A Y-Block buddy contacted me about getting the Timing case aligned on the crankshaft properly. Ford used a specific tool originally, but as far as he can determine, no aftermarket tool exists. He thought he had his on straight, but now the crank seal is leaking.. Solutions?


Paul

Personally, I have never had to use a cover alignment tool on a Y-Block.  The crankshaft damper may have a groove worn in it where it contacts the seal.  There is a repair sleeve available.  It slips over the damper and fills the grove.

For the timing cover installation, I simply make sure that the oil pan rail is even at both the block and the timing cover.  Having the oil slinger in place at the front of the lower timing gear is a big plus in preventing any oil leaks at the front timing seal.  As Phil brings up, the damper snout itself does need to be in good condition.
 
Here’s the link to an older thread covering the same subject.
http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/FindPost88372.aspx  

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Some of Frank's timing covers were machined incorrectly, which placed the seal closer to the pan rail.  If you have one of these, you can just eyeball the concentricity of the cover to the crank, assuming you are in a position to see it well, and use rtv to "level" it out.  It's not terrible but it's bad enough that using the pan rail as an indicator may cause problems.


Lawrenceville, GA

The alignment tool you want is T52L-6059-AAE but is impossible to find.  You can use the crankshaft spacer from the 239 engine as the alignment tool, it would do the same thing.  The spacer (B4AZ-6359-A) is easier to find and one is on ebay now for $20.00.

What I usually do is to install the cover bolts loosly, install the damper, then tighten the cover screws.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"