MTFCA Forum

Hi,
I have one of Texas T Parts Hi Volume outside oil lines installed in my Speedster. I bought it about 3 or 4 years ago, and the chap who built the engine installed it. Unfortunately its leaking like a sieve from the Hogs-head gasket. Because I'm loath to removing the hogs-head unless absolutely necessary, my idea to stop the leak is to slacken off the Allen headed bolts, loosen the aluminium cap and
squeeze/inject some sort of sealant between the gasket and the hogs-head and then re tighten the thing.
BUT....
Ben Hardiman (Texas T Parts) changed the kit. The earlier ones had slotted screws in the top and spring washers with nuts, holding up a pressed steel scoop on the inside.
The later ones had Allen headed screws with star washes on the outside and only a cast aluminium scoop (with threaded holes) on the inside.
Obviously, I don't want to go dropping anything into the gearbox and I hope that the indications that mine has the aluminium scoop, are correct. However, the instructions that came with the thing indicate it has nuts, spring washers and slotted screws.....but as I said at the beginning, it has 6 Allen headed screws in it.
My question is.....
Could there have been a change over period where he supplied Allen head screws with the pressed steel scoop?
Alternatively, could someone supply me with Ben's contact details please?
Cheers,
Rob

How about using a dental mirror and torch to take a look see. I would have to look to see if I can see mine on the inside. I have an early version before TT started making them, without the scoop. (It get more then enough without it)

Problem with most of these installations is that the vendors provide instructions to have some of the parts inside the hogshead. In my opinion the best way to do them is to first find where the oil slings heaviest and center the outside piece over that area, then drill the hogshead for oil and the four screws drilled and tapped. An inside scoop is nice but not necessary if the oil hole is drilled in the right place and putting anything inside the hogshead that can loosen, fall off or strip is not good. Dr. Terry H. invented this trick and wrote and extensive analysis about it years ago.

Clean the area well. Then use copious a mounts of 2 part epoxy all over. Ugly, but works and no need for disassembly.

Or, you can clean the area several times with spray-on brake cleaner, Wire brush, and re-spray, several times. Wipe residue off with lacquer thinner, allow to dry, and then apply a fillet of Ultra Black RTV around the fitting. Since it has a pretty significant thickness, the bead will be of sufficient size that it will have plenty of area to grip both the fitting and hog's head. Apply enough that you have to work it firmly with your finger into a fillet and it will be pushed into the roughness of both parts and should have good adhesion. Cleanliness is the key.

Mark, Tom & Scott,
Thank you for your constructive suggestions and advice.
I have had a look inside and I can just see between the ring gear teeth that the scoop is in fact aluminium.
I appreciate the differing remedies and will try one method of fixing the problem and if it doesn't work I'll try the other and so on.
If they all fail, then off with its (hogs) head....
Thanks again,
Rob

Scots suggestion about using some Ultra Black is best. Do get the surface clean and oil free. No need to chance a lost nut inside.

Rob, I just started installing one of these vendor supplied fittings tonight on a alum HH that's going on a 26/27 car. Here's some thoughts from what I have found on this unit.

There have been a few modifications to this device since the amazing Terry Horlick researched oil flows inside the Model T hogshead.

I thought of your leaking when I started working on this one. I discovered the mounting screw heads are too big to tighten down into the counterbore on the external part! If the screw heads are not turned down and made to fit it's possible someone might think the little 10X32 screws are tight when they are simply not pulling down into the recess. This would surely allow the part to become loose and leak easily. Not sure about the one you have but this one screws into a threaded plate on the inside with no nut or anything to come loose.

You had better take a mirror and check yours and check the heads of your screws to make sure there tightened down properly.