Attention Clone Owners!

[ZnsaneRyder]

I found out something odd about these engines.

I have the "Blue" Lifan Clone from Harbor Freight.

I was replacing the crankshaft oil seal today, and I find there's actually enough space for two oil seals. It looks like it's meant to have two seals, but they only put one in there, spaced away from the crankshaft bearing, so it's flush with the outside of the side plate. If you put in one oil seal by yourself, and push it in all the way to the bearing, it will go in further than before, allowing room for the 2nd oil seal.

I'm glad I got two oil seals instead of just one!!!

Since running, the engine does not leak any more oil from around the crankshaft.

I'm wondering if Lifan was cutting costs by only putting one seal, as it appears the original Honda design of the engine they copy seems to be made to normally take two seals. Also, since the engine was brand new out of the box, it ALWAYS had a slow leak from around the crankshaft, now I see why!

I wonder if this affects just blue clones, or all clones?

 

[jr dragster T]

Interesing post! How hard is it to press in the first seal to the bearing? Can it be done without damage? And somthing tells me theres SUPPOSED to be a gap between the first seal the bearing for a pool of oil.

 

[ZnsaneRyder]

It pressed in very easy. They push in by hand . I pre-lubricated both seals with some heavy lubricant (thick engine oil treatment) so they would seal properly.

I was wondering about the oil in the bearing too, but it seems the oil seal holds oil in it, so even with the oil seal pressed up to the bearing, oil would still flow on the other side. I also put some of the thick lubricant in the bearing on both sides of it, so it's plenty lubricated.

 

[briggsman]

the only bad thing i could see with using two seals would be the increased were to the crank journal over time, but if it dont leak anymore sounds like a good idea to me!