oil leak

Well I pulled the rear cap today and the babbit seems to be in very good condition. The cap seems to be totally intact and was actually pretty tight to get off. There was a shim on each side but they didn't have any layers? The were steel and thicker than I thought they would be. I used some plastigauge and it appears to be about .001 The tube was clear and there was copper atv at the rear seal corners. I put it back together and torqued to #80. The rear ropelike seal seemd to be ok. I will put the pan on tomorrow and see what happens. I also checked the oil fill cap and it appears ok.
Bill
 
Sounds like someone put a modern seal in . Did they remove or modify the slinger . Model A did not come with rope seals . In my case they did not remove the slinger when they put in the rope seal . Got rid of the rope seal and put it back together as Henry designed and no leaks .
 
You can't use plastigauge with an installed engine unless you lift up on the crank and flywheel, otherwise the weight will be pushing down and give a false reading. Many ue aluminum foil to check the mains. Fold it in two and measure the thickness, then lay a piece about 3/4" wide and the length of the bearing and install the cap. Remove shims until you can't turn the crank with the aluminum foil in place. Even though some shim packs look solid, they are actually thin shims glues together or soldered on the edge. I use a magnifying glass and razor blade to peel off one layer at a time.
 
cpetku said:
Oops,

I thought that cotter pin looked wrong and pulled it out the other day. What have I screwed up now?
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Really???? You actually pulled out the cotter pin!!!!! Well you might as well sell it to me for scrap now......

Actually I believe that it is there to rattle around keeping the hole clear to let people know when the rear main is leaking.
Dave
 
Duffy, I believe the slinger is still intact. Does the original seal fit where the rope seal is? I guess I need to take some pics.
 
ba49 said:
Duffy, I believe the slinger is still intact. Does the original seal fit where the rope seal is? I guess I need to take some pics.
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There is no seal. and you do not need one. They will not leak if you do things right. Like Tom said you can not check the rear main with plasti-gauge gauge with the engine in the car. Why not do it right and check it like he said.
 
ba49 ;

Six months ago I was in the same situation you are in . A model A guru in our club ,which I had just joined, said if I wanted to save my self a lot of grief that I should pull the engine and find the cause of the leak . I am so glad I took his advise. With his help ( heavy on his ) we pulled the engine found what was causing the leak ,plastic gauged the bearings and put it all back as Henry designed . While we had the engine out we discovered that the u-joint was dry ( greased it ) put in new pilot bearing ,clutch disc and V8 PP and throw out bearing . Also pulled the streering column out and rebuilt the steering gear. Also put in new motor mounts . I suggest you have a Model A guru look at your situation and go from there .
 
Here are some pics of the rope seal? Anybody know what I have here? It doesn't look stock. What are my options?
 

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You're lucky that the slinger wasn't cut off. Now you can simply remove the rope and stick the correct aluminum parts back in.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
You're lucky that the slinger wasn't cut off. Now you can simply remove the rope and stick the correct aluminum parts back in.
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Tom, you are wrong! The slinger has not only been cut for a rope but it has been cut completely off. What you see is the thrust that has to be left alone. It might be possible to put one of the cork seals in or a Burtz seal IF the slinger was cut and the correct size was left on the crank. Looks like it may need a new crank or just keep putting oil in.

You can se in the first picture, the crank is not even touching the rope. Nothing there to stop the oil. When you cut the slinger for a rope, you leave the slinger the same size as the thrust ring. This lets the slinger imbed in the rope and create a dam to stop oil (supposed to). It is also unfortunate that the rope slinger is not available anymore. Fel Pro discontinued it for an improved modern style seal for the 55-57 Chevy and V8 Fords to 78.
 
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Well James, thanks for the news. It could be worse I do have a spare parts engine but I haven't opened it up yet. Hopefully it has a good crank. Would the block be ok or do they modify it to for this type of seal?
 
The block is not modified for the slinger but, it is not as easy as just changing cranks. You will probably need the mains poured and bored to do the job correctly.
 
Antique Engine Rebuilders in Skokie, IL. can make a slinger on that crank. He heats the area and builds it up with solder then shapes it on the lathe. This works fine and the fact that the solder is a soft metal doesn't matter since all it does is throw off oil.
 
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Thanks Tom, I need to save all I can. When I bought the car the ad said rebuilt engine, restored body, and interior. Well it does have a new interior. I need a new steering box, brake cross shaft, tires, speedo doesn't work, wheel bearings, it overheats at over 30mph So now an engine rebuild too. I'm really upset with myself. I had second thoughts, but believed the seller. Lesson learned. I got a great deal on my 30 fordoor Towncar so I guess I broke even because I sure overpaid for this one.
 
I have seen too many beautiful looking "A",s that were all top-show & worn out mechanicaly,but they still wanted big bucks for them.When I buy a car,I want one with a good body & dont care if the running gear is worn out as long as its priced accordingly.As I was a mechanic all my working life,the mechanics come easy.
 
ba49 said:
I had second thoughts, but believed the seller. Lesson learned. I got a great deal on my 30 fordoor Towncar so I guess I broke even because I sure overpaid for this one.
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Sure you need a rebuild? If only the only problem is an oil leak you might find a way to mend it, remove a shim? and get many more good driving miles yet. There is the talent on this website you just need to find a way to use it on your engine.
 
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