Tappet Cover Plate Modifications

The original pressed steel tappet cover provided another possible source for oil leaks. Many Austin Seven owner have converted to a cast aluminium cover available from most clubs and Austin Seven specialists. Users of this modification should pay special attention to the type of flat gasket that is used with the new cover design. I have found that the current large area neoprene/cork material supplied from clubs tends to distort badly and could cause long term problems. This can be overcome by using a thin aluminium sheet as a baffle and a thinner neoprene/cork seal to provide the seal. Loctite 515 was used to seal the aluminium cover to the aluminium baffle.