MTFCA Forum

Fired up a long slumbering T today (about 15-18years) and oil was flowing down both sides of the hogshead from behind the crankcase. I checked the mag post and head-gasket and both were dry. It was coming from where my finger is pointing and down to the corners of the engine pans creating little oil lakes in the corners.

My guess is that I'll need to yank off the hogs-head to attack that leak? Seems like an odd place to develop a leak. That's why I wanted to ask.

Thanks,
Jim

The felt or what ever was used to seal the transmission cover to the block probably has deterioated. When replacing the transmission cover some still use the felt strip. If you do that use some silicone to hold the felt in place so as not to move the gasket when reinstalling the cover.
Others will use a good bead of silicone to make the seal and leave off the seal.

You can clean up the area where it’s leaking and just use silicone to seal it from the outside.
That usually works OK and you don’t have to remove the cover.

How can I Seal up the area behind the engine block in front of the hogshead where its blind and I can’t see it? I’d be willing to try that first.

And if that doesn’t work I can always rip into it later.

Jim

Clean the area. Hook shop vacuum to oil filler hole to create negative pressure in crankcase and work some sealer into the leaking area.

Mark,
I understand what you’re suggesting. How would you go about smearing the sealer down between the hogshead and the block where it is blind and about a 1/8” inch of clearance?

I am willing to try that first I just want to hear some suggestions about technique.

Jim

What is posted above, might be worth a try. If that doesn't work, remove the hogs head and use the felt seal with some silacone gasket sealer. The area where the block, crankcase and hogs head come together in the corner is the hardest to stop and it works very well to clean and smear sealer in that area. Haven't tried farther up behind the hogs head. You would need to use something very small to work it into that area.
The reason so much oil can leak through that area is that the flywheel throws oil all around the front of the hogs head and that runs down right in the area where that gasket is, and then hits the edge of the crankcase with no where to go than out. Anyway, it IS possible to seal if you are careful and try . If you remove the hogs head, it would be a good idea to inspect the bands and possibly re-line them if they are worn.
Norm

Thanks Norm, much appreciate your tips and insights.

Jim

Disregarding all of the natural vacuum leak paths in a T engine, unless the leak path is the size of a tennis ball, viscosity of RTV relative to area of leak path, pulled by shop vac level of vacuum = zero chance of enhancing the seal with vacuum. Physics is not your friend in this case.

You can either get to the area to clean it and layer on a glop of sealant, or you can't.

Depending on how clean you want to keep your floor, determines when the hog's head is eventually coming off.

If you go downtown to your local drugstore you can find some q-tips with a ten inch wood handle. If you use some cleaner and wash out the area between the hogshead and the motor with the q-tips and blow dry it real good with the compressor, now you can use a sealer of your choice and maybe even stop the leak. Just a thought! Frank

Sorry, forgot, use the q-tips to apply the sealer. That will allow you to reach in and just slop it everywhere in hopes of getting enough to do the job. Frank

A friend had good luck pushing string in places that were leaking with a screwdriver. Some felt might work there also. If you get it clean some sealant in addition might work too.

Gents- I did exactly that, sprayed lots of cleaner in there, blew it dry with an air compressor. I then squirted Ultra black in the crack where I could reach, and where I couldn't I used a string slobbered with RTV and dropped it into the groove. I then pulled it tight from both sides with a screwdriver and am letting it dry.

If it holds, I'll have some driving time until I can yank off the hogshead once better weather is consistent and the garage door can stay open.

Thanks,
Jim

I used a shop vac attached to the oil filler after draining the oil and reinstalling the drain plug. I then used a thin piece of wood to push high temp sealer into the area with the vacuum on. It must have sucked enough into the leaking area because it has not leaked again. The original leak was because I did a poor job of installing the sealer before installing the hogshead after replacing wood bands. It was my first time doing this.

The biggest thing with sealers is clean, no oil.
Brake cleaner works best.
I like to let it dry overnight if it's a "questionable" area.
Hopefully you got it.

Thanks guys, I am planning on starting it this upcoming weekend, so I'll let ya know how it goes.