The Effect of Lubricant Level on Radial Lip Oil Seals

The effect of different oil sump levels on seal life, torque, power consumption, and lip temperature is significant Lowering the lubricant level reduces the seal generated torque and power consumption but increases the seal temperature due to a reduction in cooling efficiency by the oil. This leads to earlier seal failure. So, while the engineer may desire the reduced power use by the seal, a trade-off will be made with seal life.