The last few months I have been restoring my 52 8N that included engine rebuild. I am almost finished with the body restoration stage but I have a thorn to deal with before I place the hood back on the tractor.
There is an oil leak in the right front of the engine where the oil pan meets the engine. It is not a big leak but it is big enough to get on my nerves, especially after an engine rebuild.
The oil pan has a weld on the right side about 5” from the front. At the top flange where the weld is, there is a plane difference of maybe 1/64” or less which is enough to cause a leak.
Because of this difference when I put the engine back together, I used the regular paper gasket all the way around except in the lower portion of the flange around where the timing cover meets. There I used gray RTV to compensate the difference in plane.
I thought it would work but it did not. I do not know if the RTV got shifted during the installation of the oil pan or it was just a bad idea to begin with.
So I am thinking that my options are either to find another oil pan (which it may not be easily found locally) or take it to a machine shop to level the top. I guess this should be doable, maybe I have to slightly enlarge the back 6 holes to meet the bell housing, but other than that I think it should work.
What is your opinion, or do I have other options?
There is an oil leak in the right front of the engine where the oil pan meets the engine. It is not a big leak but it is big enough to get on my nerves, especially after an engine rebuild.
The oil pan has a weld on the right side about 5” from the front. At the top flange where the weld is, there is a plane difference of maybe 1/64” or less which is enough to cause a leak.
Because of this difference when I put the engine back together, I used the regular paper gasket all the way around except in the lower portion of the flange around where the timing cover meets. There I used gray RTV to compensate the difference in plane.
I thought it would work but it did not. I do not know if the RTV got shifted during the installation of the oil pan or it was just a bad idea to begin with.
So I am thinking that my options are either to find another oil pan (which it may not be easily found locally) or take it to a machine shop to level the top. I guess this should be doable, maybe I have to slightly enlarge the back 6 holes to meet the bell housing, but other than that I think it should work.
What is your opinion, or do I have other options?