[6pack] oil leak fixes

[Robert Liam Gannon]

The sealing blocks are evident in all the triumph motors. Last week I pulled
apart my 1949 Triumph Mayflower engine for the first time. Very much
identical blocks including the wood expansion pieces are used. However,
there is a greater mating surface against the front engine plate. With the
use of the front engine plate gasket a better seal will be accomplished. The
use of exact fitting bolts will be required otherwise it will puncture the
inside wall and create leaks.

When I rebuilt both TR6 engines, I was careful to make sure all surfaces
were clean and added extra, non hardening, oil resistant gasket sealer to
that particular area and once the front engine plate was completely torque
down correctly, starting with the bolts on the top part of the plate and
working my way down, I seam sealed the base as if I was caulking a bath tub.
No leaks! 

The alloy sealing blocks had both been buggered, so the use if heli coils
was required. Fortunately the sealing blocks had not been punctured. The
biggest mistake made by us shade tree mechanics is the excessive over
tightening of the bolts in this area. The sealing blocks are no longer made
and are hard to come by. Once in a while you will find one on ebay, but
generally they too have been buggered.

Another mistake also made, adding to the possibility of excessive leaks, (Do
not under any circumstances ask me how I know!), is the act of missing an
oil plug. When I did engine number one, it seamed that I did not have the
cam degreed in correctly, so one winter I pulled the front radiator and all
the adjacent equipment off and re did the cam. Of course to get there, the
front engine plate had to come off and the gasket too. Low and behold there
was a hole, but the front engine plate gasket did its job and held back any
oil.

So just my 2 cents worth!
Robert L. Gannon
http://home.comcast.net/~trsix74/wsb/index.html