29-01-2024, 09:06 AM
After struggling unsuccessfully to make cork gaskets seal the tappet cover properly, I gouged out all of the cork and laid a large bead of a silicone sealant in the groove that had been intended for the cork. The sealant is shown in the photo below. I had difficulty making a nice straight bead, as you can see. But that didn't matter because after two days of curing in our hot water cupboard, the silicone bead was firm enough to sand.
I sanded the bead on a sheet of 120 grit sandpaper taped to a bench top. By pushing the cover backwards and forward with sealant face down, I was able to create a flat face on the sealant along the complete bead.
When the cover was installed it was completely oil-tight and after 300 miles of use it was still oil-tight.
I removed the cover recently to adjust the tappets. The sealant separated from the cylinder block without any adherence to the block and held the sanded shape perfectly. I have now reinstalled the cover without any more attention to the sealant and it again is sealing perfectly. I guess I have created a seal that can withstand many removal and reinstallations without any fuss.
I sanded the bead on a sheet of 120 grit sandpaper taped to a bench top. By pushing the cover backwards and forward with sealant face down, I was able to create a flat face on the sealant along the complete bead.
When the cover was installed it was completely oil-tight and after 300 miles of use it was still oil-tight.
I removed the cover recently to adjust the tappets. The sealant separated from the cylinder block without any adherence to the block and held the sanded shape perfectly. I have now reinstalled the cover without any more attention to the sealant and it again is sealing perfectly. I guess I have created a seal that can withstand many removal and reinstallations without any fuss.