S13 SR20DET FRONT COVER OEM HG question.

[tloh]

Ok, I have the motor pulled right now on a stand. The front cover was leaking pretty decent and the OEM HG on the car is fine.

I have pulled the lower/upper oil pan and removed the 2 bottom bolts and the 2 strainer bolts and the about to remove the 2 top bolts in the head by the gears. I have not loosened them or the 3 top front cover bolts as I have read that unbolting the 2 bolts that goes through the head can break the hg seal.

Is there a way of taking this front cover off the change oil pump and stuff without having to do a hg? Yes I have searched, that's how I knew about the hg issue, but there's never no clear answer. Which post about it people say different things. So I was hoping for a 100% yes or no with no buts added. I don't have the money to do headstuds and HG right now, so if there's no way to take it off without breaking the seal I'll just tighten everything back until I can. I also took into account everyone trying to do this still has the engine in the car?

Who knows? :wackit:

[SOLVED] Doesn't. :>

[tloh]

43 views, no one knows? Damn.

[Mikester]

You will not break the HG seal by removing the front cover- so long as you don't remove any of the head bolts under the valve cover.

[tloh]

That's what I thought because it's just right there on the lip... but i read like 3 topics about how doing it makes it leak.

[codyace]

You remove the oil pump with an OEM gasket, and you will ruin the 'front seal'...not the headgasket seal on the engine, but the front cover seal for sure. It's just that composite shit and sillicone up there, lucky it seals at all from the OEM


It's a shitty design for sure on the SR20, an afterthought to say the least. No way to properly seal that up without removing the head.

[fliprayzin240sx]

^^^Yup, most of us takes the damn head off when changing the oil pump/cover since its going to be bitch to get it back on. Then the chances of top of the front cover not leaking is gonna be slim to none. If you're in a budget, take the head off and buy a new OEM gasket for $30-50.

[TheRealSy90]

Well he does have the upper oil pan off so it probably wouldn't be that hard to put the cover on.


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[codyace]

Well he does have the upper oil pan off so it probably wouldn't be that hard to put the cover on.


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It's not very easy. The precision of the machining on the oil pump drive, along with the crank snout piece, makes it impossible to install the pump at an angle that allows you to retain sillicone atop of the cover/front of head seal. It's so tight that when you push the pump cover on it pushes the sillicone out too.

Now I've only ever once been able to help someone pull that off, and that was with a MLS gasket. I smeared the crap out of that upper seal and even chamfered the edge of the pump drive (both on pump and the drive collar on the crank) and it went on. It does weep ever so slightly, but I also gave it the sloppy touch by running a small bead around the 'connection' with my finger (and wiping it off at the same time) hoping to build up a small dam sort to speak to keep it from weeping.


Now with a OEM gasket and that silica composite crap (whatever it's made of, that metaly crap) the second you pull that cover off, it will ruin that seal essentially forever as the sillicone on from factory will tear it. Then you're stuck with a mm or so gap or no real gasket...and I'm not sure there is enough sillicone in the world to seal that up if you were to get it on.


Cliffs: You can do it, it'll always leak/weep oil.

[TheRealSy90]

Haha, or do it the motoIQ way and throw the front cover in some dry Ice and freeze the shit out of it so it shrinks then throw it on lol.


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[tloh]

it's not really that bad with the motor on a stand though. Still in the car I would not even try this, lol.

three bond right in the front wont seal it before reinstalling? Like put a line on the back corner ridge of the front cover and when you push it on it would move the sealant under it for the pushing force forward?

Well that sucks, main reason for pulling was to get rid of the oil leaks around it... :/

Would resurfacing the front cover top, down 3-5mm to leave room for sealant? or is this a bad idea?

Also if I pulled the HG I would need head studs too im sure, which are not just 30 bucks. As I don't know the true miles on the internals and have been boosting around 24psi with a gt28 .86

[codyace]

Haha, or do it the motoIQ way and throw the front cover in some dry Ice and freeze the shit out of it so it shrinks then throw it on lol.


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Ya know, I never considered that LOL. Which is strange as with all my old sleds and 2 stroke stuff we used to use the freezer all the time to shrink cranks so we could slide bearings on and the sort haha.

With that said, then you'd probably risk the Ultra Gray not setting up. I know it's not too happy in super cold conditions from ice racing days.

[tloh]

Ya know, I never considered that LOL. Which is strange as with all my old sleds and 2 stroke stuff we used to use the freezer all the time to shrink cranks so we could slide bearings on and the sort haha.

With that said, then you'd probably risk the Ultra Gray not setting up. I know it's not too happy in super cold conditions from ice racing days.

:goyou: damn I was hoping this would have worked, hrmm......

[codyace]

it's not really that bad with the motor on a stand though. Still in the car I would not even try this, lol.

three bond right in the front wont seal it before reinstalling? Like put a line on the back corner ridge of the front cover and when you push it on it would move the sealant under it for the pushing force forward?

Well that sucks, main reason for pulling was to get rid of the oil leaks around it... :/

Would resurfacing the front cover top, down 3-5mm to leave room for sealant? or is this a bad idea?

Also if I pulled the HG I would need head studs too im sure, which are not just 30 bucks. As I don't know the true miles on the internals and have been boosting around 24psi with a gt28 .86


Yea I've done it in car, it's a real sweatheart of a job :D

I would not surface the upper part of the pump seal as if you do go with an MLS gasket, it will never ever seal them without it being the same 'level' as the block itself. I know someone who did it, and that engine was always covered in oil out of the corners.

24psi on a gt28 is some serious heat! Sounds like you've got a good tune on her :D

Studs and Gasket are gonna be over 300 without blinking an eye. I don't know the current pricing but it may even be closer to 400 depending on what brand parts you go with.

[tloh]

Yea I've done it in car, it's a real sweatheart of a job :D

I would not surface the upper part of the pump seal as if you do go with an MLS gasket, it will never ever seal them without it being the same 'level' as the block itself. I know someone who did it, and that engine was always covered in oil out of the corners.

24psi on a gt28 is some serious heat! Sounds like you've got a good tune on her :D

Studs and Gasket are gonna be over 300 without blinking an eye. I don't know the current pricing but it may even be closer to 400 depending on what brand parts you go with.

yea def good tune. temp on nds never goes above 188 even after autox runs. it's a .86 hotside so that helps too. It's a healthy motor just wanted to check bearings and look at everything and reseal some leaks. But starting to hate this front cover crap :/ I'm try alittle of all this and i'll post my result if it leaks or not when i get everything back together, so there is a for sure yes or no to this.