Series 3 Front oil seal with a strange insert???

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Combustion is best

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Warwickshire
Hello fellow Landy folk,

I hope there is someone with greater knowledge than me on this subject…that should not be difficult!
On dismantling , inspecting and now rebuilding the engine of our series 3…we have come across a challenge with the front oil seal that fits around the crankshaft in the timing cover.

The timing cover is unlikely to have been serviced previously? As the mud shield is still riveted in and not converted to either self tapper or some tapped in machine screws, as described by many as a good mod…

My problem though is something different that I have struggled to find any info on. When removing the old seal it was seated in what seems to be an ‘L’ shaped in section insert within the circular hole that the standard seal would fit in…by default this makes the hole in the timing cover about 0.8mm smaller in diameter.

The seal I removed was seated into this metal sub insert. It took patience to carefully remove the seal from this insert, as correctly some sealant had been used.

I have tried everything I can think of to refit a new seal. Heat, bearing press etc…all failed as I expected the insert is simply too small for either the Britpart oil seal or the brown coloured OEM one to be pushed in…

This insert is fitted tight behind the flat face of the mud shield. I first through is was part of the mud shield, but it looks to be something separate.

Currently I have inserted the oil seal in as far as it will go, which is just about flush with the inner face of the timing cover. I was going to see if that would be far enough in when reassembling onto the block and the pulley etc is all fitted.

Another more serious option is to try and remove this unusual insert and fit the seal as I think is more typical.

This insert however must be there for a reason??? Could LR have run out of the correct size of seal and used an insert to overcome the issue???

If I am being stupid, overlooking something or because this is all new to me, I am braced to be told the obvious…but if it is a puzzle and someone else knows the issue and has solved it before, I would really like to hear from you.

Many thanks in advance…
 
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