200 tdi - low oil pressure - the epilogue

Finally got MrH (thats what my 90 is called) back up and running after replacing the missing rear cam shell. I managed to remove the cam without taking the head off by removing the rocker shaft and tipping the engine upside down! The new shell was a good drive fit into the block still but i used high strength loctite to be sure! It did need reaming out - by quite a large amount - i did this by hand untill the cam journal could just be inserted from the rear - about .001" clearance - it would not fit from the front however as the bore was slightly off centre with the other 3 - i had to take another 4 thou out till it would slide in. Luckily, when checked with feelers, the cam journal is in contact with the shell at the bottom and the clearance is at the top.
Had doubts about timing issues but she fired up first spin (thought i might have to prime the fuel system) with alarming oil pressure at cold tickover - about 55psi - this drops to 20psi at full working temp and a very slow tickover. Engine sounds a lot quieter to me too now. Did about 50 miles yesterday and everything seems ok apart from oil leak from rear crank seal dammit! I did fit a new one as I had a slight weep at the back end which i think actually was the joint between the bell housing and block which i replaced also. I think i might have put the seal in the wrong way round in my haste - being an engineer I put the lip facing inwards which was a very difficult operation and i fear i may have damaged the lip which was a very hard plastic, not rubber - anyone had similar experience? So it looks like another engine out job!

steve

the seal should come with a plastic guide to help put it in. of course if it is not a genuine one it will not have this and will be a normal looking seal. the genuine ones are metal covered and painted blue. i would only use a genuine one myself.

i think the mistake i made was fitting the seal into the adaptor plate when it was off the engine - starter still attached! and then trying to fit the assembly over the end of the crank - was a bit un wieldly. Engine out next weekend and try again!
steve

use a genuine seal (or at least bearmach)

Fit it with the flywheel housing already attached.

Get some stuff like your loctite, (i used some Wurth black sticky stuff, by fook does it stick) to stick the seal in with.

Use the seal you remove (upside down) to push the new one all the way in.

Also, make sure you clean and then put lots of gasket goo between the flywheel housing and the block - this is a favourite place to leak.

My seal grabbed the crank nose and spun in its housing.



So i put a new one in, it should look like this