Lip seal conversion for sump to timing cover:
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It must be borne in mind that the circular groove formed by the timing cover and sump parts was intended to take the original rope seal (evolved from steam engine technology!) and therefore is not the exact shape to take a modern lip seal. However, by following the following steps a huge improvement can be made to the sealing arrangement.
A modern silicone sealant will be required for this process for sealing the timing cover and sump to the engine, and the lip seal to the groove in the timing cover and sump. It is also desirable to use some where the ends of the sump gasket meet to ensure there is no room for leakage. A small amount should be put over the exposed end of any bolt hole inside the timing cover to seal the thread of the sump screw.
Fit the timing cover with its gasket and sealant, but leave the bolts slack to be fully tightened later.
Offer up the lip seal to the timing cover with its open side towards the engine: it may be necessary to ease the corners of the cover with a file to achieve this. It will be found that it is a slack fit, but this allows placement of the seal at right angles to the surface of the crank pulley. When the seal has been trial fitted, put sealant into the groove and fit the seal.
Oil the surface of the crank pulley, and push it through the seal, checking that the seal is in the best position. The timing cover bolts can now be fully tightened. Now apply sealant to the bottom half of the lip seal, and fit the sump in the normal way. Allow 24 hours before starting the engine.
