AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Good afternoon,

I have a 1955 AJS 18S and i needed to replace the chaincase seal so opted for the new and improved one in the club spares.

Its arrived before Christmas but i wasn't ready to install it so i didn't really give it much of a look.

The time has come to fit it and i have found it is about an inch too short when I've offered it up to the casing, not to mention that its been hacked off at an angle so i will lose another 1/2 inch or so getting it straight.

When i rang up the number on the spare parts page he told me that they were all cut like that and that the seal should be 'stretched' into place and then cut off the excess.

Is this correct ?
Has anyone got any advice has to the best way to do it?

Thank you in advance

Chris

Yes it does stretch. You will have to experiment with washers to find the correct distance the 2 halves need to be spaced apart as the new seal fits between them. Then fit the seal in between stretching it as you go. Finish at the top when you will have to trim it to fit together. Some members have glued the ends together with super glue. I haven't bothered and haven't any leaks.
Dave

Mine have all been overlength that you have to trim to the required length, I think it would be difficult to fit if stretched.

I stretch mine Duncan. I pinch it to fit at the bottom and work round to meet in the middle at the top.

So today was the day!

Thank you for the comments.

I had a little think about it as I felt it was going to be a 4 handed job trying to stretch it and hold it all in the right place at the right time.
I thought that it would be easier if it was joined at the ends, a circle if you like, and less likely to slip apart and leave a gap.
I noticed that there is a hole running through the seal so I found a flexible plastic bar that would fit down the hole as I thought it would strengthen the bond, i cut it to about 1 inch. I then used some contact adhesive and glued the bar into one end then glued it all together. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of it but the length was just under 39 inchs
I don't know how easy it is to fit one of those seals while stretching it into place but this way it really couldn't have been easier

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