Properly sealing timing cover to oil pan.

-
L

LovetheA's

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
827
Reaction score
117
Location
Fairfield, CT
I just recently had to pull apart the water pump and the front timing cover on my engine after just recently getting it all back together. I guess I’m just destined to learn how to properly do things by often doing them twice. I thought I had adequately sealed up and reassembled the bottom of the timing cover to the oil pan but noticed soon after start up the engine was spewing oil out of the bottom of the timing cover. I tired to tighten down the bolts holding the bottom bracket and using rtv high temp silicone but it still leaked. It looks like there is a small gap between the bottom steel flange and the top of the front of the oil pan. So I decided to suck it up and broke down the entire front of the engine pulled everything apart and I’m giving it another attempt. I took pictures of the areas in question. How does everyone get this area to seal? Thicker gaskets, extra gaskets, lots of RTV, I though about bending the steel flange/bar at the bottom of the timing cover down slightly maybe for a better seal. I just don’t want to have to do this again.

11374659-C149-4405-88A8-0571D5F01CF0.jpeg


336C3753-CDB1-4FD1-8765-80395D0C3104.jpeg


41622278-7C20-4F27-8F8E-B65CC517F207.jpeg
 
That's generally not a trouble area on a big block, because of the flat surfaces. I cannot imagine what it could be. I would say check the pan to assure it's not bent down, but the way the pan bolts to the timing cover......it would straighten itself out. Are you SURE it was coming from the timing cover at the pan? It appears your block is missing a locating dowel pin for the timing cover on the passenger's side. What I would do is get the timing cover back on with the bolts loose and install the balancer. This is the proper method for getting the timing cover in the right place without dowel pins. Once you have the balancer installed, tighten the cover and oil pan.
 
RustyRatRod
It does actually have the passengers side dowel pin it’s just covered up by the gasket which is not yet aligned correct as it’s not positioned onto the pin. Maybe if I make sure the bottom of the timing cover is totally flat and I lay a generous bead of rtv on the oil pan top edge it will seal tight. Yes I’m pretty sure it’s coming from this area because after engine warms up and is running I can see the oil starting to run out even after it is tightened down. I think the bottom steel flange wasn’t totally straight?
 
Last edited:
LovetheA's said:
RustyRatRod
It does actually have the passengers side dowel pin it’s just covered up by the gasket which is not yet aligned correct as it’s not positioned onto the pin. Maybe if I make sure the bottom of the timing cover is totally flat and I lay a generous bead of rtv on the oil pan top edge it will seal tight. Yes I’m pretty sure it’s coming from this area because after engine warms up and is running I can see the oil steering to run out even after it is tightened down. I think the bottom steel flange wasn’t totally straight?
Click to expand...

Maybe you can get a small 6" machinist rule and use it as a straight edge on the pan and bottom of the timing cover. That should tell the story. I'm a firm believer in RTV used correctly, but you shouldn't need a lot. In fact, I would only put it in the corners.
 
I don’t see a oil slinger on the crankshaft in front of the gear ! Do you have the oil slinger on there just not in the picture shown ?
 
Rmoore
I not exactly sure what an oil slinger on the crankshaft is supposed to look like? I don’t believe there is anything I have left out when I reassembled the front of the engine. If it’s not there I don’t think it was ever there? What exactly does it look like and where does it go? You’ll have to excuse my ignorance I’m just learning all this as I go along.
 
Heard of much debate over using an oil slinger or not, I thought it redirected the oil onto the chain thus creating less oil onto the inside cover and seals. I really am not sure. Found this older thread, (talking about slinger on a 6 cyl. Pic of installed slinger in post#3).
Pic of oil slinger installed?
 
LovetheA's said:
I just recently had to pull apart the water pump and the front timing cover on my engine after just recently getting it all back together. I guess I’m just destined to learn how to properly do things by often doing them twice. I thought I had adequately sealed up and reassembled the bottom of the timing cover to the oil pan but noticed soon after start up the engine was spewing oil out of the bottom of the timing cover. I tired to tighten down the bolts holding the bottom bracket and using rtv high temp silicone but it still leaked. It looks like there is a small gap between the bottom steel flange and the top of the front of the oil pan. So I decided to suck it up and broke down the entire front of the engine pulled everything apart and I’m giving it another attempt. I took pictures of the areas in question. How does everyone get this area to seal? Thicker gaskets, extra gaskets, lots of RTV, I though about bending the steel flange/bar at the bottom of the timing cover down slightly maybe for a better seal. I just don’t want to have to do this again.

View attachment 1715546570

View attachment 1715546571

View attachment 1715546572
Click to expand...

I read the posts above .
I went thru the same thing , eventually bending the timing cover up. Finally dropped the pan and used a new pan gasket , after straightening the chain cover , it was pulled down in the bolt holes bad enough that the rest of it wouldnt evenseal w/ sillicone.
I got tit straight and welded braces in it to stop it from re occuring, still used black atv sillicone in the corners and all across it being careful to not let it squeeze into the inside of engine --------doesn`t leak now.---
-----------------------"u need an oil slinger" , thats why the factory put them on , even 426 hemi`s had them !!
 
The marks around the front seal look troubling. Is there sealer between the front seal and the cover?
 
LovetheA's said:
I just recently had to pull apart the water pump and the front timing cover on my engine after just recently getting it all back together. I guess I’m just destined to learn how to properly do things by often doing them twice. I thought I had adequately sealed up and reassembled the bottom of the timing cover to the oil pan but noticed soon after start up the engine was spewing oil out of the bottom of the timing cover. I tired to tighten down the bolts holding the bottom bracket and using rtv high temp silicone but it still leaked. It looks like there is a small gap between the bottom steel flange and the top of the front of the oil pan. So I decided to suck it up and broke down the entire front of the engine pulled everything apart and I’m giving it another attempt. I took pictures of the areas in question. How does everyone get this area to seal? Thicker gaskets, extra gaskets, lots of RTV, I though about bending the steel flange/bar at the bottom of the timing cover down slightly maybe for a better seal. I just don’t want to have to do this again.

View attachment 1715546570

View attachment 1715546571

View attachment 1715546572
Click to expand...
By looking @ the pic the bottom flat area looks to be bent slightly upwards at the ends. That may be the problem. I would think that needs to be as straight as an arrow to seal right.
 
LovetheA's said:
Rmoore
I not exactly sure what an oil slinger on the crankshaft is supposed to look like? I don’t believe there is anything I have left out when I reassembled the front of the engine. If it’s not there I don’t think it was ever there? What exactly does it look like and where does it go? You’ll have to excuse my ignorance I’m just learning all this as I go along.
Click to expand...

Hopefully the responses you got helped !! I see there is a pic of and oil slinger and where it goes !! I think the different responses on whether you need and oil slinger or not is one of those deals that only matters if you are having trouble with oil leaking or not !! The factory put it there to keep the high pressure oil spray that is spraying towards the seal that is oiling the timing chain !! That’s all it does ! I suspect some people run them some don’t !! Who really cares unless you are having a oil leakage problem from the timing cover gasket or seal !! Then you mite for insurance sake put one in there and do the other stuff these knowledgable guys are telling you to try !! It’s cheap ! It’s not going to cost you horsepower !! And it’s easy !
LovetheA's said:
Rmoore
I not exactly sure what an oil slinger on the crankshaft is supposed to look like? I don’t believe there is anything I have left out when I reassembled the front of the engine. If it’s not there I don’t think it was ever there? What exactly does it look like and where does it go? You’ll have to excuse my ignorance I’m just learning all this as I go along.
Click to expand...
 
QuickDart360 said:
By looking @ the pic the bottom flat area looks to be bent slightly upwards at the ends. That may be the problem. I would think that needs to be as straight as an arrow to seal right.
Click to expand...

I thought I was seeing that, too, but it's hard to tell from the picture.
 
Watching this thread with interest. I am having the same problem with mine, and in the same area too.I'm trying to seal a bunch of parts (Hughes stud girdle, windage tray and oil pan) but pretty sure my leak is in the same place as OP (corner of timing cover where it meets the block. Already had it all off once, bought a new straight Proform timing cover, put it on with RTV and didn't tighten until balancer in, etc. And it still leaks.
:mad:
 
There’s little to no clamping force between the cover and pan out on the corners. So the cover flange definitely needs to be straight and flat. You might get lucky getting the cover back on over the dowel pins and get a good seal between cover and oil pan with the old gasket. You might not. Don’t waste your time with the piece of cork pan gasket that comes in timing gasket sets.

Though it’s more work, you’ll get better results dropping the oil pan, installing the timing cover first, and reinstalling the pan with a new gasket. And a bead of good RTV in the seam between the cover and block at the bottom before the pan goes on. Super clean surfaces, no oil residue. Let things set up.

On a side note and FWIW, I’m a fan of old school Permatex products instead of RTV on everything: High Tack Sealant in a can, #2 sealant, Super 300 sealant, Aviation #3. They’re gasket dressings rather than gasket makers.

https://441py33rout1ptjxn2lupv31-wp...s/2015/12/Permatex_GasketDressingSelector.pdf
 
Last edited:
DrCharles said:
Watching this thread with interest. I am having the same problem with mine, and in the same area too.I'm trying to seal a bunch of parts (Hughes stud girdle, windage tray and oil pan) but pretty sure my leak is in the same place as OP (corner of timing cover where it meets the block. Already had it all off once, bought a new straight Proform timing cover, put it on with RTV and didn't tighten until balancer in, etc. And it still leaks.
:mad:
Click to expand...
I had the same troubles w/ al that crap-------------
 
So I finally got everything back together today and I’m proud to say not leaking a drop so far. It’s a far cry from how it was running out between the bottom of the timing cover and the oil pan. I cut a gasket from a little bit thicker gasket material. Maybe 1/16” thickness. You can’t go too thick or your cover won’t line up with the dowels and the bolt holes. Not cork but a fiber type gasket. Then made sure the bottom surface of timing cover and top surface of oil pan were clean and as flat as possible. Applied a good sized bead of RTV sealant especially covering the ends of the timing cover because the bolts towards the center do a good job of pulling the center tight. Not so much on the ends. Then made sure all my oil pan bolts and timing cover bolts were tightened down very snug. I let everything sit for 24hrs before during up the engine. No leaks. I can tell you if you don’t take a lot of care when assembling this part of the engine it will leak. What a PITA!
Carl
 
Glad you got it fixed, Carl!
 
Thanks everyone. It feels great when you don’t give up and something works out. Even though it means doing things multiple times.
 
So I have my back end of my car up on ramps to bleed the rear brakes and I’m also working out the tuning/timing issues that I’m being helped with in another post. Now I have again noticed that there is a good amount of oil leaking out from the bottom left corner of the timing cover. The area where it marries up with the top of the oil pan. I though I had it fixed by taking the front of the engine apart and pulling the timing cover then reassembling. I flattened out the bottom flange of the cover and laid down a new gasket and was very liberal with the atv sealant. Now it seems to be leaking again and I dread having to pull the front of the engine off again. Is it better to just get a better used timing cover with a nice flat bottom flange? I’d did notice that on this flange there is another strip of metal welded in two spots to the flange. It isn’t totally flush. You can see the pic of what I’m talking about in the 3rd pic in the first post. Is this a problem that many have had? So damn frustrating. Im hoping that the *** end of the car being up on ramps is exacerbating the problem and if it was level it wouldn’t leak? It didn’t seem to leak before I raised up the *** end.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top