1977 Bus - Extreme Oil Pressure & A Big Leak!

[Amskeptic]

Could tight endplay cause a front main seal leak and a slight grind from the fan at idle (grind goes away with the slightest throttle)?

No. Check your endplay with no front seal installed. .003" is a very subtle thing. What the *@$!* is going on with the fan? Fix it. Do you have the rubber o-ring between the hub and the crankshaft? Has your fan been disassembled in the past? Is there crap between the hub fan flange/the thick spacer/fan itself? Has the dowel been buggered by a past chimpanzee fan installation? You can see evidence of this with dowel gouge marks on the spacer ring.
Colin
(speaking of leaky front seals, did you replace the flywheel o-ring last time the flywheel was off?)

[Sluggo]

Could tight endplay cause a front main seal leak and a slight grind from the fan at idle (grind goes away with the slightest throttle)?

No. Check your endplay with no front seal installed. .003" is a very subtle thing.

Got it. Pull the front seal and then test endplay.

What the *@$!* is going on with the fan? Fix it.

Don't know. Didn't rub before. The last one I had was grinding. Turned out a screw had fallen in, stayed a while and thrown it off. Replaced it and had no problems. Til now.

Do you have the rubber o-ring between the hub and the crankshaft?

Que? Do you mean fan hub? Can't remember this one. I'll check. If not, it's never been there.

Has your fan been disasembled in the past? Is there crap between the hub fan flange/the thick spacer/fan itself? Has the dowel been buggered by a past chimpanzee fan installation? You can see evidence of this with dowel gouge marks on the spacer ring.

Not that I know of. Shouldn't be any "crap" there. I scrubbed it all clean before assembly Dowel and spacer are fine.

(speaking of leaky front seals, did you replace the flywheel o-ring last time the flywheel was off?)

Yes. But it is used. Just 7000 miles but the one I ordered (http://www.autohausaz.com/search/imagee ... 105279.jpg)was way too thick so I took it out of my smaller flywheel and put it on my new one. Could that cause that big of a leak?

[chitwnvw]

Maybe this:

[Sluggo]

Maybe this:

Uh? Wow! I don't know. I'll find out though.

[Sluggo]

Oh Wait! Took me a few (hours) to realize what I was looking at. Yes. We did install it. Been about 4 years since the rebuild. Wouldn't I have another leak in front if that weren't there? It kinda acts like the flywheel o-ring, right?

I was thinking you were saying there was an o-ring between the fan itself and that 3 point adapter thingy (the hub).

I'll be dropping the engine and checking all the rear seals & gallery plugs this weekend. Did they change the flywheel o-ring or something? The one I installed in my original flywheel is about 1/3 the diameter of the one sent to me by....I can't remember.

[Amskeptic]

Do you mean fan hub? I'll check.

Yep. Sneaky spot. Consult Bentley.

(speaking of leaky front seals, did you replace the flywheel o-ring last time the flywheel was off?)

Yes. But it is used. Just 7000 miles but the one I ordered (http://www.autohausaz.com/search/imagee ... 105279.jpg)was way too thick so I took it out of my smaller flywheel and put it on my new one. Could that cause that big of a leak?

Can't say, but I reused mine last time and it leaked. They develop an instant memory. You'll know it was leaking if the flywheel bolt threads/crankshaft holes are oily and if there are radial traces of wetness emanating from the center of the flywheel towards the friction surface.
Colin

[Sluggo]

What the *@$!* is going on with the fan? Fix it.

I was spinning my alternator by hand today and noticed that it made a similar noise just much softer (not under tension and spinning much slower). I forgot that I used the alt that came with the bus. It looked recently rebuilt (only clean part on the original engine) and put out high power when running. My other 2 alternators have crappy harnesses. I guess I'll switch out the harness on this one with one of my others and see what happens.

The engine is ready to drop. I have the weekend before 5pm and I took the day off on Monday & Tuesday. I'll drop her, figure out what's leaking (probably the o-ring), replace the flywheel o-ring, pull the front main seal, check endplay, put in a new main seal and put her back in. If all goes well I'll have plenty of time for the sunroof and she'll be on the road Wednesday.

[Sluggo]

Dropped the engine yesterday. No radial traces of oil but plenty of wet bolts & threads. Looked like it was coming from the main seal/o-ring. Glad you suggested rechecking the endplay. Took my dial indicator apart and lubed it up. Endplay was .007 (could the front main seal being in place cause a false reading or was it a crappy dial indicator?). Switched around the shims and the best I could get was .004 (well within spec). Replaced the front seal and o-ring with new VR parts. Oil seemed contained to the bellhousing on engine & tranny. No traces of oil on the new clutch disc (phew). While the engine was out I took the opportunity to route the fuel hose & brake booster hose in better places. I'll be popping her back in today and if all is well ( [-o< ) I'll start on the sunroof tonight and have her on the road tomorrow.

[Sluggo]

Ran her for an hour last night. Not a drop of oil touched the ground (well three but those were from the oil filter). Sunroof today and on the road tomorrow!!!

And I was right about the grinding noise being the alt. Put my old one in and all is good. Even though it has some back & forth play.

Thanks for the help!

[Sluggo]

Not on the road today. Got stuck on the minor details. This weekend we should be golden!