oil filter pump housing leak

[bmx521]

the oil filter housing is leaking oil where it bolts to the timing cover. we cleaned and replaced seals and used aviation gasket sealer and still leaks. The timing cover is new from u guys and I have the oil pump plate also . It's not a bad leak but it makes a mess


thanks chris 561-685-7100

[jeepsr4ever]

Hey Chris was this leak coming from the idler gear shaft in the timing cover? We had someone else say they had a leak from there and it dripped down.

[bmx521]

is that the shaft in the oil pump where the 2 gears are , that little stub shaft

[jeepsr4ever]

That is correct it comes out the top of the Tcover casting near the bottom.

[bmx521]

yup that where it's coming from right where the idler shafts pokes through the housing . Is there a way to solve this other then a new housing ??

[jeepsr4ever]

Yes there is. Clean the top of the shaft hole with brake cleaner, blow dry and put about a 1/4 teaspoon of wicking grade locktite #290. Let it sit 24hrs and you wont leak again. We now have heard about this problem twice and may be pressure testing these units.

[bmx521]

I'll give it a try thanks for your help, So far this has been a great motor that we are using in a south florida swamp buggy i'll try and get a pic up

[bmx521]

tried it this weekend didn't work , do you have to take the timing cover off .

[bmx521]

tried it this weekend didn't work , do you have to take the timing cover off .

[Marco]

Hi, I am Marco. Beeing the one Matt refers to having the same problem. My totallly rebuild engine collapsed after 250 miles driving. Engine rebuilder is now blaming this oilpump. It will be removed to be tested and probally send back to Bulltear. Although the oil pump is leaking at the idler shaft, the piston damage shows a clearly 45 degrees damage. ( 4 vertical marks at the " corners " of the pistons ).
So, this 5000 usd engine damage is heading to a law suit between me and the engine rebuilder. For now, I think a bad quality piston from Federal Mogul, 362 NP made in India combined with maybe the fact that they didn't use Honing plates, tested the engine inside a building at idle, burning LPG instead of petrol with no fan shroud etc. So the engine probally was quite hot. ( they forgot to use sealant at head bolt no 7 so coolant was leaking and the car went back to them ) All these little facts together could damaged six pistons. Anyway, I replied to this topic because I maybe need as much data from others with exactly the same Bulltear timing cover leaking problem. The info I need is that these engines didn't break down due to a lack of oiling. And how they solve the leaking. I tried with " liquid metal, two components " but the oil is still coming out.

My email is marcofennema@yahoo.com if anybody is interested to see pictures from the piston and cilinder walls.

Thanks, Marco

[jeepsr4ever]

Fact is if the pistons show scuffing in 4 areas it is from heat damage from either getting too hot on the initial run or the bore being too small. You used pistons made in india which were crap to begin with so I almost couldnt blame the builder. I would see if speed-pro will warantee the build as their pistons failed. Heat checking in the 4 areas is in the thickest parts of the piston. Could LP be the core issue here?....I dont know. I can tell you a bad oil pump would eat your mains and rods before a piston even starts to get scuffed. The piston gets oil from the crank splashing the oil and the oil leaking from the bearings. If you had no oil you would have bearing damage so bad you would not get the engine to turn over to even score a piston. Speedpro used to give out piston wear pictorials to all its resellers in the early 90s...it showed this as a classic case of overheating on breakin. Google a couple of search terms you will see it.

[Marco]

Yeah, I can follow all you are saying. The point is that I origionally requested to builder to use Keith Black pistons and Clevite bearings. But they preferred Fed. Mogul. So that is what the discussion is going to be now if it is the piston quality. I contacted Fed. Mogul but they even don't confirm receiving my question. Finally, that's the discussion between the builder and Fed. Mogul. My engine builder had a good reputation, but his son took over and delivers crap. The company was one of the engine rebuilders with a high standard. So I am now in contact with the top three of engine rebuilders, the first thing they noticed was the bad casting of the pistons, the piston pins where placed correctly but a few where still jammed. The rod bearings where Fed Mogul instead of Clevite and also damaged during placing. So everything put together seems a rebuilders mechanic fault. I hired a own mechanic placing the engine back in the car and for the cam break in. I packed the oil pump with Petrojelly, primed until all the pushrods showed oil coming out and the dash shows oil pressure.
The cam break in was done by driving instead of a higher idle since I don't have a fanshroud or a extra professional fan to put in front of the car. So, all I can gues now is tht the extreme heat only could have appaered at the rebuilder shop when the tested the head bolt coolant leaking fix. I know this is impossible / very hard to prove. All I can say is the only engine rebuilder in my country who races with AMC 360 engines did check my pistons last week and could say that it isn't a oiling problem, or a classical heat prolem like driving without coolant etc. He did notice a kind of starting point of the material movement at the pistons what he wants to investigate. I put a lot of effort in the whole oiling system, the cooling with a new 3 row radiator,new sensor and new waterpump and hoses, all have been replaced and tested one year before this rebuilding job. The temp gauge never showed a rise. The coolant and oil brands are Agip and MPM. The engine always run fine after the rebuilding until the loud ticking noise came after 250 miles. Looking back we did noticed a short loud rattle after the first 5 mile, the mechanic drove at that point and noticed a short falling back of engine power. But we are talking about two or three seconds. And the starting motor was having a hard job cranking the engine since the rebuild. I took it out and brought it to a shop but they said it was fine.

Anyway, the rebuilding shop blaimed the flexplate, then the lifters ,then the waterpump, the lack of having a fanshroud and now the oil pump.

[jeepsr4ever]

Its just a set of pistons I dont think its should be completely rebuilt. Hone and put a new set in there. Maybe the original builder will agree to that.

[Marco]

I totally agree, other rebuilders don't understand the behaviour of this rebuilder. I search from May 2012 until now what exactly happened to this engine and played open card. If it is something I did wrong, I take reponbility. Sofar it is very difficult to exactly find the source of this overheating. But... It is almost sure that it is not something I did wrong. So, the rebuilder could have fixed this in a few hours instead of sending me away several times for seven months now. Now, we noticed other flaws done by this rebuilder. So I won't let hem touch my engine any more. I simply miss the commitment a person should have in this profession.

[Marco]

Finally the solution. Another builder who is specialised in USA engines concluded that all cilinders have been bored way to small leaving almost none tolerance. Also they ruined the crankshaft and more stupid mistakes. And they charged only 90 usd a hour !
The engine is hopefully finished this week after a five week search for the proper harmonic balancer. Received Dorman and Omix ones, all wrong produced with > 1.360 bore. Professional Products delivered a proper one. I would liked to have the one from the damper doctor but he replied to late. The leaking Bulltear will be fixed with ( I translate this maybe a bit wrong ) liquid metal, two component stuff. Sending it to the USA and back to here would be to expensive. I hope Bulltear will solve for the clients in the future the leaking at the idler gear. Maybe the problem is when you bolt the cover the aluminium streches out.