Cigarette Seals

[alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>]

Auto Legal/ New York wrote:

Biba: Please correct your instruction concerning the end piece of each
cigarette seal...you tell the uninitiated to cut the remainder off.
Incorrect.  What little is left must protrude from the block surface to be
smashed tight when the bottom end is assembled.  I believe there might be a
spec for the protrusion, maybe not.....but a mm is fine.  If people think
they can simply cut the ends off when they can't shove the seals in any
further, they might be causing an eventual leak they would ordinarily be
trying to avoid. Be sure to instruct your readers also on the length of the
seal you must have to begin with.....some might have been miscut (you never
know) or dried to a shorter length, etc.  Bob Little

***********

Bob, will admit you made me somewhat curious about the protrusion of the
cigarette seals after one installs them into the holes in the rear main.

You make a good point about not suggesting people can simply cut off the ends
when the seals won't go any further. However, that was a good portion of what
I am trying to convey and solve with 'the Biba method'. (Quoting myself): "Cut
off any left sticking up but have found I can get virtually all of 'it' into
the holes with this method."

I've never been able to get the entire seal in doing it 'by the book' so did
the best I could and cut it off, leaving the end very, very slightly "proud'
(raised).

I've never been happy doing this and felt the entire seal should be somehow
pushed all the way in.

After further investigation, I stick by what I said in V8 #432 because I feel
it is the best method to insure the seals go in all the way and the outside
edges of the rear oil seal does not get slightly cocked when installingthus
insuring a major oil leak. I suppose one could make a special tool for the
latter, but it would be expensive to make a proper one, but why would one even
bother?

Today, having a clean 2 liter block and fresh set of gaskets, I removed the
rear main (fortunately for this test there was no crank installed). From the
top of the block to the bottom of the chamfered hole measures 62 mm. The seals
I have measure 61.22 and 61 mm.

This tells me that one should install the entire length ' if at all possible'
or finding a way to make it possible.

(Excerpted from the factory Engine workshop manual for the Alfetta engine).
"Fit the safety plate to rear cap; torque the nuts to 4.7/5 Kgm (Nm 47/49).
Then tighten the locknuts and secure them with the safety plate.

"Lubricate the rubber seals with a suitable lube (50 HB 5100 by Union Carbide
Chemicals Co, - Milloil grease, or similar) and fit the seals into the holes
in rear main with tool A.3.0113.

"Cut the excess seals flush with cylinder block surface."

"Lubricate the rear crankshaft sealing ring and fit it with the aid of tool
A.3.0178."

I do install it so that if one runs their finger across the block surface, the
seal ever so slightly protrudes. I can virtually guarantee you will have to
cut the seals even if you have the factory tools and use their prescribed
method of installation.

Should one leave, say, 1/8" sticking up, I'm speculating the raised portion
will flatten out as the oil pan is bolted down, but leave a small air cavity
around the flattened endsmost likely causing a leak.

Hope this clarifies things.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA

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