Crankcase breather

[ian c2]

Just pulled it off after cleaning all the grime from previous leaks & dust .
I have a small difference between the case halves that can be felt with a finger nail .
Gasket lightly coated in loctite 574 on both sides ?
Genuine gasket or victor reinz ?

Also ,
Thermostat cover , new viton ring or reuse old ring with Dow 111 ?
Old ring looks good and no signs of leak from that area .

One last thing .
I’m looking at new rings for the 6 inlets onto head .
Can these be re-used with a good sealant or do they need replacing with new ?
Genuine parts or elring ?
Dow 111 on these ?

I’m a person that would rather use genuine parts unless there is a vastly superior proven aftermarket alternative , but yesterday I removed the fan and alternator and may have a hefty bill in the future that I cannot really afford , so I’m thinking with proven “engine builder” sealants use I can make do with saving a dollar or 2 on aftermarket gaskets etc.

Thanks
Ian


[

[ian c2]

Screenshots of basket

[PeteKz]

Re the breather cover and gasket. The last time I did mine, I used a thin smear of Permatex Ultra Black. It's supposed to be Permatex' most oil resistant sealant. It hasn't leaked yet. But to be safe, stick to the recommended stuff in the "sealants" thread. If you use a sealant, I don't think it matters much which gasket you have.

Re the six intake runner to head gaskets: I took the CIS off my engine about 2 years ago. I reused the gaskets with Ultra Black there too. No leaks yet with the smoke test.

Re the thermostat cover: If you don't know how old the O-ring is, I would put in a new one. I prefer Viton O-rings.

[ian c2]

Thanks for the tips , I allready have the loctite .
Looking at the prices this morning , I went for 2 vr gaskets (1 spare) for around 1/2 the price of one genuine and Will coat with loctite both sides unless someone says otherwise .

I looked at the intake runners and the original rings were pretty well crushed so ordered new gen parts , and the gen thermostat ring was only $6 so ordered that as well.

Hopefully that’s my last parts order for now .
I used pelican so I could spread the payment using PayPal ….. my bank account alarms are going off.

I ordered a new alternator but plan on cleaning up the fan , with a view to replacing it on the car in the future to save money right now .

[dannobee]

For the "chimney" crankcase breather, omit the gasket and use threebond or dirko. Clean both surfaces of any remaining gasket material and grease/oil using a scraper and/or wire brush, then brake cleaner or alcohol, then apply the threebond or dirko and install the breather adapter. Verify a little squeeze-out around the perimeter of the breather casting. Again, OMIT THE GASKET.

If you find a leak after that, it's the hose leaking, not your threebond. The breather casting itself will be bone dry, even after a couple of decades.

[ian c2]

Does it matter that the case halves aren’t perfectly aligned ?
It is a very small amount and looks perfect , but I can feel it with a thumb nail

[draw]

For my rebuild, I removed the studs and blocked it flat with 120 grit sandpaper. If you go this route, be sure to mask off the area so that sanding dust doesn't get inside the engine. Also, a good idea to sand the cover flat, too.

[targa72e]

The 574 has a limit on how big a gap it can fill with the Max being .5MM. If your case halves in that area are not flush might be better to use a different product like dannobee suggested.

John

[Jeff Alton]

All of the gaskets/o-rings in question are very inexpensive. Why would you think about reusing? Penny wise and Pound foolish I think is the expression....

We use the tiny amount of 574 on the breather cover gasket, tiny, enough to glaze it only.

Everything else will seal well against a clean surface...

Cheers

[ian c2]

Thanks for the insult Jeff !!! but I realized that this morning when I placed my 3rd or 4th parts order this week ….
looking at my bank balance at the start of the new year has me seriously worried about money and this little jaunt of “servicing and cleaning up the engine while it’s out” has cost me around 10k upto now .

Anywaaaay ……
I have decided against the loctite as I have been researching the cleaning of it if I mess this up (allways a chance so ordered two gaskets should I use them)
Here are some pics of the discrepancy .
Measured 3 times and 0.1mm consistent on both sides but a spurious 0.2mm on one side that I’m using as worst case scenario as I’m I’m using a cheap carbon/plastic mic so I don’t scratch any delicate parts (I’m not a professional so use self-doubt as my guide and rely more on the opinion of guys such as yourself that do this every day for years )
You can see a line mark on one half of the gasket on the top side , and a line in both spots on the bottom side .
I saw a little oil on the gasket when I removed it , but like a fool wiped it clean without noticing which side it was on .
the s-hose from the breather was BAD , so suspect that was the main culprit but would still like to seal the cover leak free while I’m there
Thanks for the help
ian

[ian c2]

I just spent a minute cleaning the surface , but not sure the pics will show up clear enough on here ?

First pic is as-found .
Second pic is after a quick rub with a brawny
Third pic is after a quick rub with a70/30 ipa/di wipe
Last pics are after a quick rub with 70 ipa and a white scotch-Brite
I plan to clean all sealing surfaces more thoroughly before bolting bits back on

[Jeff Alton]

Not meant as an insult at all. Nothing worse than having to go back in there again, that is all. You are putting a lot of work into sealing up the engine, my thoughts were to just give you the best chance at success. That is all.

Cheers

[ian c2]

Yeah I know Jeff , I went back and edited to add a smiley !!
Any thoughts on my concerns about cleaning the loctite in the future if needed ?
I have the loctite, and gasket should arrive Monday .
I have wellseal here too , but haven’t read anybody recommending that on here ?
I had a Quick Look on Amazon and can get dirco that Dan recommended on Monday , also curil T and other brands I read about in the engine sealant thread .
I also thought about getting a rubber gasket made at work , but nobody ever talks about that so figured it has been tried and doesn’t seal well ?

[Jeff Alton]

Loctite574 can be removed pretty easily with a paint remover, brake clean or acetone as well. It does come off without too much trouble.

We have some Dirko HT but have not tried it yes. Will though on the next case we seal up- been using Threebond 1184 for that for about 15 years with success, but always willing to try a new method.

Cheers