SURFACE J110

CAN-
CELLED
VEHICLE OCT2002
RECOMMENDED Issued 1954-01
PRACTICE Cancelled 2002-10

Superseding J110 DEC1997

Seals—Testing of Radial Lip

1. Scope—This SAE Recommended Practice covers equipment and procedures for general performance and
low-temperature tests on radial lip type seals for rotating shafts. Three test sections are included: General
Performance Test, Alternate General Performance Test, and Low-Temperature Test.

2. References

2.1 Applicable Publications—The following publications form a part of the specification to the extent specified
herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the latest revision of SAE publications shall apply.

2.1.1 SAE PUBLICATION —Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001.

SAE J946—Application Guide to Radial Lip Seals

2.1.2 ISO PUBLICATION —Available from ANSI, 11 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036-8002.

ISO 6194-4—Rotary shaft lip type seals—Part 4: Performance test procedures

3. General Performance Test

3.1 Introduction—This section covers equipment and procedures for high-temperature tests to qualify radial lip
type seals using application operating conditions.

3.2 Description of Test Apparatus

3.2.1 The test head shall consist of an externally mounted spindle and a suitable housing for retaining the test fluid
and positioning the seal(s) with respect to the rotating test shaft (Figure 1).

3.2.2 The spindle shall be capable of cycling and/or maintaining constant shaft speeds within ±3%.

3.2.3 The spindle shall be rigid enough to maintain the specified test shaft runout under dynamic conditions within
±0.03 mm (±0.001 in) up to 6000 rpm. Since high-frequency vibrations imposed on the driveshaft due to the
drive mechanism or eccentric positioning of the tooling is detrimental to seal qualification, these conditions
should be avoided or kept to a minimum.

SAE Technical Standards Board Rules provide that: “This report is published by SAE to advance the state of technical and engineering sciences. The use of this report is entirely
voluntary, and its applicability and suitability for any particular use, including any patent infringement arising therefrom, is the sole responsibility of the user.”
SAE reviews each technical report at least every five years at which time it may be reaffirmed, revised, or cancelled. SAE invites your written comments and suggestions.
Copyright ©2002 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SAE.

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Email: [email protected]
SAE WEB ADDRESS: http://www.sae.org
 SAE J110 Cancelled OCT2002

3.2.4 The test head shall be suitably designed and constructed to maintain the preset seal bore alignment to the
test shaft axis within ±0.03 mm (±0.001 in) through the operating temperature range.

3.2.4.1 The test head support shall be sufficiently rigid to insure minimum vibration.

3.2.4.2 The test head shall be suitably constructed and equipped to compensate for misalignment due to
temperature gradient and to maintain pressure and test fluid level conditions required for the test.

3.2.4.3 The test head shall be equipped with a suitable arrangement for leakage determination, such as a collector
and/or absorption pads.

3.2.4.4 The test head and heat transfer system shall be capable of maintaining the temperature of the test fluid
within ±3 °C (±5 °F). Heat must be supplied in a manner that does not subject the test fluid to high
localized temperatures and cause fluid decomposition. Two acceptable methods would be external
electrical heaters with wall temperature controllers or circulation of externally heated fluid (Figure 1). 1

3.2.4.5 The test head shall be vented to the atmosphere. Length of pipe vent to be agreed upon by user and
supplier.

3.2.5 Test shafts shall be hardened to 30 to 45 Rc and plunge ground to a surface roughness of 0.25 to 0.50 µm
(10 to 20 µin Ra), with no measurable lead, unless agreed upon by user and supplier. This finish may be
obtained by plunge grinding using a non-whole number wheel to work-piece speed ratio. Finishing methods
other than plunge grinding to be agreed upon by user and supplier. If wear sleeves are used for the
application, they should also be tested. All test shaft surfaces should be free of nicks, burrs, inclusions, or
other detrimental imperfections. The specifications in this section conform to ISO 6194-4. Shaft Lead
measurements to be conducted in accordance with SAE J946, Section 10 guidelines.

3.3 Test Conditions—The test should be realistic and cover the application operating conditions. The operating
conditions shall be shown in the form of Figure 2.

In the event that actual application operating conditions are not known or are difficult to duplicate on test
equipment, test conditions shown on Tables 2A, 2B, or 3 are recommended. In addition, it is recommended
that a seal design be evaluated in the actual application following successful completion of the laboratory test.

3.4 Test Schedule—The actual application operation conditions should serve as a guide for the selection of the
test schedule. It shall consist of a predetermined number of hourly and/or daily test cycles such as shown in
Table 1. The test temperature shall be maintained during the shutdown period of the hourly cycle. During the
shutdown period of the daily cycle, the test head temperature should be allowed to drop to ambient.

TABLE 1—TEST SCHEDULE

Cycle Running Time Shutdown Time
Hourly 45 min 15 min
Daily 20 h 4h

1. Information on machines which are commercially available and meet these specifications may be obtained from seal manufacturers.

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FIGURE 1—SCHEMATIC SHOWING TOP VIEW/CROSS SECTION OF STANDARD OIL OR

ELECTRICALLY HEATED SEAL TEST HEAD

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FIGURE 2—SEAL APPLICATION DATA CHART

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 TABLE 2A—TEST PARAMETERS (1)—AUTOMOTIVE (FRONT WHEEL DRIVE)
Axle Axle Transmission Transmission Transmission
Driven Dead Engine Engine Front Output Manual
Application Wheel Axle Front Rear Pump Shaft Input
Shaft Runout—[TIR (Total Indicator Reading)]
mm 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.41 0.25
in 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.016 0.010

STBM (2) Offset

mm 0.13 0.25 0.25 0.13 0.13 0.20 0.25
in 0.005 0.010 0.010 0.005 0.005 0.008 0.010

Rotation Either Either Clockwise Counter- Clockwise Either Clockwise

Clockwise

SAE J110 Cancelled OCT2002

Cold Test(3)
Speed rpm (4) 100 100 300 300 300 100 300

Temperature
°C ± 3° −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40
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°F ± 5° −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40

Hot Test
Reverse Rotation 2 min at 2 min at None None None 2 min at None
200 rpm 200 rpm 200 rpm

Speed rpm 1200 1200 5000 5000 5000(5) 1200 5000

Temperature
°C ± 3° 104 82 141 141 149 Auto. 121 107
104 82 141 141 149 Man. 107 107
°C ± 5° 220 180 285 285 300 Auto. 250 225
220 180 285 285 300 Man. 225 225

Duration Hours 350 350 350 350 400 350 350

1. To be used in the event that the actual application parameters are not used.
2. Shaft to bore misalignment (STBM)—total indicator reading is double the value listed.
3. For duration, see 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7.
4. Rate of acceleration to be agreed upon by user and supplier.
5. Reciprocation at 10 strokes per min, at an amplitude of 2.5 mm (0.10 in) during shaft rotation part of cycle.
 TABLE 2B—TEST PARAMETERS (1)—AUTOMOTIVE (REAR WHEEL DRIVE)
Transmission Transmission
Axle Axle Engine Engine Front Transmission Manual
Application Pinion Wheel Front Rear Pump Rear Input
Shaft Runout - [TIR (Total Indicator Reading)]
mm 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25
in 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010

STBM (2) Offset

mm 0.13 0.25 0.25 0.13 0.13 0.25 0.25
in 0.005 0.010 0.010 0.005 0.005 0.010 0.010

Rotation Clockwise Either Clockwise Counter- Clockwise Counter- Clockwise

Clockwise Clockwise

SAE J110 Cancelled OCT2002

Cold Test (3)

Speed rpm (4) 300 100 300 300 300 300 300
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Temperature
°C ± 3° −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40
°F ± 5 ° −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40 −40

Hot Test
Reverse Rotation 2 min at 2 min at None None None 2 min at None
600 rpm 200 rpm 600 rpm

Speed rpm 3600 1200 3600 3600 3600(5) 3600 (6) 3600

Temperature
°C ± 3° 99 66 121 121 149 Auto. 121 107
99 66 121 121 149 Man. 93 107
°F ± 5 ° 210 150 250 250 300 Auto. 250 225
210 150 250 250 300 Man. 200 225

Duration Hours 350 350 350 350 400 350 350

1. To be used in the event that the actual application parameters are not used.
2. Shaft to bore misalignment (STBM) - total indicator reading is double the value listed.
3. For duration, see 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7.
4. Rate of acceleration to be agreed upon by user and supplier.
5. Reciprocation at 10 strokes per min, at an amplitude of 2.5 mm (0.10 in) during shaft rotation.
6. Reciprocation at 15 strokes per min, at an amplitude of 12.7 (0.50 in) during shaft rotation.
 TABLE 3—TEST PARAMETERS(1)—OFF HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT AND GENERAL
Axle
Thru-Shaft
Accessory Engine Engine Axle Tandem Axle
Application Drive Front Rear Pinion Pinion Wheel General
Shaft Runout-[TIR (Total Indicator
Reading)]
mm 0.38 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.38 0.25
in 0.015 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.015 0.010

STBM (2) Offset

mm 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.13 0.25 0.25 0.13
in 0.010 0.010 0.010 0.005 0.010 0.010 0.005

Rotation Either Clockwise Counter- Clockwise Counter- Either Either

SAE J110 Cancelled OCT2002

Clockwise Clockwise

Cold Test(3)
Speed rpm (4) 300 200 200 150 150 60 200
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Temperature
°C ± 3° –40 –40 –40 –40 –40 –40 –40
°F ± 5 ° –40 –40 –40 –40 –40 –40 –40

Hot Test
Reverse Rotation None None None 2 min at 2 min at 2 min at None
300 rpm 300 rpm 60 rpm

Speed rpm 3000 3000 3000 3000 3000 1000 3000

Temperature
°C ± 3° 121 135 135 93 93 82 107
°F ± 5 ° 250 275 275 200 200 180 225

Duration Hours 350 350 350 350 350 350 350

1. To be used in the event that the actual application parameters are not used.
2. Shaft to bore misalignment (STBM) - total indicator reading is double the value listed.
3. For duration, see 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7.
4. Rate of acceleration to be agreed upon by user and supplier.
 SAE J110 Cancelled OCT2002

3.5 Test Procedure

3.5.1 In order to analyze the test results more accurately, it is recommended that the following physical
characteristic seal data be obtained before and after testing.

3.5.1.1 Lip Diameter

3.5.1.2 Lip Opening Pressure and/or Radial Load

3.5.1.3 Outer Case Mean Diameter and Out-of-Round

3.5.1.4 Seal Lip to Case OD Eccentricity

3.5.1.5 Seal lips shall be inspected at 7 to 10 diameters magnification for chipping, scratches, and ragged edges
due to faulty trim, in addition to mold imperfections such as knit lines, incomplete fills, or blistering.

3.5.2 The test head must be thoroughly cleaned of all contaminants and extraneous matter.

3.5.3 The seal lip and test shaft shall be lubricated with a small quantity of the test fluid.

3.5.4 The seal must be installed in the seal retainer so that the cumulative eccentricities of the seal and the test
head are known when installed. Means must be provided to insure no OD leakage when the seal is installed
in the seal retainer plate.

3.5.5 The plane of the seal lip shall be perpendicular to the shaft axis unless otherwise specified.

3.5.6 The test shaft shall be placed in such a position that an unused surface is in contact with the sealing element.

3.5.7 Test fluid level shall be mid-shaft except for engine seals where the fluid level should be at the lower 1/8 of
the shaft diameter. Engine seals have no static head of oil as they are splash lubricated.

3.5.8 The test shall be started and conducted in accordance with the prescribed test schedule.

3.5.9 Determine time to leakage if it occurs. If leakage is excessive, terminate the test.

3.5.10 Upon termination of the test, the seal and test shaft shall be carefully examined and their conditions
evaluated and recorded.

3.5.11 A minimum of six seals is to be tested.

3.6 Criteria for Acceptance and Rejection

3.6.1 Undesirable fluid leakage rates past the seal lip, as evidenced by visual examination prior to completion of
the test schedule. An accepted visual method of rating seal leakage during test is as follows in Table 4:

TABLE 4—CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION

Rating No. Condition
1 No visible leakage of shaft-seal lip contact when viewed from air side.
2 A small miniscus of oil visible at shaft-seal lip contact.
3 Same as (2) but a continued wetting of seal lip (air side) and seal case.
4 Heavy wetting of seal at air side continuing down seal adapter plate.

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3.6.1.1 Criteria for acceptance will vary with test duration and application requirements. Ratings of 1 or 2 would be
acceptable in all instances. Allowable leakage for rating 3 or 4 should be agreed upon by user and
supplier.

3.6.2 Uneven wear occurring in a small arc of the seal contact path. This condition appears as a significant
increase in wear path width which occurs in an arc of 45 to 180 degrees.

3.6.3 Excessive changes in dimensional and physical properties of the seal lip after test. Typical values which can
be used for rejection criteria would be:

3.6.3.1 Change in material hardness at seal contact surface in excess of ±10 points of IRHD.

3.6.3.2 Loss of seal lip interference in excess of 50% due to material tension set.

3.6.3.3 Loss of spring force in excess of 10% due to thermal stress relief.

4. Alternate General Performance Test

4.1 Introduction—This section is for spring-loaded seals only, where it is not feasible to conduct qualification and/
or quality control tests under conditions that duplicate the application per the application data sheets; because
the seal is used in a variety of applications, the seal is used under unknown conditions, or the seal is used
under conditions that are exceptionally difficult to duplicate in the laboratory.

4.2 Description of Test Apparatus—See 3.2.

4.3 Test Conditions—These tests shall be conducted as follows:

4.3.1 Shaft offset shall be 0.25 mm (0.010 in) TIR. Dynamic runout shall be 0.25 mm (0.010 in) TIR.

4.3.2 The shaft shall rotate at the rate of 6.1 m/s (1200 ft/min) for leather seals and 10 m/s (2000 ft/min) for
synthetic seals. In either case, the maximum shaft speed shall not exceed 4000 rpm.

4.3.3 The test fluid shall be SAE 10 motor oil.

4.3.4 The test fluid temperature shall be 71 °C ± 3 °C (160 °F ± 5 °F) for leather seals and 93 °C ± 3 °C (200 °F ±
5 °F) for synthetic seals.

4.3.5 The test fluid level shall be at centerline of shaft and operate at atmospheric pressure.

4.4 Test Schedule—The test shall consist of 10 daily cycles. (See Table 1.)

5. Low -Temperature Test

5.1 Introduction—This section covers equipment and procedures for low-temperature tests to qualify a radial lip
type seal design. Three functional test methods described are: (a) Preliminary Screening Test to evaluate
crack resistance, (b) Dynamic Cold Cycling Test, and (c) Optional Dynamic Functional Test to evaluate seal
performance and efficiency.

5.2 Description of Test Apparatus

5.2.1 The test equipment specified in 3.2 (Figure 1) should be fitted with a cooling jacket or coils, or the entire
machine may be placed in a cold room to obtain the desired low temperatures of the seal assembly.

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 SAE J110 Cancelled OCT2002

5.2.2 The test head should be insulated with a minimum of 50 mm (2 in) of polystyrene foam (or equivalent) in
order to maintain the specified temperatures.

5.3 Test Specimens

5.3.1 Two groups of seals shall be used for test samples: (a) new seals and (b) seals that have been aged in the
application fluid as follows: Place seals on application size shaft and position assembly horizontally in
application fluid to shaft centerline for 70 h, at the temperature selected for the application from Tables 2A,
2B, or 3. Recommended sample size—three seals from each group.

5.4 Pretest Measurements and Preparation

5.4.1 In order to analyze the test results more accurately, it is recommended that the following physical
characteristic seal data be obtained before and after testing:

5.4.1.1 Lip Diameter

5.4.1.2 Lip Opening Pressure and/or Radial Load

5.4.1.3 Outer Case Mean Diameter and Out-of-Round

5.4.1.4 Radial Wall Variation

5.4.1.5 Spring Load at Specified Deflected Length

5.4.1.6 Visual Examination of Seal Lips Under 7 to 10X Magnification

5.4.1.7 Shaft Diameter and Axial Surface Roughness

5.4.2 Shafts should be examined under 20X magnification and be free of defects that would be detrimental to
sealing, such as nicks, burrs, scratches, and machining lead.

5.4.3 Install the test shafts and set dynamic runout and bore misalignment, using Tables 2A, 2B, or 3 as a guide.

5.4.4 Pre-lube the sealing element and/or shaft as specified for the application.

5.4.5 Install the seals in the test machine so that the minimum radial wall dimension and bore misalignment are on
the same line, to provide the least possible lip interference at one point.

5.4.6 Install two thermocouples, one at approximately 13 mm (0.5 in) from the bottom of the seal lip, in the test fluid
and one in the garter spring. It is recommended that a 0.13 mm (0.005 in) thick piece of shim stock, with a
thermocouple bonded to it, be inserted between the garter spring coils to minimize sealing element
distortion.

5.5 Preliminary Screening Test

5.5.1 This test is to serve as a screening test to quickly evaluate the capability of a seal material and design to
resist cracking when flexed by the dynamic runout of the shaft. The application operating conditions should
serve as a guide in selected test parameters. When application conditions are not available, it is
recommended that the values in Tables 2A, 2B, or 3 be used.

5.5.2 TEST SP ECIMENS—See 5.3.

5.5.3 PRETEST M EASURE ME NTS AND PREPA RATION —See 5.4.

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5.5.4 TEST SCHEDULE—The test shall be started and conducted in accordance with the following schedule:

5.5.4.1 Without any test lubricant in the sump, lower the seal temperature to the value specified for the application.

5.5.4.2 Maintain the seal temperature for a minimum of 2 h to insure equilibrium has been obtained.

5.5.4.3 Rotate the shaft at 60 rpm ± 10% for a 10 s period.

5.5.4.4 Heat test head to room temperature and remove seals from machine.

5.5.4.5 Upon termination of the test, the seal lip(s) should be examined for failure. The lip sections should be
inspected for axial cracking at the contact line and radial cracking through the flex section. Typical failures
consist of cracking through the lip sections (axially and circumferentially).

5.6 Test Procedure 2—Dynamic Cold Cycling Test

5.6.1 This test should serve to evaluate the cold abrasion and leakage characteristics of a seal material and
design. The actual application operating conditions should serve as a guide for the test schedule. Where it
is not feasible to conduct tests under conditions that duplicate the application, it is recommended that the
values in Tables 2A, 2B, or 3 be used.

5.6.2 TEST SP ECIMENS—See 5.3.

5.6.3 PRETEST M EASURE ME NTS AND PRE PARA TION —See 5.4.

5.6.4 TEST SCHEDULE

5.6.4.1 Lower test head temperature to the value specified for the application.

5.6.4.2 When all the thermocouples indicate specified temperatures, soak for an additional 15 min to insure
equilibrium has been reached.

5.6.4.3 Terminate cooling, start the machine, and run at cold test application speed shown on Tables 2A, 2B, or 3
for 10 min.

5.6.4.4 Increase speed to hot test specification as shown in Tables 2A, 2B, or 3 and continue operation until the
sump temperature reaches 20 °C ± 3 °C (68 °F ± 5 °F).

5.6.4.5 Stop machine and reverse rotation, if required by the application, for 2 min as shown in Tables 2A, 2B, or
3.

5.6.4.6 Stop machine and repeat for a minimum of 10 test cycles.

5.6.4.7 Upon termination of the test, remove seals from the test machine and inspect for lip cracking and wear
characteristics.

5.6.4.8 Criteria for wear rate, with respect to acceptance or rejection, is presently being studied. Acceptance will
vary with test duration and application.

5.7 Test Procedure 3—(Optional) Dynamic Functional Test

5.7.1 This test should serve to evaluate abrasion and leakage characteristics under hot- and cold-dynamic
conditions.

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5.7.2 TEST SP ECIMENS—See 5.3.

5.7.3 PRETEST M EASURE ME NTS AND PREPA RATION —See 5.4.

5.7.4 TEST SCHEDULE

5.7.4.1 Test Schedule—Follow 5.6.4.1 through 5.6.4.6.

5.7.4.2 After the tenth cycle, stop the machine, increase speed to hot test specifications as shown in Tables 2A,
2B, or 3 and run for 16 h in forward mode with no heat added. Record leakage, if any.

5.7.4.3 Allow machine to return to room temperature.

5.7.4.4 Upon termination of test, remove seals from the machine and record the following data:

5.7.4.4.1 Lip Diameter

5.7.4.4.2 Lip Opening Pressure and/or radial load.

5.7.4.4.3 Wear Pattern Width

5.7.4.4.4 Note if lip is cracked. Photograph for wear path characteristics. Refer to 5.6.4.8.

PREPARED BY THE SAE MOTOR VEHICLE COUNCIL

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 SAE J110 Cancelled OCT2002

Rationale—Seal expertise moved outside of the automotive area and there are no experts to continue the
work, hence the recommendation for cancellation and move to RMA.

Relationship of SAE Standard to ISO Standard—Not applicable.

Application—This SAE Recommended Practice covers equipment and procedures for general performance
and low-temperature tests on radial lip type seals for rotating shafts. Three test sections are included:
General Performance Test, Alternate General Performance Test, and Low Temperature Test.

Reference Section

SAE J946—Application Guide to Radial Lip Seals

ISO 6194-4—Rotary shaft lip type seals—Part 4: Performance test procedures

Developed by the SAE Motor Vehicle Council