Four Factors to Consider for Choosing Oil Seals

We already know that the oil seal serves two purposes: to prevent the escape of lubricants, chemicals or water; and to prevent contaminants such as dirt and grime from entering the machine.

But because it is so much cheaper than other major industrial components such as bearings, shafts and pumps, the importance of oil seals is often overlooked. This can be potentially costly if the oil seal fails and causes a seal to leak. Seal leaks will result in more oil being wasted and, if left unaddressed, can incur significant costs.

Common causes of oil seal failure are poor installation and incorrect seal selection. Incorrect selection can lead to excessive pressure inside the seal; swelling; premature wear, hardening of the lip and cracking. Over time this will lead to premature seal failure and oil leaks.

Service engineers and technicians need to consider a number of factors when selecting oil seals. You should be aware of the following 4 important factors: 

Pressure

Temperature

Concentricity

Lubricant

The following information explains why these factors are important when choosing an oil seal.

SF6 Combi Oil Seal 30*44*11 use for Farm Agricultural Machinery Tractor

Pressure

Most common oil seals are designed to withstand only very low pressures. For higher pressure applications, ensure that you change to a high pressure type oil seal or to a non-pressure construction.

Temperature

Ensure that the temperature range of the sealing rubber is within the temperature range of the environment in which the seal is to be installed. Excessive temperatures can cause the seal lip to harden and crack.

Concentricity

Ensure that the bore and shaft are centred correctly. Misalignment can lead to excessive wear on one side of the seal lip and shorten the life of the seal.

Lubricants

To improve the performance of the seal, choose an oil with the right viscosity for the application and compatible with the elastic material of the seal lip. Incompatibility of the seal, particularly with certain additives and synthetic lubricants, can lead to premature wear of the seal.

While no oil seal lasts forever, the quality of the oil seal you choose to install in a rebuild affects not only the success of that job in the workshop, but also the long-term value of your work. Using well-made, high-quality seals that can withstand the high demands of today's transmissions will only increase your productivity in the long run.

Please leave us a message (to sales@china-oilseals.com) about the products you want to know, KDIK OIL SEAL offers a wide range of sealing solutions to meet the diverse needs of automotive manufacturing. Our seals can be installed in systems for commercial vehicles, buses, trucks and motorbikes.