Front Main Seal

[dp]

I want to thank all of you for your help. Claude has purchased the last seal from his supplier in Montreal for my Interstate and I owe him one (or two).

Ed Zogg, thanks for your additional links; the ones to afmusa pointed to 39mm ID seals, however they did have a listing for a 35 X 59 X 12. There is probably room behind the timing belt pulley for this wider seal if we get into a supply bind. The harwal site listed the standard size 35 X 58 X 8 lip seal which may work just as well as the 59mm OD seal with RTV in the crankcase bore. The 59mm OD seems to be the non-standard dimension.

In addition, one lip seal distributor I have contacted for an inch dimensioned equivalent refused to quote, but referred me to a custom seal supplier in Ohio. I'll post the results of that Request For Quote if positive; I'm hoping to identify a source for these seals, as they do seem to be obsolete and no longer supported by Honda. Again, thanks to all. We need to work together for these 25 year old bikes.

[Ed Z]

Sorry bout the screw up... I shall no longer make any posts until the morning coffee has been obtained and consumed...
I have run into hard to find bearings and seals before... Parts for a Coventry Climax FWB engine is tougher than finding hen's teeth, more like finding a hen's wisdom tooth...
I have got to believe a seal is obtainable somewhere, and now that my curiousity is peaked, I have just got to go have a search...

[Ed Z]

Wow, are these seals hard to find.!! I checked the AFMUSA site and found the 35x59x12 seal... If I had to make the choice of the wrong OD or wrong width. I'd go with the wider seal... One added benny would be that the seal lip would likely be just slightly forward of the old location (i.e. on new area of the crank {no groove issue})...

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[dp]

You're right Ed, I was thinking the same thing about the contact point wear. I haven't checked the clearance yet on my case & crank. In the past I had problems with small block chevy front main seals leaving a big, deep groove on the harmonic balancer. It was such a generic problem that the aftermarket offered a repair sleeve for the balancer. Claude is in the process of getting a seal from Montreal for my bench of parts (thanks again Claude), so that should get my other baby up and running.

I did hear back from the custom seal manufacturer in Ohio. If I purchase a small lot, I could offer them to GL1200 members at the incurred cost of $25 to $28 each. If there is enough demand, a larger lot would cost members about $16 to $18 each (no profit). I've seen the stock seal listed for about $10 to $12 (if you can find it). I have no idea how much demand is left out there in the US & Canada.

You guys give me some feedback; I'm leaning toward buying a small lot to sell to members at cost & to the public on fleabay. Thanks.

[admin]

How many pieces does a small lot consist of?

[Guest]

Gentlemen, lets hold up the demand just for a short time. I just found a site of great help and verified a hunch. It is has I suspected this seal is also use on the GL1500, but mother Honda was smart. Here is why.

GL1200 part number is 91201-MG9-005, size 35X59X8
GL1500 part number is 91201-MN5-003, size 35X59X8

Notice the beginning of the part number and MG9 stand for GL1200 and MN5 for GL1500 and the last are the revision. But mostly the size !!!!!

The site is <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.servicehonda.com/">http://www.servicehonda.com/</a><!-- m -->
and select: Genuine OEM part Fiche finder
then scroll down to: Original Honda Motorcycle Parts
under street/touring click on: Click here to look up all year street and touring bikes.
Then follow info for: To Connect via remote desktop from Windows XP go to; start/all programs/accessories/communications/remote desktop. In the remote desktop window under computer enter this ip 69.213.66.54 press connect and you will be on our lookup system.

I hope this is of some help.

Cheer's.

PS. DP, I got your seal and did email you for how to ship.

Claude from Ottawa.

[dp]

Claude,
You're a very wise and crafty man. Please continue with the shipment of the seal from Montreal. I will go to the local Honda dealer & procure a 1500 front main seal for comparison purposes and post the results. I believe you have solved the problem (it was a problem in my simple mind anyway).

That's the great thing about this site, we get many people thinking and searching for solutions to keep these great machines on the road!!! Thank you Claude!!!

[Ed Z]

Right on Claude.!!! Great job with the X-reference...
I wonder why Mother Honda didn't offer a superseded reference to the GL1500 part #... I guess it is just one of those things...

[admin]

Very good Claude, that is excellent detective work. Thank you for that very nice contribution.

[dp]

Claude,
I have taken measurements of the 1200 & 1500 seal, they are pretty much identical in size and interchangeable in my opinion.

The new 1200 seal you sent has a clockwise direction arrow on the outer face (same as engine rotation I believe), the inner spring loaded contact lip, an outboard dust lip, and small slanted pumping ribs between that slant from top left to bottom right (see attached photo).

The new 1500 seal I bought local has a counter clockwise direction arrow (does the 1500 engine spin CCW?), the inner spring loaded contact lip, an outboard dust lip, and small slanted pumping ribs that slant from top right to bottom left (see attached photo).

My original 1200 seal had no direction arrow, the inner spring loaded contact lip, an outboard dust lip, and no pumping ribs between (smooth).

I have the 1200 seal you sent installed in the motor now with the crankshaft, just waiting for some used transmission gears to arrive. I posted the gear problem separately. The 5th gear on the mainshaft had some spalling and the partner gear on the countershaft was starting to show some pitting on one side of the gear teeth.

I tried posting seal photos to the website but the files must have been too big. I cropped them down, so perhaps I can post them now.

It's Friday, I rode my other Goldwing today, and I'm drinking a cold beer talking about motorcycles. Life is great!

Thanks for all the help.

[dp]

I'm a nubie at attaching photos, forgive my ineptness. I cropped down to less than 900 X 900 pixels or whatever the limit is. Hopefully these photos will convey the idea for the 1200/1500 front main seals. Thanks for all the great advice & help.