Damaged rear wheel grease seal dust cover - what to do?

CoconutPete

CoconutPete

1979 XS650 Special
Messages
955
Reaction score
497
Points
63
Location
Charlotte, NC & Denmark
I started to mock the wheels back up on the bike and realized the dust cover for the rear wheel brake-side grease seal is quite mis-shaped. The spacer itself is fine, but the thin "tinny" dust cover is out of whack.

Any input on this? It feels rather flimsy, are replacements available?

Borrowing this pic. The "top hat looking" thing is what is messed up. Brake side, rear wheel on a 1979 Special.

BothSpacers.jpg
 
if you replace the oil seals as well then you need to be aware that there are 2x different widths available. Its easy to buy the wrong one as I did. The 79 special with wire wheels needs the smaller width seal . 27 x 52 x 5mm not the 27 x 52 x 7mm which is what I got sent in a bearing and seal kit .

If you fit a 7mm wide oil seal it will be 2mm too wide for the axle spacing and will bind the rear wheel when you tighten the axle nut.
Ask me how I know :doh:
 
Last edited:
Peanut could you have just tapped the "tin hat" back a bit on the spacer?

Now that you mention this; I think I was dealing with the same problem, new rear bearings and seals and the hub was binding good on the axle while I was buffing. I thought I had a bearing issue but ended up tapping that hat back. I used a LARGE socket to do it without mashing that thin tin. I may need to go back just a bit more. I will do some seal comparison, thanks for the hint!
 
Hi Gary I did try bashing the seal in as eventually I realised that it was sitting proud about 1.5mm but it had seated all the way in.

I received my oil seal with the brake drum side bearing in a kit supposedly to fit my year 79 but when I compared the new with the old it was clear that the new oil seal was 2mm thicker .

The problem is that the brake drum sits right on that oil seal and the extra 2mm caused the brake drum to crush the oil seal and bind preventing the rear wheel from turning easily.

It sure took some time to figure out what was wrong :confused:

 
My seals are the same thickness as the ones I yanked out of the wheels. They are all in.

Problem is just the "hat" Piece getting a little beat up in the process.

Trying to determine what to do with this issue.
 
Gary: The one on eBay I actually looked at last night. It says "left side" though and the one I need is the brake side / right side.

The NW Vintage Cycle one doesn't seem to specify. Do you know a place to get the part numbers?
 
If I sit on my bike, the chain is on the left. That side is fine.

On the right is the brake disc. The "hat" on that side is what's messed up.

When the eBay listing says "left side" I take that to mean the left/sprocket side - AKA not the right side.

The one on the right is smaller.
 
You showed a picture of DRUM brake spacers, my psychotic powers are weak this morning.

We're all good now! :wink2:

Bookmark the partzilla fiches then search part numbers on the web, lots of this stuff out there NOS yet!
 

Similar threads

Boozoongas
Rear wheel issue
Replies
1
Views
618
DogBunny
DogBunny
dts66
Rear wheel dust cover
Replies
2
Views
900
dts66
dts66
Bushyeyed1
How-To add Brembo caliper and a 18" spoked rim
2
Replies
39
Views
7K
Bushyeyed1
Bushyeyed1
DogBunny
For Sale - Boat Load of PARTS -- Motivated Seller!
7 8 9
Replies
177
Views
15K
DogBunny
DogBunny
Snikare
Need a new elusive Right Side Rear Wheel Spacer and Dust cover. Please help.
Replies
3
Views
2K
washbaugh
W
Back
Top