Lower steering relay seal

I've just replaced the gasket and oil seal in the base of my steering relay ('69 2A).

I feel like there should be a small plate that the inner bolts hold up against the seal to prevent it from dropping over time.

The lower relay lever will only slide up as far as the splines on the shaft, not far enough to hold the seal up.

The parts book does not show any additional pieces (part 8 is the oil seal in the attached screenshot).

Am I missing something? If this is how it's meant to be, it seems a bit prone to leaking..

What was the surface of the shaft like that the seal runs on, piece I can see below the seal looks corroded.

That's a fair point Blackburn. I'll have a closer look tomorrow.

I notice on youtube there's a video of someone restoring an earlier series 2 and the bottom of his relay has a separate smaller plate under those inner bolts.. but I don't know if there was also a separate outer plate with outer bolts going into the chassis. Anyone have an earlier 2 and can comment? Mine's late ('69), lights in wings, etc.

This image seems to show a plate on the bottom that would hold that seal in above the inner bolts:

https://www.paddockspares.com/nrc1269-steering-relay.html

Can someone take a look under their landy and tell me if they can touch that oil seal or if there's a plate over it. Cheers and now I'll go and have a drink and try not to think about it anymore for a while.

Couple of pics here 1st mine taken recently of a relay and seal does not look highly visible second one is something I downloaded awhile ago as interested in the plate they use for chassis and it shows seal.
From memory the seal fits in an internal recess in the end plate.
Maybe there is a variation between early relays and later versions.
I know of two variations originals had a replaceable section on shaft where the oil seal runs also had an oil filler on the side..
Added another pic as parts manual shows two different part numbers for end cap with seal in early and late.

Thanks Blackburn, I appreciate it. Is that a page from the Series 3 parts manual?

The first picture does look like mine... IF I find what I thought was a one piece flange plate is actually two parts, and the middle bit was put in upside down by someone long before me. I cleaned it all up with my drill as well but it didn't separate..

I'm going out later today for another look when I've earned some brownie points indoors..

Yes series 3 parts manual , all manuals available as PDF if you do a web search for Smithies landrover brings up a NZ site of interest including optional parts manuals.

Thanks. My shot was from the Series 2 Parts Catalogue.

I've just been out and removed the flange plate again and surprise surprise.. knocked the middle out and turned it around.

I feel like a numpty but it was put on that way about ten years ago by someone else, and it certainly had me fooled. I cleaned it up with the drill and everything and didn't notice. It took some fair old whacks to separate them though. Years of compression and weather had made them look just like one piece. And the Series 2/2A manuals showing the seal on the underside didn't help me much either.

Note that with the inner plate reversed and the seal now "inside", that part of the shaft Blackburn commented on is now concealed as I expect it should be and that'll be how it got corroded.

Nice to uncover these things and resolve them. Thanks for the help!

Was about to say that does not look right but took a look at series 3 manual and pic shows two different versions.

Right. And mine looks like the second. Assuming these diagrams do not actually show the flange plate since that's not part of the relay itself..

I'm still not 100% happy. But with the relay and parts I have it is now better than when the seal was on the underside! I can't say I understand the differences enough to explain to someone how it _should_ look on a Series 2 or 2A or 3 or variations thereof.. I'll be looking at the relay on every landy at the next show I go to.

Cheers again

Update, for anyone coming along later that cares..

My "variation" has two options.

1. The oil seal faces down and the drain bolt is immediately accessible with an open ended spanner (picture in first post).
2. The oil seal faces up, which _feels_ like a better seal, but then the four bolt flange plate has to be removed every time you want to access the drain bolt on the relay bottom plate itself (picture in later post).

I'm going back to option 1 with my relay.

I'm still interested to know if anyone has a relay where the bottom seal is on the inside and the drain bolt is also immediately accessible? Various things were improved between late 2A and 3 and I'm wondering if this is one of them? Or, I'm obsessing over the seal being on the outside but it really doesn't matter..