How many tries does it take to properly seat a new motor? I've got a leak

[jfreeman]

I installed a new motor for my pool pump, a Hayward Super II. I have a SWCG, so I bought the saltwater gasket kit. I installed the new motor, changing all the gaskets. (The large-diameter thin-wall housing gasket was the hardest with only two hands.) After turning on the pump, noticed a small leak coming out the bottom.

I've read that kind of leak usually indicates a problem with the mechanical shaft seal, but I was sure to use a gloved hand and microfiber cloth to wipe it clean of any lubricant, fingerprints, or debris before and after installing it. I thought it might be a problem with the housing gasket, given how much trouble I had with it, so I unscrewed the motor and pulled it out, but the housing gasket looked surprisingly well-seated. It didn't even fall out of its nest when I pulled the motor out. I wiped off the now-dirty diffuser gasket, remounted the motor, and tested the pump, but the leak is still there.

Now I'm left wondering what is the problem. I didn't use any lubricant for the housing gasket. Should I? Should I disassemble the whole thing and wipe down the mechanical shaft seal again? Should I buy a whole new gasket kit and try again? What might be my problem?

The leak is very small, in case that helps identify the source. Below are some pictures of the leak, and around the pump while it is running and leaking. It appears very dry; the leak is well hidden from view.



If the impeller is at the front of the pump, then the next two pictures are taken from the right rear corner.


These last two pictures are from the left rear corner of the pump.

 

[ajw22]

I think you should have used a seal installation lubricant on the pump seal.

Pump Seals - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

@JamesW

 

[JamesW]

It can be tricky to get it exactly right.

The seal installation lubricant helps.

Sometimes the old seal comes apart and a piece is left behind, which will throw off the seal.

Sometimes, there is a crack that is difficult to see.

You will just have to redo it and be extra careful to get it exactly right.

Check for any microscopic cracks or other damage.

 

[kadavis]

The Hayward SuperII pump overtime can develop a small crack inside on the top of the pump housing. You would need to pull the assembled motor out and using a small mirror look up in the housing just pass the gasket area, usually it is in the top center