I like the sound of this approach and will employ it on the next go-around.
Many thanks.
Geoff Branch '74 Meejit "never ends...radiator being recored"
----- Original Message -----
From: DLancer7676@cs.com
To: gjbranch@mediaone.net ; davriker@pacbell.net ; DLancer7676@cs.com ;
spridgets@autox.team.net
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: Oil leak: Real one
In a message dated 5/14/2001 7:28:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
gjbranch@mediaone.net writes:
the questions still remains: RTV or not to RTV?
Geoff:
I do, just to be on the safe side. While I respect the "should'nt need it if
everything fits right" crowd, we ARE dealing with British cars here, with a
propensity to puke oil. The question I resolved for myself centered around
"What did I have to lose by using RTV?". So I use it--I spread it on VERY
thinly on the engine side of the gasket so it coats the gasket evenly and,
again, thinly. I let that sit till it just sets up--not dry--but just sets
up, then install it. Then I coat the timing chain cover side of the gasket
with a VERY thin skim coat of silicone, let that just set up, then install
the timing chain cover. Install the bolts, but like was pointed out before,
before you tighten them, go ahead and coat the crank pulley with white
lithium grease and slide it into place on the crank and into the seal. Then
finger-tighten the bolts until the JUST starts squeezing out a bit. Let it
set till silicone firms up, then torque the bolts down.
When coating, pay special attention to the lower third of the gasket, since
that is where most of the oil will be sitting and looking for a way through
the gasket. 8^)
If you decide to NOT use Silicone, AT LEAST, AT THE VERY MINIMUM, coat both
sides of the gasket with White Lithium Grease before installing. That
SHOULD
work too, but I personally like the extra insurance of the Silicone.
--David C.
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