On Mon, 6 Jul 1998 SSGSPEAR@AOL.COM wrote:

> O.K. everyone out there in Vanagon Land.  I have a problem with oil leakning
> out of the main seal in the Syncro.  I had to replace the seal before and the
> clutch also because of the leak.  The clutch was oil saoked and slipping
> badly. That was in April and yesterday I noticed a puddle under the engine.
> Today it is much worse.  Every time I stop at a stop light I leave a puddle of
> oil.
>
> My questions to the group:
>
> 1.  Could I have done something wrong installing the seal?  A possibility.
>
> 3.  Defective seal?  Not likely, either.
>
> Any ideas?  Suggestions?  Anything would be greatly appreciated since this is
> my primary vehicle.  The engine for the '72 is still in pe=ieces on the
> workbench waiting for affordable (to me) cylinder heads.
>
> Thanks to all in advance.
   Good chance that the surface that the seal rides on, (in the Vanagon
I believe its part of the flywheel) has a groove warn in it. Without it
being repaired you (shortly) end up with the same leak. It's very common
for seals to were grovves in the sealing surface today. They can be
fixed in 2 ways. Machining the grove off and over sizing the seal, or in
some case you can get a sleeve that can be installed on the end of the
shaft. In this case relacing the flywheel maybe in order.

A leak of this size in this area I would look very carfully at other
areas like the plug at the end of the cam shaft.
                                            Eric