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MG TD TF 1500 - 2/piece rope front gasket

Hi everyone,

I am putting the last bits of my td engine together and I am down to the front seal.

I see lots of discussion about front seals. I staying with the rope?

Do I need to "glue" them into the sump and cover grooves? If so do most use black permatex?

Thanks!

Dan
Td5451
Dan Gill

Here's a good resource on rope seals:
http://www.vintagevehicle.co.uk/fitting_rope_seals_is_a_bit_of_a.htm
Geoffrey M Baker

Rope seals have to be bedded in. I don't use any sealer, just soak in engine oil. The link Geoffrey posted gives a good general method of bedding in the seals. If rope seals are installed properly, they will not leak and more than likely last longer than a modern optional replacement.
One of my antique tractors, a 1955 Ford 600 series, pumped oil out of the front and rear seals, a dealer told me to replace them with the new modern ones. The new ones leaked like a sieve! A tractor of this type has to be split in the middle to rebuild the engine, you could imagine how I felt when after putting everything back together to run the engine and find out it was all for nothing. I replaced the new modern seals with the original type rope seals and being the second time out, I rebuilt the whole engine. That was 5 years ago and it is tho only tractor I have now that doesn't leak one drop of oil. Actually, it's the only tractor I can pull into the shop now without putting a drip pan under it. Just sayin. PJ
Paul161


Dan I've always used the rope seals with good success. However, a few word of caution: The new ones aren't in my opinion as good as the old Payen sets of old. The pan gasket is sometimes too short out of the package and won't allow for a compressed set when installed. I've had to buy ones from a couple of different companies or just use two of the longer timing cover seals and cut it to fit for the pan groove. Don't be tempted to use one too short or it will probably leak. When pushed into the groove there needs to be about 1/32" extending above the end surface to allow the two seal ends to compress against each other. I use a new set of side cutters and a single edge razor blade to trim the ends.

Since the seals are impregnated with a graphite type dry lube, the adhesives don't really hold very well, and its not needed. When the pan and timing chain cover butts against each other, there's a slight off set which keeps the rope seals from rotating.
The WS manual says to let the ends of the pan gasket fit between the seal ends. This is correct, but I trim the pan gasket back 1/8" (half way over rope seal)which permits the rope seal ends to touch each other next to the crankshaft pulley surface thus preventing leaks at this point.
To fully seat the rope seal in their grooves, I temporarily dry fit the pan and timing cover. Bolt the pan temporarily in place with a couple of bolts without its seal and put the timing cover loosely on the front of the engine. Push the crankshaft pulley in place. Then use the two lower front pan bolts to draw the two parts snugly together to seat the timing chain rope seal and snug up the front timing chain bolts. Remove the pan, install the rope seal and put it back on using a couple of bolts snugged to seat the rope seal around the pulley shaft. Note, its best to have heli-coils in the lower bolt holes of the timing cover since worn aluminum threads may not be strong enough to pull the pan and cover together to seat the rope seal. During final assembly, I use Permatex Super 300 sealer on the ends of the rope seal with the pulley surface lightly oiled.
Richard Cameron

I used the rope seal, too and agree with Richard that there are varying qualities around.
One set was absolutely useless and looked like a limp rope, the other set was much firmer and took some force to 'roll it in'.

The front seal hasn't leaked for some 2.000 miles, so I'm satisfied with it's application.
Willem van der Veer

I'm not familiar with graphite impregnated, but have had a lot of success using the regular blue Hylomar, or Permatex- Permashield fuel resistant gasket dressing & sealant #85420 which is similar to Hylomar.
Both are non hardening & neither are silicone.
D mckellar

To clarify - the seal is graphic impregnated, not the sealant. I don't use any sealant, just oil.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

This thread was discussed between 29/11/2015 and 02/12/2015

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