Hello all, As I'm cleaning up my engine ready to go back in, I've noticed there is a little oil round the rocker covers, and then collected on the heat exchangers. Is it likely to be rocker cover seals, I've not changed them before, but guess reasonably straightforward? My exchangers have seen much better days too, they are holed in a few places so I'm probably changing those too I think. Cheers Phil
Yes highly likely it's your rocker covers. Dead easy. Get yourself some nice cork gaskets and pop off the covers (the baling wire should be a tight fit). Remove all traces of the old gasket from both surfaces and fit the new gasket with a thin layer of oil on both sides of the gasket (some folks put them in dry). Make sure they don't drop down as you refit the baling wire. Set your valve gaps while you're there. I did mine yesterday:
And make sure that before you ditch your heat exchangers you put up pictures looking down the air inlets at the back. If they turn out to be original it will be worth somebodys time or money to fix the outer shells. If not you, you may be able to sell them to offset costs.
Thanks Mike. One is reasonable with some holes, the other less so, its holed and the flap has seized shut. The previous owner had them disconnected some time ago, and used a plug in 12v heater up front.
Hi, I'm just about to fit my heat exchangers too. Both of them are in fairly good condition, but 1 has the flap seized. What is the best way to free it without damaging it.
If the flap is stuck, try moving it towards open/waggling it a few degrees with some oil on the spindle. But as inside there is a concoction of 0.5mm tin strips, its very easy to break it totally if you force it closed or too far open. I have cut the welds and unfolded metal round the flap spindle area about three times now and barely managed to weld the air flap wreckage back into something working. Its horrible and fiddly and relies on welds on that thin metal...