<VV> Front main oil seal leaking onto clutch

[kenfran at comcast.net]

That problem of the front main oil seal is what caused me to give up on my
'64 Spyder. The first time it happened, I just had the seal and the clutch
replaced, and continued driving it. I was in a hurry one time while I had an
oilly clutch, and was impressed that it would do 125 mph indicated with the
clutch slipping. The second time the seal went, which happened about 3
months later, I gave up, since I was a college student with 3 cars and 2
motorcycles to maintain, and that was too much for me to afford. I had
bought the Spyder for $500, in great shape, and replaced it with a pristine
'68 500 that I am convinced that I had almost bought 2 years earlier as a
new car, when I got the salesman bargained down to $1850, then didn't buy
the car. Got it for $900, 2 years old, 20,000 miles. It was really spartan,
3-speed, bench seats....only optional items were hubcaps, radio, and 110
engine. But I enjoyed it immensely,

Ken Franson
'65 Corsa, '66 Monza
NEW member of CORSA (joined before the controversy here, but still haven't
gotten my first Communique, which is probably the main reason for me to
join.
3-year member of Arkansas CC, which I joined before getting a Corvair again
(also webmaster of ACC website)

> From: Western Canada CORSA
 Subject: RE: <VV> Oil Leak(s) and Photos
> John,
> Chattering in reverse can be a symptom of worn crossmember bushings.  If
the oil collecting on the tranny & bellhousing has the distinctive smell of
sulphur then it's gear oil and it's most likely coming from the shiftlinkage
seal, or the throwout bearing snout seal.
> Probably not the same problem you have, but similar, check out this pic
from WCC's Hall of Shame.  This is my clutch from right after I bought my
vair.  Front main seal was gone and the oil wrecked the clutch.  Believe it
or not the car actually, barely ran with that much clutch material missing,
and the rest soaked in oil.
> http://www.westerncanadacorsa.com/HallofShame/joel0.htm