i almost gave myself a heartattack..stud oil leak

[vash]

ok, my stud/nut going through the magnesium case at the intermediate shaft leaks oil. clearly, my case is stressed, and this was confirmed several months ago when i intitially posted the question. way back then, i attempted to tighten it up, (it is finger tight) and i felt and heard a crack. i puckered and left it alone. someone (maybe wayne) suggested that i back the nut off, and clean it all up, and put some sealant on the sucker and try to tighten it back up. well my car has been running great lately, so i decided to finally address that thorn in my side. i did just that, and i managed to get it tighter than before. maybe because i drove the car and heated things up so that stud held better. i dared not crank down on things, fearing an engine rebuild. i got all religious, and was doing some serious praying as i was tightening. i used the copper high temp sealant, because that is what i had laying around. any other ideas? if this doesnt work? i will drive it tomorrow and let you know if i reduced the leaking. thank god i dont have any pulled studs. will my installation of the carrera cooler with fan, prevent any more craziness with the studs? or will it just buy me time? not a cali car, so it never had the thermal reactors. right now, the rear end is jacked way up to keep the area dry (in theory)

cliff (thanks for your time)

[niner11]

cliff, I have used this stuff in relatively high temp applications before and it holds up well. Resistant to jet fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluid etc.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/tankseal.php

As long as area is cleaned with MEK it should seal. Might need to drain your case of oil first. Stuff is amazing. Kit B from the link would be plenty and the special application gun is not necessary. Chuck

[Rot 911]

Niner is on the right track, but the stuff Warren has recommended in the past and what I have used with success on other cars is Dow 730 sealant which you can also order from Aircraft Spruce. The stuff is expensive, around $80.00. But, if you promise to send it back I will mail my tube of the stuff to you. (A little goes a long, long way so I have plenty left). Here is the website description:

DOW 730 SOLVENT RESISTANT SEALANT
A one part RTV paste which cures at room temp. to a tough rubbery white solid. Used for bonding, sealing and caulking where resistance to fuels, oils and solvents is required. Excellent on fuel line pipe threads, repairing fuel lines and tanks, bonding components exposed to fuels, oils & solvents. temp. range -85F to 400F. Stores refrigerated for years.
09-00383 DOW 730 SOLVENT RESIT SEALANT $79.850

[john walker's workshop]

in the past, i've tapped the hole 10X1.25 about 1" in, and used a real short 10mm bolt with an aluminum sealing ring to stop the leak. it doesn't kill the case, and the stud can be repaired later if the engine is disassembled for repairs. the hole is already larger than the 8mm stud, and takes a 10mm tap easily.

[vash]

kurt, thanks for the offer. i will pm you if my leak doesnt disappear. and i would definately send the tube back to you. john walker, that is an interesting repair. scary sounding. does the intermediate shaft suffer without the clamping affect of the stud?

[john walker's workshop]

hard to say, i kind of doubt it, but what choice do you have unless you tear it down? the tap is turned with a small wrench, as there's no room for a ratchet or tap handle.

[Westy]

Cliff, A buddy of mine works at Aerojet, and gave me a little (very little) of the copper sealant. The stuff is amazing. They use it on certain parts of their rocket engines. If it's good enough for their rockets, I would assume it's good enough for yours.

B

[vash]

brian, i dont think we are talking about the same copper stuff i got mine at autozone, and i used it originally to fix my lawnmower. which by the way is kicking A! it runs awesome on motorcycle synthetic oil. i wish i had one of those vibration tachs, so i can measure before and after reving. opps heading OT!