The above is an extract from the official MG Rover workshop manual. This information is very important, because you can't just fit a newer type seal into an older drive shaft, BUT you can fit an older type seal to a newer driveshaft. (Not confusing in the least eh?)
There are three problems here:
1. The workshop manual doesn't tell you the part number for the "Type A" or "Type B" seal
2. It doesn't tell you how you identify one from the other (the diagram of the seal is semi-useful here, but you'd rather you saw the actual seal wouldn't you?)
3. It doesn't tell you how to identify which gearbox you have and what seal you need to order.
To answer these questions directly:
1. Part numbers of the respective seal sets:
Type A seals are the earlier ones. UNG100060 and
Type B seals are the later ones. TRX100100 and TRX100110 are the RH and LH part numbers needed here.
2. How to identify the seals on the gearbox:
Type A seals look like this - RH seal on the left of these images:
Type B seals look like this:
3. How can you tell in advance whether your gearbox has type A or type B seals?
The rule of thumb here is that early cars will have type A and later ones type B. (* also see post below)
If your gearbox still has its identity sticker intact, then you can go by serial number. According to the EPC, the change over point is C4BP03759 & G4BP/C6BP09712
Not sure why G4BP is listed here, because to my knowledge, only C4BP and C6BP were ever fitted to MGF/TF... but that is a tangent.
HOWEVER - we are looking at cars that are now practically a quarter of a century old, so to be honest, who knows what driveshafts or which gearbox has been fitted to your MG in the past? One answer here is to remove your drive shafts, look at the seals that are fitted and order/fit the ones that are the direct replacement to the one you've just about to replace.
PS on the original seals, there is the part number embossed on the rubber, so if in doubt, check that out...
Now read on to next post!
