TR majorinstalling front engine cover

After getting most of the parts......still waiting for the shim buckets......I am ready to install the front engine cover.

The water pump has two seals.....an inner one made of rubber, and an outer one made of steel.....the front main seal is of rubber. I have learned NOT to apply silicone to a rubber seal. Therefore, I have the following questions:

Inner water pump seal (made of rubber): I could use oil, or hylomar.

Outer water pump seal (made of steel): I plan on using silicone sealer; either ultra-grey, or permatex #2.

Front main seal (made of rubber): Either oil or hylomar.

For the main gasket of the cover, I plan on using Ultra-grey silicone sealer.

Your suggestions would be most appreciative.


Thanks

Hi Henry,

was there any sealant on the WP seal from the factory? I believe not if memory serves me. On the rubber I suggest grease over oil. No scientific data to back up my choice, I just prefer a lubricant that will stay put until things have seated in. On the steel/brass outer a little permatex sounds safe as a sealing lubricant to to help with instalation and coat the metal surfaces to keep electrolysis in check to some degree.

On the front cover your choice sounds fine. Sealant choice is almost by feel imo, one gets a sense of the castings, forces and dynamics that will come into play over the parts lifetime and chooses the sealants based on their technical specifications and experiences with use. So in many cases there is not really a right or wrong sealant, more like a personal preference.

You starting to get back after it?

Regards, JRV

Henry: Be sure to check and see that the new front crank seal has the "garter" spring in the lip of the rubber seal. My new one didn't and I destroyed the original one removing the old seal. Luckily where I work we used to make those little springs years ago and had 2 (the last 2!) in a parts drawer in the tool room. I used oil to prelube the seal but now agree with JRV's suggestion to use grease as a "starting" lube on the seal. Glad to see your back in action on the TR motor.

Thanks guys: The front cover is on...along with the water pump seals, and new front crank seal.

The shim bucket head holes are fixed. Used a utility knife blade to remove the ridges, and then used some fine sand paper......worked well, and the shim buckets move freely. The walls where copiously flushed with brake fluid cleaner.

I am waiting for the new ones ordered. I will then adjust the valves, with proper shims. This will be done after Thanksgiving.

I still have to install the block onto the trans case. One stud broke, coming from the bottom of the block. This will have to be drilled out, and probably, a heli-coil inserted. One exhaust stud also broke. Then I have to grind down some of the casting, around the stud nuts (between block and trans), so that I can place a box end wrench fully on the nut.......there are 3 on the left side of the trans case that are too tight.

>>Then I have to grind down some of the casting, around the stud nuts <<

Hi Henry,

can you grind down the outside of a wrench instead?

Regards, JRV

JRV: I thought of grinding down the wrench, but I think it would make it too weak. These nuts, I believe, are torqued down to about 50 ft-lbs. This would not be a problem installing with a thin walled wrench, however, later on removal, the "corrosion" built up requires hundreds of lbs of torque to remove.

On the casing, behind each nut is a small raised ridge, protruding about .020-.030 inch. It is a portion of this small ridge that I would remove. No part of the casing would be gouged into.

BTW: Some outer, steel, water pump seals come with sealant, and some do not. Rutland first sent me an early version seal for the TR......it had a small band of red caoting on the contact surface......VERY thin. The updated version.....correct for my car......did not have any coating.

The outer steel seal faces a platic white material on the inside of the impeller (also replaced). Sould I use any installation coating here? It would appear that these should be dry.

During installation I plan on torqueing the 8mm nuts (holding many parts) to about 15-18 ft-lbs. DO you concur?

Thanks

Henry,

Personally I don't like a torque wrench on many smaller bolts/nuts on non-critical items like front covers/valve covers/oil sump pans.

I like to use feel to prevent breaking/stripping anything. I don't trust torque wrenches on the outer limits of their ranges bottom or top. Once you've gone around the perimiter several times tightening and checking, you can check a few with the torque wrench to make sure they are tight enough.

Can't visualize your seal question well enough to give a valid answer.

Regards, JRV

JRV: The seal in question is as follows: Just behind the brass impeller, there is a rubber seal with a white plastic insert, pressed into the impeller. As the impeller is drawn to the "outer" seal of the inside of the water pump, it abutts against against it. The seal seems to be just a pressure fit.

Does this help?

Ok Henry got it. On the portion of the seal your reffering to i don't use anything. That portion is part that forms a static seal by itself, if I'm following along correctly.

Regards, JRV

Thanks JRV: I am planning on installing this seal with a little anti-freeze on it. It would seem only the coolant contacts this area.