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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 3:09 pm Post subject: Taco Plate Gasket o-ring observation re leak / leaks |
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Just adding a post in case anyone is looking for it.
Over the years numerous people have noticed leaks on their taco plates on a T4 engine. Typically they replace the seal a couple times then goop it up with something to stop the ooze / drip.
On the new T4 case that I have it came with a taco plate on it from the factory. I compared that O-ring to the one in the Victor Reinz kit. The VW one is slightly more red-brown, and about .007" larger in OD than the VR one. My guess is that the VR one doesn't compress properly. Best solution is probably not to trust it from the start, and put a good gasket sealer on it. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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raygreenwood Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008 Posts: 21474 Location: Oklahoma City
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Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2020 4:10 pm Post subject: Re: Taco Plate Gasket o-ring observation re leak / leaks |
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SGKent wrote: |
Just adding a post in case anyone is looking for it.
Over the years numerous people have noticed leaks on their taco plates on a T4 engine. Typically they replace the seal a couple times then goop it up with something to stop the ooze / drip.
On the new T4 case that I have it came with a taco plate on it from the factory. I compared that O-ring to the one in the Victor Reinz kit. The VW one is slightly more red-brown, and about .007" larger in OD than the VR one. My guess is that the VR one doesn't compress properly. Best solution is probably not to trust it from the start, and put a good gasket sealer on it. |
I have found the same thing. The factory VW taco plate o-ring is larger......from my findings....by a minimum of .005" than virtually any o-ring I have found in any of the gasket sets. I could see .007" easily. Its also a little more pliable than some of the VR o-rings.
The darker reddish brown marks it as molded, high temp fluoro silicone. The VR rings ...the brighter red ones....are a viton or blend.
Both are plenty oil proof. I have only had a couple that leaked on engines I have worked on....and usually I have found that the plates were slightly bulged/dishex.....meaning the metal where the two bolts go through were slightly dished and the outer perimeter surface where the o-ring contacts the plate.....is pulled downward. Whether this is because someone had a gooped up or oversized seal and they crushed it with the lid.....I dont know.
But the fit of the lid is almost as key as the exact size of the o-ring. For this seal to work.....the lid must compress the o-ring a certain amount so that its ID expands inward and its OD expands outward.
If the lid is dished or "sprung".....no seal. Ray |
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