Time wasted, lesson learned

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Time wasted, lesson learned
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - 09:22 pm:


Obviously The Right Stuff is great for a lot of folks and they love it. For somebody as slow as I am, the five minute deadline is a deal breaker. In this case even ten minutes wouldn't have been enough. I slathered the stuff on the timing cover and on the paper gasket and tried to assemble the works. The combination of a new rope seal and a gasket under the cover wouldn't let the cover sit low enough to fit over the cam shaft. You can see that the holes don't line up. I ended up taking the cover off, tossing the gasket, and scraping off all the congealed rubber. Here the quick drying time was a help, as it made scraping the stuff off easier. I cut a new gasket to go behind the cover, eliminated the gasket underneath, and installed the cover using good old non-hardening Permatex #2 that's been around forever. This time it went together OK.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - 09:45 pm:

If you install the timing cover first, as in para 265 of Ford Service, then assemble the pan to the block, its easier. And that way you make sure the timing cover is centered on the cam. Using the centering tool, most important for timer function.




Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - 10:41 pm:

The trick to installing gaskets is to be patient and methodical, think ahead and don't be in a hurry. Think about what you are doing and make sure the parts are perfectly aligned with eachother. For instance, the generator mount fits to the side of the block and the front of the mount must be precisely even to the front of the engine block where the timing gear cover mounts to them both. If the generator mount is not even with the front of the block, then you will have a gap and potential leak where the timing gear cover fits against the generator mount and the front of the block. This is just one example, but there are numerous examples like this where misalignments can result in leaks.

Whenever I install a part that requires several gaskets that must be aligned to several other parts with gaskets of their own, I patiently install the part in several stages that may take two or three nights by applying the Right Stuff to one side of the gasket at a time and tighten the part down and let the gasket seal set up overnight. For instance, on this part you have the gasket that seals the timing gear cover to the front of the block and to the generator mount and also the gasket that seals the bottom of the timing gear cover to the pan, not to mention the crank shaft seal. An awful lot of gaskets to try and install at one time while trying to hold the gaskets in place and, at the same time aligning the various surfaces to eachother.

Solution? Do one gasket at a time one half at a time making sure it is perfectly aligned with all the other parts it mates up to then, tighten as tight as if you were installing it for good using all of the bolts (for a consistent seal). The next day, remove the bolts and remove the part which will be easy to remove because only the back side has the Right Stuff on it, which will keep the gasket in place. Then do the backside of the next gasket and re-install the part using all the bolts and tighten down tightly. Do this until all the gaskets are installed and secured with the backside held in place by the Right Stuff.

When you are ready to install the piece for good all you need to do is apply the Right Stuff to the facing side of the gaskets and install the timing gear cover using all the bolts.

As for the crankshaft seal, I used the modern spring reinforced rubber seal which I imbedded in the pan half with the Right Stuff when I mounted the block onto the pan, so the upper half of the seal was protruding above the crank shaft and the timing gear cover seal space simply needed to be packed with the Right Stuff prior to securing to the prepared block front gasket and pan gaskets and tighten down securely.

I did all my gaskets this way from hogshead to timing gear cover and, though it may have been time consuming, I was in no hurry and my engine is virtually leak free because of it. Jim Patrick


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