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No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:38 am
by Jim Ed
Hi.
I tried the silicone oil drain plate gaskets
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/SILICONE-O ... p/vw-2.htm
that are available at aircooled.net.
No more ‘mark your spot’ oil leak.
I thought my push rod tube seals or possibly the main seal were leaking but, they were not.
It was the sump plate.
I was using the orange RTV sealant on the sump plate gaskets but, they still leaked.
No more leaks now.
I am also going to try the silicone valve cover gaskets.

Re: No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:13 am
by Jim Ed
The drain plug still has an occasional drip.
I need to find some kind of silicone washer for it.

Re: No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:09 pm
by Piledriver
You can get a nylon washer at any auto parts store.
A silicone washer would just ooze out under a bolt head torqued down..

They also make composite aluminum washers with a captured rubber sealing bit.
That type are used for AC lines among other things and work very, very well for a buck or so.

Put the silicone gaskets in with contact cement--- the real, smelly stuff that clubs baby seals for a hobby.
RTV does not stick to the silicone gaskets, regardless of prep.
Also, sand the gaskets first, at least the side you are going to glue---knock off the shine.

I just yanked out a new set (1K miles) after explicitly following the manufacturers installation instructions.
One sucked in and got munched by a valve spring or something.
The other expanded so much I could not reinstall.

Most silicones are really not the best choice for direct contact with hydrocarbons, esp hot oil...
They work great as a coating or thin layer, but in thick sections its like installing jello.
There are much better choices.

I glued some $3 FelPros in it, good for another 50K miles.
Felpro used to sell soft neoprene or buna-N valve cover gaskets for T1s that worked great, for like $3/pair.

Felpro makes steel core gaskets with cork on either side, as well a as a herd of other designs that would work better...
Just not for us.

These might work with a little trimming, glued in properly... Probably EMPI.

Re: No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 4:34 pm
by Jim Ed
....I glued some $3 FelPros in it, good for another 50K miles.

I like to remove my sump plate once a year to wipe the carbon slime off of it.
What brand and weight of oil do you use and how often do you change it?

Re: No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:44 pm
by Piledriver
Our setups are only comparable as they are both air cooled flat 4s...

Currently running Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W40 in everything, including the TDi.
(this is probably not sane for an unfiltered T1)

I change the oil every 12-15K, along with a Mobil1 or equivalent filter, just like the manual suggests.
I also check the valves on oil changes, but have not needed to actually adjust for probably pushing 50K.
I need to add a quart every ~2K miles.
(T4 full flow from factory, case also holds almost 5 quarts in sump)
I only dropped the sump plate/strainer on the first oil change after the "rebuild" to check on things. (@~1K miles)

A T4 has crank seals on both ends, and I run some mechanically limited case vacuum/purge. (~5-7" H2O)
The case vacuum setup is probably the reason my oil still looks clean at 15K, as well has helping keep the oil inside the motor. The vacuum break/purge goes in the 3/4 side rocker box to keep it clear of oil.

You should be able to set up a T1 so the crank snout has a reliable seal but I have heard some tales of woe.

The WBX (basically a water cooled T1) IIRC same seal at pulley as T4.

Re: No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:16 am
by gtmdriver
I have used silicone gaskets from Real Gaskets in Tennessee.

https://realgaskets.com/product-categor ... olkswagen/

I discovered them when I was having trouble sealing the rocker covers on my Moto Guzzi.

They do two alternatives for the VW Beetle rocker covers. One version is reinforced with fibreglass.

I'm using their stuff on the sump plate too and they work perfectly.

Re: No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 7:17 am
by Jim Ed
earlier PileDriver wrote, "Currently running Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W40 in everything."
Does this oil have enough zinc ZDDP for the T-1 flat tappet engines?

Re: No More Oil leaks with Silicone Sump Plate Gaskets!

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 11:41 am
by Piledriver
Jim Ed wrote: Sat Sep 02, 2017 7:17 am earlier PileDriver wrote, "Currently running Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W40 in everything."
Does this oil have enough zinc ZDDP for the T-1 flat tappet engines?
Zddp as the "cure" was bad science, some modern oils can* provide much better protection with much less zddp.

*not all of them do, including many past "favorites".
The holy Brad Penn tests out as near junk grade.
ZDDP content had ~zero effect on how various oils worked.

I am running a Webcam and dual CB springs.
That oil is API SN with ~700PPM zinc.
I would now break in a cam w/o concern with that oil and several others pulled from the top of this:
https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... t-ranking/

I also ran Quaker State Ultimate Durability 5W30 for one oil change interval, no issues except my hot idle oil pressure was a tad low so when it was >100F outside... I switched to the 5W40 Pennzoil.
(I couldn't find the 5W40 Euro version of the QS UD locally)




There are also a few high zddp oils at the top of that list.
If you want to hedge your bets, use one of those.