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Re: Cracked Timing Cover

To: "Ulix Goettsch" <ulix@u.washington.edu>, <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Cracked Timing Cover
From: "Ric Bergstrom" <Ric_Bergstrom@britishcarclub.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 15:09:34 -0400
Reply-to: "Ric Bergstrom" <Ric_Bergstrom@britishcarclub.com>
Sender: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net
I am pulling that bolt later today.  Is it right handed?

I have an air wrench so that is good!



Richard Bergstrom, President
Central Virginia British Car Club
Richmond VA
We welcome all British Cars in the Central Virginia Area
E-mail me for details!
-----Original Message-----
From: Ulix Goettsch <ulix@u.washington.edu>
To: Jeff Boatright <jboatri@emory.edu>
Cc: Tom Zuchowski <tzuchow@ibm.net>; spridgets@autox.team.net
<spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, June 22, 1999 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: Cracked Timing Cover


>Good advice from Jeff, but if your crank pulley hasn't been off in
25
>years or so, it may not come off this "easily".  Mine didn't.  No
cheater
>bar etc. worked.  I needed an impact wrench.  Since I don't have
air
>tools, this was alittle bit of a problem.
>There is another method that involves letting the cheater bar rest
against
>the engine compartment or ground and engaging the starter.  I have
never
>tried this, and you'll have to find someone else to recommend this
method
>to you :-)
>
>Ulix
>
>
>On Tue, 22 Jun 1999, Jeff Boatright wrote:
>
>> Tom,
>>
>> First, Ulix' JB weld/washer/super glue fix sounds like the way to
go. But,
>> to answer your question, you don't have to pull the engine to get
the
>> timing cover off. You will need to pull the grill and radiator,
loosen the
>> front engine mount bolts, and jack the engine up so that the
pulley clears
>> the front crossmember. When I replaced my seal, I had to jack the
egnine to
>> the point that it was slightly lifting the front end! Anyway,
then, you
>> need get the front pully off, which requires a 1 - 5/16th socket
on a
>> cheater. The only socket of this size that I could find took a
3/4"  drive.
>> Luckily my neighbor had one. Then you need to pry the front pully
off. I
>> used a couple of crow bars. Then you need to remove the forest of
bolts
>> holding the cover on. Yes, their heads are of two sizes, both of
which
>> escape me right now (1/2 and 3/8??). Finally the cover will come
off. But,
>> you're not done yet. You'll probably need a new front seal and
definitely a
>> new cover gasket. You also need to check that the mating surface
of the
>> cover (with all the bolt holes) is flat, flat, flat. It's usually
puclered
>> around the bolt holes. This, along with an old seal, is often the
source of
>> oil leaks from the front of the engine. When replacing it all,
the seal
>> should fit snuggly into its pocket - I applied greas liberally
inside and
>> out (see Haynes). The gasket should only require blue goo on the
cover
>> side, though many folks put it on both sides. Finally, there are
in fact
>> torque values for all of those bolts.
>>
>> Surprisingly, the hardest part of the reassembly, for me, was
realigning
>> all of the pieces of sheet metal that the radiator screws pass
through.
>> Colin Chapman would've been proud of the parsimony followed by
the
>> designers. More or less, four sheet metal screws hold the fronts
of our
>> cars together. I suggest clamping the pieces of sheet together
before
>> removing the radiator mounting screws. This may require drilling
new holes
>> through the sheets (but avoiding the rad mounts) so that the
various body
>> panels are held in place after you remove the rad mount screws.
>>
>> Aren't you glad you asked? As I said, try the Ulix fix first.
BTW, one of
>> the local shops here estimated $300 to replace the front seal, in
case you
>> were wondering.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> ---
>> On 6/21/99, Tom Zuchowski wrote:
>> >Again I turn to the accumulated wisdom of the List. . .
>> >
>> >Yesterday I pulled my radiator to have it rebuilt, and I made an
unhappy
>> >discovery.
>> >
>> >The front timing cover on the 1275 engine is cracked where the
breather can
>> >attaches to it. I can wiggle the breather and watch the crack
open and
>> >close. (This might explain why my oil leaking has gotten so bad
lately.)
>> >
>> >How much trouble an I in? It looks like a LOT of work to get
that timing
>> >cover off. Do I have to pull the engine? Can something like this
be welded
>> >closed, or do I have to find a replacement? I am tempted to try
cleaning it
>> >up and applying a generous fillet of JB Weld around the
breather. This is a
>> >driver, not a show car.
>> >
>> >Any and all opinions and suggestions would be greatly
appreciated!
>> >
>> >Thanks in advance. You have always come through for me!
>> >
>> >Tom Zuchowski
>> >'61 Bugeye
>> >Clemmons, NC
>>
>>
>> Jeffrey H. Boatright, PhD
>> Senior Editor, Molecular Vision
>> http://www.molvis.org/molvis
>> "Seeing the Future in a Very Tiny Way"
>>
>>
>
>    Ulix                                       __/__,__
___/__|__
>..............................................(_o____o_)....<_O____
_O_/...
>http://students.washington.edu/~ulix/         '67 Sprite     '74
X1/9
>



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