Stopping the leaks

I haven't been able to keep my front and rear seals from leaking on my 1500. I have replaced them twice in 20,000 miles. Each time I think I have stopped the leaks but then they start again. I have been using seals from Moss and I have a Speedy Sleeve on the crank pulley but I still have leaks. It uses a quart of oil in 500 miles and I don't think it is burning much(the plugs are clean and it doesn't smoke). This last time I pulled the engine to replace the thrust washers and I had the crack turned and replaced the bearings. Everything is tight again, the engine runs smooth but the leaks started again after about 3000 miles.

Any tricks out there? Better seals? Suggestions?

I thought my rear seal was leaking really bad. It is leaking but not as bad as I thought. Oil was oozing out of the dipstick tube and running back to where I thought was the rear seal leaking. Doesn't explain your front seal.

I had my engine out 2 winters ago and my crankshaft seal area does have a worn rings around it. My plan is to rebuilt the engine next winter and have the taken care of. You have me wondering about it now.

Sorry I can't offer any solutions. It your dip stick tube oozes I have found a simple solution for that.

Look into the crankcase ventilation. If the block is running positive pressure, it will barf oil out the seals. Many people mess with the crankcase ventilation thinking they are doing a good thing by de-smogging the engine. Not so in this case.

I like the positive pressure thinking. That makes sense. I have removed the smog stuff, mainly because it was rusted and didn't work anyway. So that probably would create a natural positive pressure in the engine, even if just a little. I don't have any oil coming from the dipstick because it is dry all round it. The valve cover vent is run overboard so at least some of the pressure is relieved that way.
I will have to do some more thinking on how I could create a negative pressure internally.
Thanks Peter.

Does the midget not have a tappet cover vent of some sort?

Why re-invent the wheel, use what the designers intended. Simply connect the original PCV valve since it doe so harm to the performance?

Pete

Can you run a hose to an air filter housing?

My 1500 has a weber DGV & I have a hose from the valve cover to the filter base.

Dave

Yes. And that should be adequate.

That all makes sense. I have a Weber but I don't know of a way to route a line to the filter from the valve cover, but I can make one easy enough. I know what I will be doing tomorrow. Thanks everyone!

Jere

I read your profile...you drive the Midget 100 miles a day to work?

You're a brave man!

I respect your courage!

Dave

What is the hose from your oil separator attached to? I made the mistake of letting what I thought was a knowledgable mg shop fix myoil leak. They replaced every seal (at great expense ) and my car leaked the same amount of oil. Turns out my seperator was not vented and disconnecting one hose (it was attached to the valve cover vent) fixed everything.

This is how I fixed mine,I got a old stylr pcv valve ran a hose from the valve cover vent to the valve and then from the bottom of the pcv valve ran a hose to the intake. I did have to drill and tap the intake and uses a brass barbed connector for the hose.
Doug