oil leak question

My Continental 85 is leaking oil and appears to be from pushrod tubes and
valve covers. It is on an experimental plane.

While I can cure the one leaking valve cover, the pushrod tubes have those
heavy "wirecircles with two tangs" over the rubber end fittings. Some tubes
are leaking at bottom and others at top with no discernable pattern to the
leak locations.

Are there any after-market clamps (installable like a hose clamp hopefully)
that would be able to replace the originals?

Is there any "non-teardown" fix? Wondering along the line of front wheel
drive vehicle axle constant-velocity joints and the split-boots sometimes
used.

I did notice that the intake tubing joint rubber fittings had substantial
screw clamps. However they don't appear to be workable for the tubes.

Would appreciate some thoughts,
thanks,Dick

As it's experimental you might be able to get away with something you make.

There are aftermarket VW pushrod tubes that screw together to install and
then unscrew into position and clamp against their ends and their rubber
grommets rather than the head off routine required with standard tubes. You
then reinstall the pushrod.

Don't know how these would compare to the Continental engine.

Hope this helps,
Peter

"Dick" wrote in message
om...
My Continental 85 is leaking oil and appears to be from pushrod tubes and
valve covers. It is on an experimental plane.

While I can cure the one leaking valve cover, the pushrod tubes have those
heavy "wirecircles with two tangs" over the rubber end fittings. Some
tubes
are leaking at bottom and others at top with no discernable pattern to
the
leak locations.

Are there any after-market clamps (installable like a hose clamp
hopefully)
that would be able to replace the originals?

Is there any "non-teardown" fix? Wondering along the line of front wheel
drive vehicle axle constant-velocity joints and the split-boots sometimes
used.

I did notice that the intake tubing joint rubber fittings had substantial
screw clamps. However they don't appear to be workable for the tubes.

Would appreciate some thoughts,
thanks,Dick

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 12:03:14 GMT, "Dick" wrote:

Real Gaskets Corp. makes an STC'd retrofit pushrod tube replacement
kit that you can install without removing the cylinders. You pull the
pushrods, remove the old tubes by cutting them in half with a Dremel /
cut-off wheel or whatever and the new ones go in with a spring ala a
Continental O-470 style pushrod tube.

I have a kit on my C-145 and am happy with it.

See: http://www.realgaskets.com/files/horizontal.htm

It's part # RG-200PRT-1

Bela P. Havasreti

My Continental 85 is leaking oil and appears to be from pushrod tubes and
valve covers. It is on an experimental plane.

While I can cure the one leaking valve cover, the pushrod tubes have those
heavy "wirecircles with two tangs" over the rubber end fittings. Some tubes
are leaking at bottom and others at top with no discernable pattern to the
leak locations.

Are there any after-market clamps (installable like a hose clamp hopefully)
that would be able to replace the originals?

Is there any "non-teardown" fix? Wondering along the line of front wheel
drive vehicle axle constant-velocity joints and the split-boots sometimes
used.

I did notice that the intake tubing joint rubber fittings had substantial
screw clamps. However they don't appear to be workable for the tubes.

Would appreciate some thoughts,
thanks,Dick

"Bela P. Havasreti" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 12:03:14 GMT, "Dick" wrote:

Real Gaskets Corp. makes an STC'd retrofit pushrod tube replacement
kit that you can install without removing the cylinders. You pull the
pushrods, remove the old tubes by cutting them in half with a Dremel /
cut-off wheel or whatever and the new ones go in with a spring ala a
Continental O-470 style pushrod tube.

I have a kit on my C-145 and am happy with it.

See: http://www.realgaskets.com/files/horizontal.htm

It's part # RG-200PRT-1

Bela P. Havasreti

Real gaskets are out of sight. I make my own from silicone sheet. You
can too and save 8 bucks apiece or just use the right kind of stock gaskets
and a high-quality gasket seal on the valve covers. Cross-tighten evenly
and not too much torque. 20-30 inch-pounds is usually enough.

480 bucks for pushrod tubes? Outrageous. Unless you have money to burn.
No offense to Bela, of course. Just re-swage the old ones on the cylinder
ends. It can be done without removing the jugs. If the leaks are around
the pushrod tube bosses on the crankcase, I'd still pull the jugs and
replace the boots to save $80 per cylinder. Buy you some good clamps. I
use spring clamps. I have never seen a boot get old and wear out, but then
I guess everything is mortal. Even Barnyard Boob.

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 12:45:51 -0500, " jls"
wrote:


"Bela P. Havasreti" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 12:03:14 GMT, "Dick" wrote:

Real Gaskets Corp. makes an STC'd retrofit pushrod tube replacement
kit that you can install without removing the cylinders. You pull the
pushrods, remove the old tubes by cutting them in half with a Dremel /
cut-off wheel or whatever and the new ones go in with a spring ala a
Continental O-470 style pushrod tube.

I have a kit on my C-145 and am happy with it.

See: http://www.realgaskets.com/files/horizontal.htm

It's part # RG-200PRT-1

Bela P. Havasreti

Real gaskets are out of sight. I make my own from silicone sheet. You
can too and save 8 bucks apiece or just use the right kind of stock gaskets
and a high-quality gasket seal on the valve covers. Cross-tighten evenly
and not too much torque. 20-30 inch-pounds is usually enough.

480 bucks for pushrod tubes? Outrageous. Unless you have money to burn.
No offense to Bela, of course. Just re-swage the old ones on the cylinder
ends. It can be done without removing the jugs. If the leaks are around
the pushrod tube bosses on the crankcase, I'd still pull the jugs and
replace the boots to save $80 per cylinder. Buy you some good clamps. I
use spring clamps. I have never seen a boot get old and wear out, but then
I guess everything is mortal. Even Barnyard Boob.


No offense taken.... I hear ya (and for the most part agree). I
bought the re-swaging tool from (I think) El Reno aviation, and
re-swaged all the pushrod tubes on the left side (port side for you
mariners) of my C-145-2, but one cylinder still leaked. So I only
bought (1) Real Gaskets pushrod tube kit to fix that 1 cylinder (I was
tired of it leaking).

I wish the kits weren't so expensive. I have no affiliation
what-so-ever, but still think it is a superior design than the
original (Continental finally fixed their pushrod tube design
faux pas with the O-470).

A friend just rebuilt a C-85 and sprung for RG pushrod tube kits for
all 4 cylinders. I'm sure he didn't particularly like writing the
check, but wanted to make the engine more serviceable while
it was all apart.... 1000 hours down the road or whatever, it'd
be nice to just compress the spring, pull the offending pushrod
out and replace the seals to fix any future leaks.

Bela P. Havasreti

PLEASE don't do it this way. Remove them the old-fashioned way. Cut that tube
off with a saw and I guarantee you chips in the oil pan. Not good.


Jim



You pull the
-pushrods, remove the old tubes by cutting them in half with a Dremel /
-cut-off wheel or whatever and the new ones go in with a spring ala a
-Continental O-470 style pushrod tube.


Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
PLEASE don't do it this way. Remove them the old-fashioned way. Cut that
tube
off with a saw and I guarantee you chips in the oil pan. Not good.


Jim

Couldn't one push a piece of cloth rolled in a ball down the tube, past
where it is to be cut, and contain the shavings?

Don't jump me, it is just an idea; wondering if it would work.
--
Jim in NC


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.797 / Virus Database: 541 - Release Date: 11/15/2004

As food for thought...
seeing the spring loaded pushrod tube referenced by Bela makes me wonder if
some kind of external spring could be installed over a tube (without
removing the tube) and press against some sort of seal applied linearly at
both ends; kind of like teflon string (as opposed to tape) that plumbers
use.

just changed the toilet inlet valve and saw the
shank washer just seal the valve body with finger tightness..

if not a spring, how about some sort of clamp over the tube that would hold
the hand fabbed string gasket tightly in place?

Since this is an experimental, what does everyone think??

thanks, Dick

http://www.realgaskets.com/files/horizontal.htm

It's part # RG-200PRT-1

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 17:36:03 -0500, "Morgans"
wrote:


"Jim Weir" wrote in message
.. .
PLEASE don't do it this way. Remove them the old-fashioned way. Cut that
tube
off with a saw and I guarantee you chips in the oil pan. Not good.


Jim

Couldn't one push a piece of cloth rolled in a ball down the tube, past
where it is to be cut, and contain the shavings?

Don't jump me, it is just an idea; wondering if it would work.

I'll see if I can find the original instructions, but I think that's
how they suggest you do it. If I find the instructions, I'll
post back what it says.

What I did is use vise grips to collapse the tube near the outer
end (where it enters the rocker arm area). The metal is fairly
soft, and easy to deform. A small cut-off wheel on a Dremel
makes quick work out of cutting the tube in two at about the
same location.

There are no metal chips scattered anywhere with this method, just
a small amount of residual aluminum and abrasive wheel dust
associated with the cutting process.

Bela P. Havasreti

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 23:19:08 GMT, Bela P. Havasreti
wrote:

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 17:36:03 -0500, "Morgans"
wrote:


"Jim Weir" wrote in message
. ..
PLEASE don't do it this way. Remove them the old-fashioned way. Cut that
tube
off with a saw and I guarantee you chips in the oil pan. Not good.


Jim

Couldn't one push a piece of cloth rolled in a ball down the tube, past
where it is to be cut, and contain the shavings?

Don't jump me, it is just an idea; wondering if it would work.

I'll see if I can find the original instructions, but I think that's
how they suggest you do it. If I find the instructions, I'll
post back what it says.

What I did is use vise grips to collapse the tube near the outer
end (where it enters the rocker arm area). The metal is fairly
soft, and easy to deform. A small cut-off wheel on a Dremel
makes quick work out of cutting the tube in two at about the
same location.

There are no metal chips scattered anywhere with this method, just
a small amount of residual aluminum and abrasive wheel dust
associated with the cutting process.

If it is thin enough to bend with visegrips, could you cut it with a
set of large bolt cutters?