Tach Cable Seals and O-rings, was started as Any good rear main seal oil additives, that work?

[msampsel]

Well the one in the picture above is 0.645" outer diameter and 0.4" inner diameter.
Would it fit?

[C.Costine]

Well the one in the picture above is 0.645" outer diameter and 0.4" inner diameter.
Would it fit?

No, way too big, like the one that I ordered and tried.

[msampsel]

Interesting, the inner diameter is correct though, right? Because, I just measured a speedometer drive and it
is 0.4 inches. I wounder if the part inside your nut is standard?

drive_nutL.jpg

Is the red line diameter 0.645"?

[C.Costine]

Interesting, the inner diameter is correct though, right? Because, I just measured a speedometer drive and it
is 0.4 inches. I wounder if the part inside your nut is standard?

drive_nutL.jpg

Is the red line diameter 0.645"?

Yes, I measure the same ID but the measurement at the red line I get more like .62. Here are pics of my original seal and the one that I ordered and got as a replacement.

Tach seal 2.JPG

Tach seal 1.JPG

the space between the end of the "inner slotted tube", and the "shoulder", which is where the seal has to squeeze into, is very narrow. There is no extra room for the much wider replacement.

[svwilbur]

I ordered that kit also but just yesterday so it has not arived yet.

I have not tried to remove the big nut part yet but this is what mine looks like on the end. which to me maybe looks different than msampsel's or maybe that is because his is appart. or am I looking at it from the wrong end?

these are all unmodified seals that are original. I have not messed with these yet.
just different angles and lighting.

[svwilbur]

also the tach cable I am using is Deans tach cable:
"Partnumber: 1779
Datsun Roadster Tachometer Cable - OLD STYLE

65 - 70 Tachometer cable. "Old style" More flexible housing. NOTE:: It is not necessary to modify this cable as is the case with the B5055-A3302 that also has no seal. This cable also comes with an inner seal to keep the oil from traversing the cable into the tachometer part# 25055-A3301"

I did not see any seal with it. it says it is an inner seal to keep oil from going up sooooooooo maybe I am safe?

it is a wierd cable as it has two rubber boots on it. my old one has just one boot. I did not see anywhere that the second boot would go for that cable. also I did not think it was very flexible. it was very had to fit up into the tach as it had a seviere S turn to make around the steering column frame. but it has been working fine for 3+ years.

[C.Costine]

also the tach cable I am using is Deans tach cable:
"Partnumber: 1779
Datsun Roadster Tachometer Cable - OLD STYLE

65 - 70 Tachometer cable. "Old style" More flexible housing. NOTE:: It is not necessary to modify this cable as is the case with the B5055-A3302 that also has no seal. This cable also comes with an inner seal to keep the oil from traversing the cable into the tachometer part# 25055-A3301"

I did not see any seal with it. it says it is an inner seal to keep oil from going up sooooooooo maybe I am safe?

it is a wierd cable as it has two rubber boots on it. my old one has just one boot. I did not see anywhere that the second boot would go for that cable. also I did not think it was very flexible. it was very had to fit up into the tach as it had a seviere S turn to make around the steering column frame. but it has been working fine for 3+ years.

Stacy, the inner round part with the slot is the end of the pinion shaft. After you take the "nut" part out, you should see the pinion gear on the other end of that shaft. Some one said that the shaft and gear stay in the dist. support housing, mine came out with the nut. Yours looks different from mine, in my pic that Msampsel put in his post. Is the end by chance rubber? That is what it looks like to me. If you were to pop it out I expect that your end would look exactly like mine. Sealing inside the end of the cable will keep the oil in the housing and perhaps slow the travel up the housing, but the only way to stop it is to stop it before it gets into the cable housing.

[svwilbur]

C. Costine, - I can only see the end of this by using a cell phone and that was murder to try to get in place. I don't know if it is rubber of not. Looking at the picture it looks like a real seal which I would think would have been made from proper oil resistant product. But it is all wet all around there as it does leak, at least it did before I stuck a rubber washer and nritile o-ring in the thumb screw end.

Still waiting on real parts.

Still scared to try to fix with the kit (real/correct parts?) before the Solvang meet. I am thinking I may end up with a non-functional roadster too closee to the meet to have a chance to repair it in time.

[C.Costine]

C. Costine, - I can only see the end of this by using a cell phone and that was murder to try to get in place. I don't know if it is rubber of not. Looking at the picture it looks like a real seal which I would think would have been made from proper oil resistant product. But it is all wet all around there as it does leak, at least it did before I stuck a rubber washer and nritile o-ring in the thumb screw end.

Still waiting on real parts.

Still scared to try to fix with the kit (real/correct parts?) before the Solvang meet. I am thinking I may end up with a non-functional roadster too closee to the meet to have a chance to repair it in time.

Since it is not leaking that badly I would wait until I had some time before pulling that seal out. As it says in the tech wiki it doesn't come out very easily, and it is not hard to damage it in the process. Mine did not appear to be leaking but knowing of the tendency for them to leak I decided to take it apart while the motor was out. I will advise you if I find a seal that will fit.

[Gregs672000]

Don't think you would end up with a non-functional Roadster if the seal repair does not progress in time or goes south... it might leak some, but I'm sure some kind of cap could be fitted that would keep things under control so you don't miss the show (the show must go on!), even if you didn't have a tach... you probably won't over rev it!

[C.Costine]

Don't think you would end up with a non-functional Roadster if the seal repair does not progress in time or goes south... it might leak some, but I'm sure some kind of cap could be fitted that would keep things under control so you don't miss the show (the show must go on!), even if you didn't have a tach... you probably won't over rev it!

The problem is that if Stacy gets it apart and isn't able to get a replacement seal in, he can get it back together with the old seal, and still get to Solvang, but he then has to get it apart again once he gets back, and even though his car will not likely be undriveable, my experience and also what the tech wiki says is that the seal, being so difficult to remove, could very likely get a lot worse in the process, and leak a lot worse, resulting in slick roads on the way to Solvang.

[msampsel]

Don't think you would end up with a non-functional Roadster if the seal repair does not progress in time or goes south... it might leak some, but I'm sure some kind of cap could be fitted that would keep things under control so you don't miss the show (the show must go on!), even if you didn't have a tach... you probably won't over rev it!

The problem is that if Stacy gets it apart and isn't able to get a replacement seal in, he can get it back together with the old seal, and still get to Solvang, but he then has to get it apart again once he gets back, and even though his car will not likely be undriveable, my experience and also what the tech wiki says is that the seal, being so difficult to remove, could very likely get a lot worse in the process, and leak a lot worse, resulting in slick roads on the way to Solvang.

It looks easy to hook in the slot as shown in the picture, i.e. red arrow of attached.
Once the dizzy mount is off the car at least. Then push on with an 11 mm socket.
As it is now there might be slick roads to Solvang.

[C.Costine]

Don't think you would end up with a non-functional Roadster if the seal repair does not progress in time or goes south... it might leak some, but I'm sure some kind of cap could be fitted that would keep things under control so you don't miss the show (the show must go on!), even if you didn't have a tach... you probably won't over rev it!

The problem is that if Stacy gets it apart and isn't able to get a replacement seal in, he can get it back together with the old seal, and still get to Solvang, but he then has to get it apart again once he gets back, and even though his car will not likely be undriveable, my experience and also what the tech wiki says is that the seal, being so difficult to remove, could very likely get a lot worse in the process, and leak a lot worse, resulting in slick roads on the way to Solvang.

It looks easy to hook in the slot as shown in the picture, i.e. red arrow of attached.
Once the dizzy mount is off the car at least. Then push on with an 11 mm socket.
As it is now there might be slick roads to Solvang.

The seal that needs to come out and be replaced is about an inch in, and then you need one that is going to fit in the groove inside there. What appears to be a rubber surface and perhaps a seal in Stacy's pic. may help to keep oil from leaking out of the cable but doesn't help to keep it from getting out of the distributor support, and then up the cable housing.

[itsa68]

Here is a trick to get the o-ring into the groove behind the slotted bushing.
Get 3/8 inch diameter wooden dowel and insert from opposite of the nut end.
Insert the dowel to the depth which is flush to the inside end of the slotted bushing.
Place o-ring in nut end and use a socket or nut driver same diameter as the inside diameter of the slotted bushing.
Push the o-ring to stop against the end of the dowel and trap between the nut driver to flatten out the o-ring.
When trapped move back and forth a tiny bit and the o-ring should seat itself into the groove.
O-ring size should be 39/64 inch outside diameter and 7/64 inch thick.

Hope this helps.

Ray B.

[C.Costine]

Here is a trick to get the o-ring into the groove behind the slotted bushing.
Get 3/8 inch diameter wooden dowel and insert from opposite of the nut end.
Insert the dowel to the depth which is flush to the inside end of the slotted bushing.
Place o-ring in nut end and use a socket or nut driver same diameter as the inside diameter of the slotted bushing.
Push the o-ring to stop against the end of the dowel and trap between the nut driver to flatten out the o-ring.
When trapped move back and forth a tiny bit and the o-ring should seat itself into the groove.
O-ring size should be 39/64 inch outside diameter and 7/64 inch thick.

Hope this helps.

Ray B.

Thanks Ray, I had gone through my O-ring assortment as well as that at my local hardware but nothing close enough. I have been putting together a list for one of the on line fastener houses, so I can add it to that list. Did you use an O-ring yourself?