Damn oil leak at oil pump

[GangsterMD]

When I put my engine together I was going to use a high volume cover. I did the Earl Brown treatment which included taping sandpaper to glass and surfacing what I'll call the oil pump housing. I ended up using my stock front cover. I had to remove the oil pump housing after the engine was in the car due to an oil priming issue. I thought I cleaned everything good and was carefull with the gasket - but I had a leak. So last night I removed he oil filter, cooler adapter and housing. It had some minor scratches in the surface, so I took 600 grit on glass and smoothed it out till it was what I thought perfect. I put everything back together nice and clean and it leaked worse than before WTF??? It never leaked before, I can't see any cracks. I used a thick gasket, and have 80 # oil pressure at cold start up. Is that too much? Could the cover have been un true but matched to the housing? Are the gaskets a one time use deal? Since I've had it torqued at least 3 or 4 times could that cause the gasket not to seal? I'm obviously under the impression I can't use any type of gasket dressing right? I remember using some kind of aneabolic sealant on something else sometime?
Thanks
D

 

[mtocrs1]

What worked for me

Gaskets are one time use. To get mine to finally stop leaking I coated my gaskets (I have a booster plate also) with 3M black weather-strip adhesive. No leaks from the oil pump housing in the past 10 years. I just smeared a very thin coat of the weather-strip adhesive on both sides of the gaskets with my fingers and then put it all together. You just want enough adhesive on the gaskets to kind of create a tacky feeling. I know some will disagree with this method but it worked for me. Good luck.

 

[WSLN 6]

The last round I actually just trimmed the gasket for flow and used a light ski of vaseline to keep it in place. No leaks between the surfaces.

 

[Joe 1320]

I'm in the same boat. I fired it up and let everything get up to temperature, there's a leak at the pump.

 

[GangsterMD]

Just to clarify about my question asking if the gaskets are one time use. I used a new gasket but I've had it off and on a few times. Just in case it crushes or something I ordered another new one which should be here tomorrow. I was thinking I'd put a very small amount of Anaerobic sealant on the gasket? Anybody have anything to say about that? Speak now or forever hold your penis

 

[Slow91z]

If you add sealant to the gasket you will be adding to the pump gear clearance.

 

[GangsterMD]

Yes I don't really want to mess with the clearance, as I know I was really close to .001. However I'm not really sure what else to do?

 

[WSLN 6]

Hmmm....being from Manitoba, are you sure you don't have a leaking BANJO fitting? Was that offside? lol
Anyhoo, do you want to email me a few close up pics of the 2 surfaces? Another thing you can do (if you don't have machinist dye handy) is use a little blue food coloring and color the 2 surfaces, let it dry and resand them to check for low or high spots.

 

[GangsterMD]

I must have a GAP somewhere I hate "Gaps" he he.. You know I've been thinking. When I surfaced in on the 600, I noticed that it wore down the abbrasive sheet quicker in the middle of the sheet, than on the edges. I was doing circular and figure 8 motions. I'm wondering if I may have taken some extra material off the edge(s)? That could explain it? Any advise on that?

 

[GangsterMD]

Sorry I forgot to say that I'll try the dye thing Sean - thanks man But if that is the case, how should I "rub it out".

 

[WarWagon]

Sounds dumb but make sure the gasket is right side toward pump.
Spray and tack gasket sealer "aerosol" works great.

 

[BIGPSI]

be sure your clearance is still good! i had the same problem and changed the gasket. must of been a thinner gasket and i didn't re check my clearance. dumb of me,boom 40 miles later oil pump locked up. thank god i shut it down when i saw no oil pressure.anyway i learned a big lesson,and pulled motor again. everything was ok. btw this was a brand new engine at the time. hope you fix your leak

 

[nu2gn]

i have worked with resealing aluminum surfaces for a while, for example mercedes engines, and i good method that i learned was i sharpening stone. it may sound dumb, but wet the stone(finest grit) and apply light pressure and run it evenly across the surfaces, and u can use the yellow 3m weather strip adhesive to install, light,light film.

 

[WSLN 6]

Ya good advice all around. I used a 4x4 piece of glass that was about 1/4" thick with a piece of 400 stuck to it. I used light pressure rotating the glass, then diagonal, back and forth etc, trying to make it as random as possible to avoid low/high spots.

 

[gnmaster2004]

I apply form a gasket to both sides of the gasket. Never have a leak, thats the brown aviation sealer. My oil pressure is over 80 psi when cold.

 

[earlbrown]

The trick is to make sure the sand paper doesn't curl up where you're lapping.

Look very closely at the oil filter housing where the large oval/round hole is. That's where the pressurized oil reenters the cover and heads to the engine. You'll notice that's there's only about .200" of meat there keeping the oil in your cover and not on the ground. If you let the paper curl up or don't hold the cover low you can radius that edge and let the pressure out.
The other place to watch closely is the rectangle on the opposite side. That carries high pressure oil from the pump gears to the filter area. And scratches or gouges there will let the oil out.

It sound a lot more complicated in text than it really is. Just hold the surface up and move it around. If you're lapping it correctly the entire surface will be a nice smooth even satin finish. If you've curled the edges up it'll be apparent. A little curling around the bolt holes won't hurt but keep the edges around the high pressure areas nice and sharp.

On the gasket, don't use any sealer, just soak it in oil for a little bit then put it in place.

 

[GangsterMD]

Thanks for the tips Earl. I just got back in the house from working on it. Well I think I might have found what I did wrong I'm still not sure why I had the initial leak, but it could've been what Earl was talking about. However, when I surfaced it the 2nd time I didn't remove the oil pressure bypass plug. The corner of the hex head appears to have been holding up that end slightly, which in turn caused the opposite end (the oval hole) to cut too deep You couldn't tell by looking at it untill I took a sharpie and drew lines on it, then dry sanded it. I guess I'll be taking another crack at it...

 

[WSLN 6]

Ah yes, I forgot about that one! I should have mentioned that. I have surfaced it so many times I forgot lol.

 

[turbofabricator]

Be SURE you sand the surface in a figure 8 pattern. If you sand in a circular direction or diagonally, or side to side, it WILL create a curved surface. This is how they make lenses. (sort of) I made a BIG glass lense for a telescope back in high school science class. Two pieces of 5"thick glass and polishing grit. Circular pattern for a LONG time.........Two lenses made. So.....sanding the surface flat is difficult. Might be easier to just buy a new one.