Greetings all.
I have 70,000 odd miles on my ‘67 Daimler. I have quotes of £4500 to change the rear oil seal - ‘Big job sir, total strip of engine etc”. Anyone else got any info here or where to look?

Regards.
PAC

 

"Big job sir, total strip of engine etc” I concur with the comment I am afraid. The rear oil seal is possibly (although not 100% sure) like the Jaguar XK engine simply because of its age. It will no doubt be a rope seal rather than a modern rubber seal that can be hooked out and replaced. The bottom of the engine needs to be stripped but you do not necessarily need to strip the top of the engine but while you have the engine out pull the heads, clean all the coke off and regrind the valves. The engine needs to be removed so it is no longer connected to the gearbox. The rope seal goes above and below the main crankshaft so the crankshaft has to be lifted from the big end bearings with the engine upside down. Main bearing need to be release although the conrod or big end bearings can remain attached to the conrods. The new rope seal needs to be soaked in oil for a day or so to expand it before fitting. On the XK engine there is an alternative more modern rear seal but the crank casing needs to be machined to get it to fit.
Sorry but look on the bright side this is an opportunity to clean all the oilways, scrub the sump, replace the big end bearings and main bearing shells and fit a new water pump as these are the bits that fail a couple of weeks after getting the engine back in the car having only done the rope seal. That sweet little Turner V8 Engine will then go on for another 50 years.
I would also phone around not just in Scotland but south of the border as well. If you can pull the engine and ship it to a garage I am sure you would get it cheaper than £4500. That seems very expensive for what is a three possible a five day job.

 

I don't know what the arrangement is for crankcase ventilation on the Daimler V8, but check that it's not blocked and all working as it should. A build up of pressure can force oil past a seal that's in good condition.

If the engine is stripped down, make sure the crankshaft thrust bearing is replaced as it's not the most robust part of the design. Turner might have forgotten that car crankshafts, unlike those in bikes, have to carry axial loads.