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Stop that seep

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M

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I feel sure many of you have tried this, but here goes:

I have been told repeatedly that Triumphs are just going to leak and seep, no matter what, and that we just have to accept it.

OK, I can live with that... to a degree. But if there is a way to stop some of it, I wanted to try.

I took my differential as a test. It seeps, very little, along the bottom, from the gasket. I dried it as well as possible, and then put some pipe joint compound on it. When that dried, the leak stopped, but when I drove the car the pipe joint compound either dissoved from the lubricant or melted from the heat.

Then I cleaned it and dried it very well and put a very small amount of laytex sealant along the joint (the kind you use of windows and doors). I let it dry about three days without driving the car. Then I drove about 75 miles. When I returned I checked the differential: dry as a bone. And now, about three days later, still no seep.

Has anyone else tried this?

If this works on the differential I may try it elsewhere. If it can stop a seep, can it stop a leak? I'll see.

I won't put it on any plugs, of course, or where it could get into the fluid. Nor will I try this on anything that gets really HOT. The good thing about latex is that you can strip it off if you want to remove it. Putting it on is reversable, which is always a good thing.
 
It actually shouldn't be that hard to get any gasketed joint on a TR to stop leaking. The drill is pretty much the same for all of them : make sure the surfaces are flat, the threads aren't bungled, the bolts are the right length, and are torqued to spec (not just "good and tight").

Generally it's the moving joints that drive people to distraction, particularly the rear main seal on the engine. The original seal can be made to work (or so I'm told, once you know the secret); however there should shortly be a new, improved seal available that is supposedly even better than the old, improved seal currently available from Moss et al.

I use silicone latex caulk where the transmission tunnel joins the body; but haven't tried it for sealing gaskets. But I have had good luck doing temporary repairs with Permatex "Ultra Black" silicone RTV. The key with anything applied on the outside is to get the surface totally free of grease and oil, which may be impossible without draining the unit.
 
Randall,

Yes, I put the silicone latex caulk on the outside. I didn't take the unit apart to replace the gasket or put latex on the gasket. I don't think I would do that because if I replaced the gasket, I assume it probably would give me a good seal. What I did was a kind of band-aid solution.

You are right that the secret is to get the surface totally free of grease and oil.
 
Hopefully your band-aid will hold... if not then a new gasket will surely take care of that leak. FWIW -- the thin paper gasket from the usual suppliers didn't impress me much, in fact the one I bought didn't even match the bolts holes. I made my own -- one from cork and another from thick gasket paper. Both worked fine though the thicl paper one was easier to work with.

Oh, and sometimes you can just tighten the bolts a bit (not too much) for a leak there.
 
Don't let the seep worry you. I saw a sticker on a Harley on TV this evening and I want one for my car.

"MY [TRIUMPH] ISN'T LEAKING, IT'S MARKING IT'S TERRITORY"
 
The discouraging thing is that even some of the new gaskets leak. I am told by some experienced mechanics that that's just to be expected. "It's the way Triumphs protect themselves against rust," I am told. Hmmm!!??
 
Thanks guys. I was actually considering this myself. I picked up a tube of Permatex Ultra Black this summer with the idea of running a bead around the timing chain cover - after a thorough degreasing first.

Bob
 
I use a large piece of thick cardboard (as you might get wrapped around a refrigerator) and I lay it on my garage floor under my 1958 TR3A from the fan belt all the way back to beyond the diff. It keeps my garage floor clean. I change it at least once a summer. It become toatally black and oily by then. If I don't drive the car for, say a week, there is nothing more dripping. It's always just after I park it in the garage.

I've driven "TRusty" 2450 miles so far this summer.
 
Trick we have used in other applications....
Clean it well with Brakleen.
If there is a drain, drain it first into a clean container (filter through a clean rag if you want) if it's recent oil and you want to re-use it.

If there is a vent (and make sure it isn't plugged), block it.

Use a ShopVac, apply vacuum to the drain (easier than fill), and while applying suction, put your permatex black along the seam area you suspect is leaking.
Watch the area, if and when you see the silicone starting to suck in, remove the suction source.

Let it set overnight, re-fill.

One of the big offenders was the rear intake seal on FE series Fords.

Dave
 
Draining and attaching vacuum sounds like just the trick. Next time I change my oil, I'll try this. Do you think permatex black does a better job than laytex sealant?
 
Latex is water based, so I would not be my choice
 
Permatex Ultra Black Maximum Oil Resistance RTV Silicone Gasket Maker, according to the advertisements, is not only oil resistant, but has a temperature range of -65 degrees F to 500 degrees F. Sounds like the just the thing for me to use.
 
You won't get an air-tight vacuum, as air will come in past the seals, but enough to do the trick.
 
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