noonan - 68Autobug - Australia-

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

[Achilles]

Lee it's a late model box.

[johnr]

Achilles:  I have to agree with lee,  my seal goes directly on the back of the trans.  If you feel a little bit of "give",  remember the seal inside is rubber and will give a bit.  It doesn't look to me like yours could go in any further.

[Achilles]

Well I couldn't resist, after reading some other threads, so I pulled the seal back off the support.  Turns out my mechanic gooped some orange permatex sealant/gasket maker inside the seal.  It looks almost just like the coating, but not.  I think they were doing this for insurance, but I don't think it's necessary and carefully scraped it out.

I've also installed the one-way support onto the clutch housing and I'm going to fab up a wood block with a hole in it to drive the seal on.

[Crasher]

If you need a gasket for the one way clutch, I have had a batch made.

[volkenstein]

Achilles,
         
Was your old one peined (dimpled) onto your support tube where the rear taper is? The earlier types were.

Volkenstein

[johnr]

I tapped mine with a punch because the book said to.  three or four times around the edge near the bottom.  It didn't look necessary,  but I wanted to be sure.  It's fine so far.

[Achilles]

If you need a gasket for the one way clutch, I have had a batch made.

Crasher - are you talking about the large black o-ring that you see in my pic above?  If so - well, I would have been interested.  But I'm moving on quickly here.  That is the ring for where the support mounts into a recess in the clutch housing; in my case I suspected the o-ring would be compressed, so I applied a thin coating of a gasket sealant/dressing (Permatex Ultra) to the face of the support, where you see the ring mounted above.  I think this will be OK, and the support is in place now - I'll be finishing out the clutch install today!

Perhaps you are talking about the paper gasket that goes between the support and the clutch housing?  In that case, my original was intact, I just applied a thin coat of another type sealant there, just for insurance.

Whichever gasket you are referring to, I'd be interested in one or two just to have around.  You never know. PM or EM me and we'll sweat the details.

John, Volks: The pieces you are seeing are for a late type trans, the kind with only one temp sensor.   This is not my original, which sits on a shelf alongside another spare.  The unit I've chosen to install did not have the seal peened around the support, I made note of this when I pulled it apart.  However I do plan to peen the base of this one as prescribed in the Bentley manuals.  I can't see any harm.

[johnr]

My memory is a bit defective sometimes.  It was the mechanic who assembled my clutch who told me to peen the seal around the base.
He is a knowledgeable person, if he says so it must be right!
I didn't trust myself to put the clutch back together,  so I took it to 2nd street foreign car service in Coos Bay, my gurus.

[Achilles]

For the record the trans which came with my car originally, the PO had it rebuilt (I have the receipt from the dealer shop where the work was done).  I pulled off the shelf to have a look.

In that case, the seal was indeed peened.

[johnr]

Indeed if the job was done by a professional it is very likely done right.
I would have no worries!