6 replies to this topic

[stevede]

City E 998:
1991:
Issue with timing chain cover & crank pulley:


I had an oil leak from what I thought was the timing cover seal and decided to fix it.

I took the cover off and discovered that the leak seemed to be coming from between the engine plate and the block.

The chain was worn and I needed a new tensioner blade and it took a day or so to get the parts together.

Here's where the Numpty (me) stepped in.

When I took the cover off, I put it in the rubbish box to drain as it was full of oil. No prizes for guessing what had happend when I come to re assemble?

My pal had emptied the rubbish box (not knowing the cover was in there) and it's gone.

I borrowed and fitted the cover of the old 1275 engine I have and after spacing the fan to miss the breather all seemed well.

It wasn't! The back edge of the crank pulley is now rubbing on the cover.

Is the 1275 cover thicker in any way?

I have the pulley of the 1275 which doesn't have the additional "layer"? on the back. Can I use this instead? Any issues?

Does anyone in the Manchester area have a good condition cover, without the breather I can buy?

Any other suggestions, advice welcomed.

Thanks in advance

Steve

[R1minimagic]

I think the 1275 has a damper built into the pulley but the 998 doesn't? So i am assuming the covers will also be different depths...

[Tinkerbelle]

I had similar problem. I think the 998 one is quite different as the breather on my MG metro 1275 fouled the fan a little when I first rebuilt it. Or may be that metros are different.

It may be obvious but a and a plus are different shapes, could this be the problem?

Matt

[stevede]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Although the 1275 is an A, not an A+ engine, it did have a timing chain tensioner (could have been modified at some point if not original) so the shape of the covers is the same.

The one I have now just seems thicker, although I can't quailify this as I don't have the original

The difference between the 2 pulleys (both appear to have a rubber damper built in, is that the 998 one, (the one now causing the problem), has got what looks like (still on the car so can't see properly until tonight), an additional thin ring of some sort on the back, and it is this that is catching on the cover.

Still open to additional advice / suggestions before I get to the car after work tonight.

Regards

Steve

[GraemeC]

Remove the pressed metal plate from the rear of the pulley. It is probably a 'non-mini' pulley and this has no use on the mini - if I remember rightly it has a notch cut into that plate for a crank position sensor.

[Ethel]

A's also used the slipper type tensioners from 12H706AA3997 (I found my long lost parts catalogue ). Small bore & large bore timing gear is usually interchangeable so I think the problem will be A to A+ rather than 1275 to 998.

998 A's didn't have damper crank pulleys but 1275's did. Metros didn't have fans so there are clearance issues with the oil separator.

[stevede]

Immediate problem solved by removing the pressed metal plate from the pulley. - Thanks GraemeC

Ethel: I have had to space the fan slightly further out to miss the oil separator so managed to get around that one thanks.

Back up and running now, much quieter with the new timing chain & tensioner but guess what?

The bloomin' thing still leaks !!!

It seems to be coming once again from the join between the main plate of the timing chain and the block.

When I re-did the gasket, I noticed that the half moon oil seal on the crank was slightly proud of the block face. I did a test fit and was convinced that the 2 screws at the bottom of the plate would put enough pressure to compress the seal and allow the gasket to do its job.

I fear that may not have been the case. I didn't use any jointing compound just a fresh gasket on clean surfaces.

I'm not overly keen to take it all apart again and, if the half moon seal is not located correctly, (should it be flush to the side face of the block) I have no intention of pulling the engine to resolve it as I'd rather put my efforts into the 1275 rebuild. But, that is a little way off yet so if a guaranteed fix for 1/2 days work is possible then I may go for it.

Thanks in advance

Steve

Edited by stevede, 22 May 2011 - 07:19 AM.