> The cork gaskets that arrived with my sump gasket are a bit
> larger than the
> "T" area in which they are to fit. Should I squeeze them in
> there, or trim the
> cork to fit snugly in that space?
If you can squeeze them to fit, without tearing the cork as you put the
block in, then I'd do that. Otherwise, trim just enough that you can.
> Also, should Permatex be applied to the cork gasket, or should it be
> installed dry?
Definitely Permatex (or Hylomar)
> 2. The front plate gasket did not tear upon removal of the
> front sealing
> block. I'll add some Permatex to the interface between the
> sealing block and
> front plate gasket. Sound good?
Yes. Of course, that means it _will_ tear next time. Be sure to press or
tap it against the front plate before tightening the screws. Also inspect
the front surface to be sure there are no burrs around the hole.
> 3. From what I can see, the rear seal is filled with the same silicone
> sealant rather than felt strips. Given that I have significant
> oil leaking from
> somewhere, and given that I have about 7K on the rebuilt engine
> (done by the
> PO), would you recommend I pull the main cap, clean it out and
> install the felt strips?
Yes. IMO that gap is too large to be reliably filled by silicone. Ken at
BFE has written that some gasket sets don't have enough felt, you should be
able to pack it tightly and have some left hanging out. Trim what's hanging
out to about 1/16" before installing the pan (so it presses tightly against
the pan gasket). Ken sells just the felt, if you need more.
> If the answer is yes, will the reinstallation of the main cap be
> straightforward, or are there tolerances to be measured and maintained?
You should be able to just reinstall the cap and torque it to spec. Either
don't remove the bearing shell or be certain it's back in place ... it can
only go one way. Cleanliness is a must here, any dirt or grit can damage
the bearing or prevent the cap from seating. Even fluff from a rag can be a
problem, so use lint-free rags. Clean the bearing surface, then smear it
with oil or grease just before you reinstall the cap.
On the subject of other things to do ... be sure to check the oil pump
intake screen. Original ones have a definite tendency for the wire mesh to
break where it's soldered to the pickup tube. One of the TRSC "Tech Talk"
volumes has Ken's suggestion for how to prevent this, but I don't recall
which one offhand. Basically you thread in some lengths of copper wire over
the top of the tube, through the screen on each side, and twist them
together under the screen, to reinforce it and keep it from vibrating where
the wires leave the solder.
One of the very few times I've had to walk away from my TR3 would have been
prevented if I'd followed this advice. Fortunately I noticed the lack of
oil pressure fairly soon and stopped before any further damage was done.
Randall
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