Engine oil: My leak solutions
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 3:36 pm
Hi all
I recently removed the engine from my S130 to cure oil leaks that had been evident for a long time, most importantly the rear crank lipseal. This had been fitted in 2000 when I had the crank reground. I always had a slight drip from the front pully even after fitting a new pully. Sump weeps over the years had also being cured from underneath just removing the sump, never really a long term success.
I decided that it was time to sort all these leaks and do a proper job with good sealants and gaskets.
I decided to look at alternate sump gaskets and seals with the engine on the bench which would give the best chances of long term seal. I looked at the fit of the Ford xflow gasket with black plastic half moon seal with spats at the ends that covers the cork gasket, I liked this idea as it was a ford upgrade but the seal has to be trimmed to fit in the alloy carriers. did a test fit and compared it to the original cork half moons. The compression by the sump pan is much less on the xflow black half moon seals than the cork, I thought this would be a possible future leak point. I ended up with the gasket kit "from Gaskets for Classics on ebay" that uses a plastic half moon that fits the carrier with the required height to give good compression from the sump and does not need trimming.
The timing chain case can leak around the back plate although mine in this case was not showing any signs of this However it did show signs at the joint of the two parts at the base adjacent to the sump gasket. The pully seal had a leak and I think in the past the timing case had not been centralised correctly, I decided I needed to find a way of doing this whilst fitting the front cover, I made up a centraliser from a new pulley seal filled with araldite and when hard made the lipseal rigid. This was fitted to the pully shaft with an old seal as a spacer whilst setting the backplate with sealant
and tightening the back plate holding bolt.
The rear seal of the crank looked ok as regarding scoring but to give it a new seal area I made up a new gasket using good quality gasket paper 0.30mm as apposed to 0.50mm moving the lip point 0.20mm closer to the block. it may not be significant but every little helps.
Timing cover procedure: was to use sealant "Permatex 80019" to both sides of the backplate gasket. fit back plate with bolt finger tight then fit front cover without chain and jackshaft sprocket. using all bolts finger tight, fit homemade centraliser and pully to centralise covers. the back plate cover then can be tightened fully through the gap in the timing case with a ring spanner, front cover can then be removed after allowing sealant to set so that sprockets and chain can be fitted and torque up back bolt.
Fitting the front cover using Permatex anaerobic 518 gasket maker and again use the centraliser to ensure that all is central, the centraliser only needs to entered into the access lightly not fully inserted as the final lipseal.
Sump rail gaskets: Permatex 8001 aviation No3 form a gasket maker
Sump half moon ends: Permatex 8115 black sealant
I left the above overnight before putting a light coat of Permatex 8006 high tack gasket sealant on the sump pan faces after checking straightness and correction, bolted down to manual specs. Engine has been in use since dec2021 no leaks as yet
This is my effort to give long term absence of leaks from the sump area the remaining gaskets were installed with the same gasket sealants used above as required for each area.
I am pleased with the result and was worth the effort of removing the engine to the bench.
I recently removed the engine from my S130 to cure oil leaks that had been evident for a long time, most importantly the rear crank lipseal. This had been fitted in 2000 when I had the crank reground. I always had a slight drip from the front pully even after fitting a new pully. Sump weeps over the years had also being cured from underneath just removing the sump, never really a long term success.
I decided that it was time to sort all these leaks and do a proper job with good sealants and gaskets.
I decided to look at alternate sump gaskets and seals with the engine on the bench which would give the best chances of long term seal. I looked at the fit of the Ford xflow gasket with black plastic half moon seal with spats at the ends that covers the cork gasket, I liked this idea as it was a ford upgrade but the seal has to be trimmed to fit in the alloy carriers. did a test fit and compared it to the original cork half moons. The compression by the sump pan is much less on the xflow black half moon seals than the cork, I thought this would be a possible future leak point. I ended up with the gasket kit "from Gaskets for Classics on ebay" that uses a plastic half moon that fits the carrier with the required height to give good compression from the sump and does not need trimming.
The timing chain case can leak around the back plate although mine in this case was not showing any signs of this However it did show signs at the joint of the two parts at the base adjacent to the sump gasket. The pully seal had a leak and I think in the past the timing case had not been centralised correctly, I decided I needed to find a way of doing this whilst fitting the front cover, I made up a centraliser from a new pulley seal filled with araldite and when hard made the lipseal rigid. This was fitted to the pully shaft with an old seal as a spacer whilst setting the backplate with sealant
and tightening the back plate holding bolt.
The rear seal of the crank looked ok as regarding scoring but to give it a new seal area I made up a new gasket using good quality gasket paper 0.30mm as apposed to 0.50mm moving the lip point 0.20mm closer to the block. it may not be significant but every little helps.
Timing cover procedure: was to use sealant "Permatex 80019" to both sides of the backplate gasket. fit back plate with bolt finger tight then fit front cover without chain and jackshaft sprocket. using all bolts finger tight, fit homemade centraliser and pully to centralise covers. the back plate cover then can be tightened fully through the gap in the timing case with a ring spanner, front cover can then be removed after allowing sealant to set so that sprockets and chain can be fitted and torque up back bolt.
Fitting the front cover using Permatex anaerobic 518 gasket maker and again use the centraliser to ensure that all is central, the centraliser only needs to entered into the access lightly not fully inserted as the final lipseal.
Sump rail gaskets: Permatex 8001 aviation No3 form a gasket maker
Sump half moon ends: Permatex 8115 black sealant
I left the above overnight before putting a light coat of Permatex 8006 high tack gasket sealant on the sump pan faces after checking straightness and correction, bolted down to manual specs. Engine has been in use since dec2021 no leaks as yet
This is my effort to give long term absence of leaks from the sump area the remaining gaskets were installed with the same gasket sealants used above as required for each area.
I am pleased with the result and was worth the effort of removing the engine to the bench.