Tappet cover oil leaks

One of the most frustrating things for me on my 6000 restoration project was sealing up the tappet/pushrod cover on the RH side of the block. I tried numerous sealants on the cork gasket without success. I ended up putting it together without a gasket using only a thick bead of silicone - that was not without its difficulties as well. I finally had to smear some silicone in the grooves to seal off that last little bubbling area, at least if I wanted zero leaks.

I was at a tractor show yesterday and checked out the row of Fords. Most of them were from the 9N to 800 vintage. I noticed that most of the NAA/600/800 engines had a gasket leak of some sort similar to mine on the 6000. It made me feel a little better knowing I wasn't the only one who struggled with that problem.

So my question is this: Is this something you struggled with, and if so, what did it take for you to conquer it?

Yea, there a pain Bern. I do know that if you have metal absolutely clean siicone gasket is really hard to get off of clean metal. that's the only thing I nkow that would work. Hylomar might work but I've never tried it. Drilling some small drain holes in the gasket on the lower edge might do the trick. Seems like Ford made that drainback hole a little high.

I have had good luck with RIGHT STUFF. It is in a pressurized cheeze wiz type can. Put down a bead and let it firm up, then assemble. Made by Permatex and it will bridge a wide gap.

Ultra grey RTV finger tight bolts for 1 hour then torque the bolts. Let it sit over night before running the engine. Any excess that squeezes out is easily peeled away after it cures.

That sounds like a good idea. I might have to try that sometime in a similar situation. Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm not so sure there is a good permanent solution for sealing the side cover. I always had better luck with the little cans of Ford gasket sealer. I could get several years with no drips. Way back when Cat had their own lable on the same can. Deere sold it as aviation sealer. All those are gone now but Permatex still sells it as aviation sealer. The bigger cans of Ford sealer weren't worth a darn.

Not familiar with your tractor but if it's what I think here is what you need to do. Coat the entire gasket with sealer of your choice being sure to coat the edges of the gasket. Then build up a dam on top of the bottom edge using the gasket sealer or silicone. This lows the oil to drain off the top edge of the bottom of the gasket. If the oil sits on that edge of the gasket it will eventually soak thru the gasket and drip out the bottom. Hope you can understand my confusing instructions.
Dave

I glue the gasket to the cover with 3m 8002 weather strip. Remove the gasket and hold it out so both sides of the glue can dry get tacky about a min. it depends on the temp. I then put the gasket back on the cover working it for the best fit. The gaskets stuck it taint going anywhere : )

I smear a very light coat of permatex ultra grey on the gasket to engine side. Install the cover and lightly pull it down. I let it set well till I know the RTV has cured then nail it down.

Where folks go wrong with this RTV makes the cork slick overnighting to soon will split the cork. If you do not nail the gasket down with weather strip the gasket will move its in the cards you have to play them right...

Everything has got to be clean.

The all RTV trick I am not sure it will work well even with RTV the right stuff unless the cover will clap down all the way without a gasket. Yes we use it to seal the ends of intake manifold's BUT the other 90% is mounted solid the manifold is not floating around. The range of movement is limited.

The cut of the new gasket is poor we have to live with that : (

I could care less about folks the beach about the 3M man up if you have to remove it its in your hand on the cover not in a hole you cannot get to... At our age let the next guy suffer thru cleaning it off..

It can still bite you if the seal is uneven and most likely your covers are not prefect are two parts like timing cover to pan you will need to add more RTV at those places. to fill in the gaps its not a perfect world you learn as you go...

I glue all gaskets down with 3M I don't want them to move I have been bit with this. The first Chrysler 440 I built I installed the gaskets dry I had a crankcase back fire it blew out the valley pan gasket and oil pan gasket. I glue'em now : )

Copper spray are liquid gasket sealer is a no no on a cork gasket. They are slick for to long the gasket will slip are split : (

NOPE WRONG the instructions are on the tube read them...

You have a 4 min. window if it shims over wipe it off and start again. Have all your ducks in a row.

You want it tacky so it will bond if its skimmed over it will not bond you have leakier...

This will be an issue on a side cover if you do it correctly and it don't clamp even the uneven part will skim over and not seal : ( Life's a beach even worst on old stuff...

I eventually went the all RTV route, which proved successful after dabbing a bit more in a few spots. Even that was a learning experience.
The cover did not fit flat up against the block in one corner due to the design of the casting. Unfortunately, I learned that lesson the hard
way. On a 6000, the injection pump, drive coupler, and mounting adapter all have to come off before you can even think about pulling that
cover off.

Pryor to buying the real deal I made my own smoke machine. I use to find leaks on most anything its saved my bacon. No ones perfect no one technique is either for all applications. When you think you are good you will get humbled : (.

I hope it works out for ya.

You can find updated info on how to make a smoke machine on youtube. I used a qt paint can, glow plug, a turn signal flasher to cycle the glow plug, air regulator, steel wool and ATF. I could find leaks on most anything 99% of the time before I installed the engine, trans are whatever it be.

I am using a Redline smoke machine now they are around $1000 : (. It is a must have tool for finding evap leaks. The tool has a built in regulator to about 1/2 PSI what makes it super nice it has a pressure gauge and flow meter. When using it to locate evap leaks its rare to need the smoke you go by the pressure gauge and flow meter. If its showing flow after a few min you have a leak. If no flow turn the incoming pressure source off and watch the pressure gauge if it holds steady no leak no smoke needed. Basically you are metering how large the leak is.

I talked my machine shop man into one I was finding leaks on his work he should have found before he shipped his engines.

Here's a man that does it every day he gets bit. He evolves his sealing technology play as you go. I had to find a leak on a Ford 390 he did after the install. He used "The Right Stuff" (BTW its great stuff it has its evils') He used it on the valve covers I liked to have never got them off without destroying them. They were nailed stuck to the head. The leak was the rear of the intake where they use a cork gasket he eliminated the cork and ran a bead of the right stuff. Before he could get the intake on the RTV skimmed over and did not bond to the engine side. It was a instant leak man made.

I put the cork back on that application glued it with 3M. Cork gaskets will leak in time no way to get around it. Those intakes are heavy heavier when installed in the engine compartment and not out on a stand. They walk around as you tighten them up they were built to leak.

I dunno where folks come up with let it skim over you will find parts that come with a silicon bead as the gasket, sealing bead. Those parts have a machined grove in them to retain the bead and their is no way you can re-invent it. You can clean the grove apply RTV get the part on now have your ducks in a row.

This is true for all automotive applications.




Today about all is designed to seal with RTV its a workaround to seal up old technology. You learn as you go.

After thinking about this all day and the times I have been bit even with my tricks it all comes down to clamping force loss. Wrapped cover poor cut of the gasket etc.

A smoke machine is a inexpensive tool that's nice to have on a fresh build. Your imagination is the limit on how you can use it.