Oil slinger needed

[turbohunter]

Anybody have a spare crank oil slinger hanging around?
The one that came on my engine is beat to hell.
91306 to calculate charges.
Thanks

[turbohunter]

Hmm, it seems they are not needed these days as the two functions they perform (slinging oil on the chain and shielding the front seal) are not necessary any more.
Now that I’m thinking about it I do seem to recall an old discussion on this. Maybe it was the old FE site. Don’t remember.
Anyway, I don’t need one anymore.

[Gregwill16]

Marc, I would be more than happy to send you one if you want.

[Tommy-T]

Marc

I'll bring one to your house if you buy me an In-N-Out double cheeseburger.

Tommy

[jayb]

I actually always use them.  Can't hurt...

[Rory428]

I actually always use them.  Can't hurt...

Same here. I can see no downside to directing oil away from the front seal. Same with the rocker drain trays and lifter valley baffle plate. Some may tend to leave them out, I really see no downside to reusing them. I doubt that Ford engineered and installed these pieces because they felt like wasting money on things of no value. Rebuttal from Brent in 3,2,1......

[blykins]

I actually always use them.  Can't hurt...

Same here. I can see no downside to directing oil away from the front seal. Same with the rocker drain trays and lifter valley baffle plate. Some may tend to leave them out, I really see no downside to reusing them. I doubt that Ford engineered and installed these pieces because they felt like wasting money on things of no value. Rebuttal from Brent in 3,2,1......

No rebuttal.  Just you knowing how I feel about it though makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.   

[turbohunter]

Was hoping this would spur a little bit of debate.
Greg is sending me one. I’ll debate with myself whether to use it or not.
This makes me curious about the difference in a 1958 seal vs today’s.
Is it purely the materials used to make the part or is the design of the seal also better?

[My427stang]

I use them, I like how it fits with the timing cover and should direct oil to the small gear.  Can't hurt protecting the seal a bit either 

If I was in a bind and had to get it running, I wouldn't lose any sleep, but if I had one, I wouldn't leave it on the bench

[Lowrider]

I use them. There must be thousands of them laying around from guys installing a new camshaft and forgetting to put them back on. I don't know how many times I've looked down and there's the slinger just laying there. Of course I've already put the damper back on. Kinda like flaring a line then seeing the fitting you forgot to put on first.

[blykins]

Was hoping this would spur a little bit of debate.
Greg is sending me one. I’ll debate with myself whether to use it or not.
This makes me curious about the difference in a 1958 seal vs today’s.
Is it purely the materials used to make the part or is the design of the seal also better?

Seals are better.  Timing chains are better (double row, and not made of plastic). 

I won't disagree that Ford thought it was of value.........in 1958.  In 60's technology, there were a lot of things that were of value (rope seals, generators, etc.)  Technology changes though.

I also won't degrade anyone for using them.   It's a prerogative thing.   

But I can prove to you that none of those factory tins are necessary today, simply by the fact that I haven't used a single one in any Cleveland, Windsor, or FE that I've built in the past 18 years.   I can attest that I haven't had one single timing cover seal leak in all that time.  FE's with Victor intakes can't use the drip tins (because there are no holes to drain through), but get the oil back to the pan just fine without them.  Aftermarket blocks with ribbed lifter valleys and link bar lifters function just fine without the valley trays.  Race engines with belt drives don't have room for slingers but the seals seem to do their jobs for seasons. 

Should you use them?  Sure, if you feel the need.  Are they necessary?  Nope.

[cjshaker]

But I can prove to you that none of those factory tins are necessary today, simply by the fact that I haven't used a single one in any Cleveland, Windsor, or FE that I've built in the past 18 years.   I can attest that I haven't had one single timing cover seal leak in all that time.  FE's with Victor intakes can't use the drip tins (because there are no holes to drain through), but get the oil back to the pan just fine without them.  Aftermarket blocks with ribbed lifter valleys and link bar lifters function just fine without the valley trays.  Race engines with belt drives don't have room for slingers but the seals seem to do their jobs for seasons. 

I aspire to be perfect in everything I do also.....someday 

To be fair, Brent, you take multiple steps to aid in oil drainback in heads, or to control the oil before it even gets there. Longtime forum members know those tricks also, but the average or occasional backyard builder often doesn't know about, or take those steps. In those cases, the rocker tins can absolutely be of advantage.

And the vast majority of builds out in the world are done for long term use. I have yet to see an engine that has been together for 5-10-20 years that doesn't drip or seep someplace. Heat and cycling degrades seals and gaskets over time, and there's nothing anyone can do about that. Heck, just time alone will degrade seals and gaskets. Anyone that says otherwise is living in a fantasy world. A slinger won't make one bit of power, or stop a leak from happening, but it just might help in the long run. Tins won't make a bit of difference when you open up returns, keep tolerances tight on rockers and control oil flow to the heads, but on a backyard build, or a refresh of a stock engine, they most certainly can help to keep from flooding the heads.

[blykins]

This is a subject that always gets in everyone's craw.  Doesn't matter which forum we're on, whether it's an FE forum, Cleveland forum, Windsor forum, etc., there are guys on there that gasp at the fact that guys assemble engines differently than how they were assembled when they were new. 

I don't mean anything against anyone at all, I'm just stating that if you choose to not leave those parts in there, the engine will be just fine. 

Doug, I always read what you say very carefully, because you are one of the guys on here that has knowledge and experience to back it up.   I will say though, that the only way I see the rocker tins being anywhere near essential, is when the drains in the heads are packed full of sludge and the oil can't get back any other way.   Otherwise, for a new build, or someone bolting on new rockers, etc., they can be tossed.

I also hope that your first line wasn't a dig at me, as I didn't understand what it meant.   If it has something to do with my timing cover leak line, I will say that I've had customers come back after years and tell me that a valve cover gasket was weeping, or an oil pan gasket on an aluminum block leaked, but I'll still stand by my statement that (to my knowledge), I've never had a timing cover seal leak.  I do use a fixture to install timing covers, make sure the seals are lubed up well on first startup and always use a new balancer spacer.  Maybe I was born with it.  Maybe it was Maybeline.

[turbohunter]

always use a new balancer spacer.

Interesting comment. I’m assuming the spacer gets worn and will leak if the diameter is not up to spec.


As far as arguing which is better, I can’t see any reason to get upset about anyone’s decision in this case. But in discussion on a subject some ideas I had not thought about earlier show up like the above. This is valuable to me. I can imagine that if I stick the engine together and not use a slinger then my spacer is worn, I may have a leak and figure Brent was full of it. However it would have been my fault though for not checking the spacer. So thank you guys for putting your ideas out there. I just hope we all remember that we all love the same thing and there are different ways to do it. Discussion good.

[FE4SPDMustang]

They may not serve their original purpose and I misplaced mine during reassembly. I didn't use it and the oil seal leaked. I installed and lined up the cover with the factory crank snout tool too. I guess if you're just putting mileage on a quarter mile at a time you're fine. If you actually drive the car I feel it's better to have one.  My two cents. Maybe, just one and a half...