Re: Installing Front Crank Pulley Rope Seal in the Timing Cover

Re: Installing Front Crank Pulley Rope Seal in the Timing Cover - Reply to Joe

Posted by Joe on March 11, 1998 at 14:14:51

In Reply to: Re: Installing Front Crank Pulley Rope Seal in the Timing Cover - Reply to Joe
posted by Gordon Biggar on March 11, 1998 at 11:10:05

Gordon
If it's any consolation, the last of the three engines done in the manner which I described was torn down for "detailing" after an initial run of about a thousand miles.I do it this way as the first 500 miles or so of an engine are the most important and it's always well to know if a problem is in progress. (I also wanted to check on the status of the "bent" crankshaft from my previous description - no change, fortunately - but that is another story.)
I found that clearances were virtually the same as when the engine was rebuilt, i.e. 1 to 1.5 thousandths.I felt no need to change shims or even file the caps to close things in a little tighter and didn't find anything remarkable about the frontmost bearing in particular.The babbit is surprisingly durable especially when the force is spread out over an area.As it stands now, the detailed engine is waiting for installation in a restored chassis. ...Wish I had more time.
Marco's method will work for you.Particularly if you're already partway along in your assembly and you don't want to backtrack.I may try it myself someday if the situation requires it.Also, don't be afraid to "combine" methods in some manner or fashion or take the best parts of both provided it makes sense.It ain't rocket science.
As to my speculation to utilize the crankshaft pulley as a "former" for the seal, I suspect Ford may have done this as a manufacturing expediency.With literally hundreds of engines coming off the assembly line in a given time, the engineers must have had some "tricks" up their sleeve to speed up what today is a severely "manual" process by comparison.Perhaps this was their secret.
Best regards, let us know how it runs.
Joe

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