update to my chasing down my oil leak on my 0-200

starter replaced, leaking oil seal, replaced a pair of pushrod tube seals

with improved versions from Real Gaskets in cylinder 4, pilots side front cylinder,

removed two cylinder hold down nuts and sealed the studs threads with high temp rtv, also on cylinder #4

removed two nuts holding intake spider to seal the threads with high temp rtv.

the leaks were a combination of all of the above, test flight today clean and dry, no apparent leaks.

They say if an 0-200 is not leaking it’s out of oil!

Hope it lasts, the moral of the story is don’t give up!

Dave

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David, I just replaced the front crankshaft seal on my 0200 and am ready to track down the engineer who designed that part of the engine to choke him out!!! Did you come up with any secrets of how to get the old one out, clean up the area & install the new one? I just rtv'd my new one into place tonight, so I'll let it dry a couple days and fire it up to see if it leaks, but with the fight getting the new one in I'm just sure that stinking spring popped off the seal lip and this one will leak too! AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Hi Lonnie,

that seal is probably the only seal I have that’s not leaking.

A buddy of mine struggled with his front crank seal too.

ruined  a couple of them trying to get it in.

i read somewhere it’s a good idea to let the seal out in the sun for a while to soften it up.

it may be cold where you are, but I’m in Florida.

Dave

David, I also installed the Real Gasket pushrod tube kit on my C-90 to get rid of the leaks with the old style tubes and boots. I am curious if you used the silicone gaskets provided in the Real Gasket kit, and if so how they have worked for you? I found the thick silicone gaskets that come with the Real Gasket kit when torqued to their spec of 25 inch-pounds would leak, and if you torqued them any tighter they would squeeze out of place due to their thickness and softness. It was one of those frustrating deals where you follow the directions perfectly, and the damn thing doesn’t work out. After a couple of weeks of on & off, on & off, same problem, I eventually replaced the silicone gaskets that came with the kit with standard lifter cover gaskets and torqued them to the Continental book spec’d 95 inch pounds. They’ve worked leak free for 18 months and well over 100 flight hours now.

Hi Lonnie

my O-200 is the later version that came with the continental spring loaded pushrod tubes. It’s similar to the real gasket kit, I replaced my lifter cover gaskets with the paper type. 

I do have the real gaskets oil sump gasket and valve cover gaskets. The oil sump is also very easy to over tighten and squish out.

i had to do it over once, it’s better now but still seeps a little.

i have finally got all my leaks under control for the time being, 

you know what they say about O-200’s and Harleys, if they aren’t leaking, there is no oil in it!

most of my friends using silicone installed drilled screws and safety wire

christopher, what screws are you referring to?

https://www.chiefaircraft.com/cont-649353-75.html

insert in drill press , have fun!

Christopher,

 we are discussing the hydraulic lifter cover gaskets, not the valve covers.

But thanks anyway for your input.

Dave

I never used the silicon lifter housing gaskets, only the paper ones.

Hi Dave and others who have an 0-200 installed.  I purchased a completely overhauled 0-200 and after reading blogs on the subject I decided to extend the breather tube housing internal to the engine by silver soldering a standard copper tube in the breather fitting.  Then when I fired up the engine for the first time oil spewed out of the carb. throat!  When I talked to my overhaul A&P he chuckled and told me I had just increased the crankcase pressure by adding a tube that is far thicker than the ghastly expensive upgrade available from Continental.  He told me to get rid of the tube extension and sure enough the issue vanished.  He indicated that the Continental upgrade breather tube extension has a very thin wall which minimizes increased crankcase pressure and then told me not to believe all that you read on blogs about 0-200’s!  So a word to the wise for all you Continental engine owners.

Always Learning,

John Minatelli

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