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Distributor housing gasket?

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Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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Well, engine assembly time raises a myriad of questions. The question of the moment is whether there is a gasket, or other type of seal, such as gasket sealer, between the engine block and the distributor housing on my BJ8. None is listed in the Service Parts List, Moss catalog, etc. My assumption is that the configuration of the fit between the parts makes oil leaks unlikely, thus none is needed. But my instinct makes me think that there should be some sort of seal there, for if there is a place for oil to get out, it will. What's the drill here?
 
Well Cutlass, there should be an "O" ring seal on the dizzy shaft close to the top that keeps oil leaks at bay in this application.---Fwiw---Keoke
 
The part I'm referring to is the distributor housing, which attaches to the block with one 1/4 inch bolt. It's illustrated in the Service Parts List on page MA12, as part no. 1A. The distributor itself fits inside the housing. Are you saying the the distributor o-ring seals the oil deeper in the block than where the housing mates with the block?
 
Hello Cutlass, hate to have to inform you but there is no such thing on a Healey engine as "the fit between the parts makes oil leaks unlikely". It will not happen. What i have done when putting the distributor housing into the engine block is put a small fillet of silicone (blue) in the corner that is formed around the outside diameter of the housing where it meets the flange. By this i mean a small fillet, and that means a small fillet, i hope you understand whay i mean here. Too many people believe that if a little works well then more should work even better but it's not the case. Silicone received a bad rap because people use too much of it when they don't need to. My Healeys only have 2 gaskets on the whole car which are headgasket and manifold/cyl head gasket the rest is silicone and any leaks are certainly a lot less than when they had gaskets. I'm not saying that gaskets are a bad thing it's just that i don't use them. I used silicone back in the '70s' on my BN1 and that convinced me. Regards, BUNDYRUM
 
Just as an interesting note, for the aircraft fans out there, the seal between the sump on a Lycoming engine and the two piece engine case is a single silk thread. If the parts are machined carefully enough, it doesn't take much. Of course, there's quite a price to pay for that level of precision.
 
Hi Cutlass,
You can see the black o-ring that Keoke is talking about on this photo from the Moss site. Mid way down the shaft. Yeah, it’s a Mallory, but you get the idea. I don’t think you’ll get a good seal between the housing and the block since the dizzy needs to rotate in the housing. Also, isn’t the housing split where the adjustment bolt goes?
BAC-353.jpg
 
OH!
Well Cutlass, In that case Oil does not run up hill not even in the Healey and no gasket or sealer is required.--Fwiw---Keoke
 
Hi Greg, Thanks for the piccy.What Cutlass is refering to is a separate sleeved housing that bolts to the block. The dizzy fits into this housing which also retains its locking clamp.The machined tolerances between the block and the sleeve on the housing are quite close.---Keoke
 
Hello GregW, not quite. Nice picture though. The part Cutlass is talking about is the one that is attached to the engine block that the split distributor clamp you have arrowed is then attached to. It appears you also have silicone between the housing face and the extension. I thought Keoke was trying to say that also. I see there are at least 3 bolts that are not safety wired. That was after an earlier thread. Regards BUNDYRUM.
 
Thanks, guys. Bundrum is right about the part I was referring to. Keoke is right also. (So, what else is new?) I think I'll use a little Ultra Blue RTV on those closely machined surfaces anyway, just in case. That may just help later when I try to eliminate causes for the inevitable leak that occurs despite the optimism that ensues every time I put an engine together, vowing that, this time, it won't.
 
(The 3-watt bulb above my head starts to glow imperceptively) I see what you’re talking about now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Hi Bundyrum,
You are correct, no safety wired bolts on the car. Being a diabetic, I thought it wise to stay off the racetrack. Having a sugar low mid-way through a race makes for unhappy times. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
(The 3-watt bulb above my head starts to glow imperceptively) I see what you’re talking about now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, we had a power failure here in the hills too,lasted most of the day.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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