Shift shaft seal

Bill,

I had to replace my shift shaft seals a while back and that same question came up (I have a 1976 GTB). I replaced the O-ring seals with "Quattro" or double lip seal type O-rings (sometimes referred to as "Quad-rings").

See Verell Boaen's post in this thread:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23180

and this related post by Steve Magnusson which Verell listed in the above thread:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/256120/302433.html

These new seals seem to be working well. The only thing I've noticed is a slight increase in stiffness moving the shifter laterally and medially between the gates which is not at all objectionable.

Barry

 

Barry-
I was hoping you might have a little more info on these seals you bought?
I replaced both shift-shaft seals last year and the outer is leaking again- worse than it was before. I'm going to replace them again, but hoped there might be a better alternative to the OEM seals.

Thanks in advance.
jwise

 

drive your car more. mine started to leak after sitting for awhile. Gary at ferrari said to drive it to heat up the glue and make a tight seal

 

John,
I suggest trying quatro (aka double-seal) o-rings. Kermit swears by them,
& from looking at them I think they'll seal better than the OEM seals.

Send me eMAIL & I'll see if I have a part # filed away at home.

They're available from McMaster-Carr:
Catalog page: 3233 or just search for "Quattro Seals" on their web site.

They are sized the same as std o-rings & can be used in place of them. I intend to see if they make one that'll replace the cam seal housing o-ring next time I do a major service. I think they're much less likely to be sensitive about sealing the head-cam cover o-ring groove joint as they'll seal the corners of the groove, not just the sides & bottom.

 

Try saying "shift shaft seal" really fast three times.

 

Verell-
Sounds good. Thanks.

I checked out the site and those quattro seals look like they would work, as long as the size is correct. They MUST be better than the OEM seals.

I guess all I would need is the dimensions (width, ID, OD) of a new OEM seal and try it out.

Does anyone have a new one they can measure?

 

jwise,

I had the seals replaced with the "Quattro" double lip seals in the spring. No leaking at all since and as I mentioned, the only noticeable change was a slightly stiffer feel in moving the shifter from side to side. Not at all objectionable.

I don't know the size seals my mechanic used. He had them in inventory and has been installing them regularly in his maintenance.

Barry

 

Dumb question:
What exactly is a shift shaft seal, and where do the leaks occur?

Are they difficult to replace, or can a DIY-er do it?

Any changes in this part across 1976-1985?

Greg

 

Greg,

Our cars are similar in that the shifter's linkage shaft has to pass through the oil sump to get to the transmission. There's an O-ring type seal on both the front and back of the oil sump to keep oil from leaking out. It's one of the "weak links" in our cars' design in that the O-ring sometimes does not seal effectively or is prone to wear, thereby causing a minor oil leak. You can tell if the shift shaft seal is not effectively working by pulling the rubber boot, just forward of the sump, forward. If oil spills out, your seal has to be replaced. I had my seals replaced with the "Quattro" double lip seals which is an improved design and should be effective longer.

It is not an engine-out procedure but was a 5 hour charge in labor which I think is fair. I also had to replace my engine and transmission oil.

See the links I posted on 9/24/05 in this thread:

"See Verell Boaen's post in this thread:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23180

and this related post by Steve Magnusson which Verell listed in the above thread:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/me...20/302433.html"

Barry

 

Mine have leaked a bit ever since I bought the car 19 months ago. But I have been driving the car more (about 5000 miles/year) than the prior owner probably did, and they are actually leaking less now. I will get them replaced eventually but in the meantime the oil loss is minimal.

 

Here is a photo if the seals being installed during my engine-out party last fall:

The engine is upside-down on a stand in these photos. This is what you will see on a 308 when you remove both sump pans (trans and crankcase).

In the last picture (also shows in the first photo), the hole in the cranckcase to the left of the highlighted seal is where the oil sender used to be. It has a piece of shop towel shoved in it in the photo. It will need to be removed, along with the dipstick housing, to remove the crankcase pan.
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And here's a good pic that someone posted earlier of what it looks like in-situ on the transverse V8 (this is a 328):
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Thanks,
Great info and photos..!

Greg