Question : How can I keep my distributor oring from leaking?

[gpchris]

Besides replacing it lol. Theres 116 miles on the stocker.. I have the intakes off so Im trying to decide what to do to prevent it from leaking.. RTV, JBweld? What do you recommend?

[1988GTU]

You could try welding a steel cap over it onto the block... but you'd need to get the block cherry hot and make sure it's really clean! Other than that, use a GM O-ring. I have used the ones supplied by GM and ones from a rebuild kit found in the box from the parts store. The GM (brown) o ring FTW, still dry to this day. The parts store (black type) leaked after a year. hth's

[IsaacHayes]

If you have intakesoff, just replace it with a GM brown one. And put a sbc dist gasket under it too.

[gpchris]

oops I posted in the wrong section.. This is on my DOHC. You have to remove the rear head to change the oring. Im thinking about jbwelding around the seal.

[IsaacHayes]

Oh. Yeah I saw pushrod and was like, dude it's right there!!! LOL

I think you can work it up enough to stretch a new o-ring over it... Or at least someone said they did without removing the head on a DOHC once.. But I've never messed with one so no idea if thats true or not.

[1988GTU]

To do it right without hacking it through, you NEED to remove the rear head. Otherwise, it'll leak a lot sooner if you try any type of sealant or gasket. Even the GM grey sealant didn't work long, but it held up longer than regular RTV/hacked up gasket.

[gpchris]

I think you can work it up enough to stretch a new o-ring over it... Or at least someone said they did without removing the head on a DOHC once..

Thats a good idea!

[z34phoenix]

i used quick steel on my its like a jbweld puddy... worked great.... and to get extra clearance you need to saw off some of the flange the lower intake mounts too.

[IsaacHayes]

I'd try to lift it up, CAREFULLY stretch a new o-ring over it. If the o-ring doesn't look too stretched afterwards, cut the old off. Then get a SBC dist gasket and cut it and spread it under it, with some RTV and that might do the trick.

[pocket-rocket]

I did a new black o ring from a hardware store, the sbc gasket, and some black RTV on the 91 way back when, and last time I ran the car, it was still holding after a couple years from that.

[gpchris]

did you stretch it or remove the heads?

[pocket-rocket]

We had the heads off for porting. The stock ring was not leaking at that point, but I didn't want to wait for it to start and have to tear the heads off again,so we did it while it was all apart.

[RednBlack]

Leave the head in place. Get any Chevy distributor gasket. Raise the plug, (You can keep it up with a pair of vise grips positioned right.), don't even mess with the O ring. Clean both mating surfaces well with alcohol. Cut one side of the gasket. Slide it around the shaft. Coat all mating surfaces with Red, or Black RTV. You only have about 3/8" of clearance, but using Q Tips helps with cleaning, and spreading the sealant. Snug it all up. Works like a charm.

About a six pack job with removing the upper and lower intakes. Replace the OEM clamps on the coolant hose, with Gates screw clamps. Easier to reinstall. Coolant will run all over the place when you dismantle. Especially in the exhaust shields. Makes a lot of smoke, and makes you think you screwed up. Blow it all away with air.

Then your car will quit marking it's territory.

Easy as 3.14159265

[gpchris]

I decided Im going to stretch a brown one around it and add some rtv to be safe.

[gpchris]

I tried to pull it up and it only comes up 1mm.. I just rtv'd it.