Head/Rocker Cover Oil Return Seals.

[AustHaflinger]

The service is continuing on the Haflinger. Today was adjust tappets, replace spark plugs, refill with oil and start.

As usual I had trouble getting the rocker (tappet) cover on the passenger side of the engine back on and split the white oil seal that goes on the crankcase end of the pipe that takes the oil back from the tappet cover.

I went and searched my supplies and found two air filters (that I didn't need to order online but are coming tomorrow) but no white oil seals. I did find one of the brown similar oil seals that seal the cylinder head inlet and exhaust push rod tubes to the crankshaft. So I used it instead of the white seals.

Now I have something in the back of my mind that the white and brown seals are slightly different and the brown ones can leak if used on the rocker return pipe. So I put plenty of sealant around it to ensure it seals (I hope).

So is there a difference between to two - hence the different colours and part numbers or am I worrying unnecessarily about a pending oil leak in the near future - there was no leak on start but ..............

Garry

[heinkeljb]

I can only make an assumption - no knowledge, but presumably the brown ones are a slightly harder / higher temperature plastic than the white ones as they get "squished" down tighter when you torque down the heads, whereas the white ones on the oil returns are only being "squished" down by the rocker cover and that is not torqued down as tight.

John

[AustHaflinger]

Yes quite possibly so - I have ordered some from Bernard here is Australia and he says the brown ones and the white ones are the same but the brown ones are made from silicon. On refilling the engine with oil I have now gone from 20w40 to 20w50 engine oil so I will see how that goes. As all my other cars on the road use full synthetic oils, a while back I did try that in the haflinger engine but it did not like it one little bit and it caused the engine to smoke and blow out the breather - the synthetic oil is made for tight tolerance engines and as the haflinger engine is anything but it did not work.

So stay with 100% mineral oils.

Oh - since I replaced the standard oil filter with the more modern screw in canister type - oil usage has decreased almost to zero as it is no longer leaking out. Best mod I have made.

Garry