Anyone using a hpop gear billet cover??

zilla68 · Jun 7, 2015

Here's my issue.

I replaced the hpop, ressie o ring, turbo, down pipes, had the exhaust manifolds machined flat, replaced oil rail plugs, banjo bolts, ebpv tube, a bunch of other stuff and replaced the hpop gear cover with one from strictly, has the oring on it.
Also, new strictly race obs e fuel, so valley is cleared out.

I never had a leak before, but now after driving and it sits, I have an issue.
I've looked and looked and its coming from the passenger side for sure, and my bet is its that.
I am getting one drop on the ebpv tube nut on the manifold, and its hitting the crossmember and running out the holes there.

Least to say its driving my ocd nuts trying to find it.

I wonder if that cover is the issue, due to the little tab that holds the wire harness behind the small hose coming off the top of the water pump?
the right/drivers side of the new gear cover seems to be dry, but the left side/passenger is the wet side, although I can't tell really.

Anyone had any issues with these billet covers?
I'm NOT BASHING strictly what so ever, just curious if anyone has used ANY aftermarket cover with any issues.

Strictly Diesel · Jun 7, 2015

We've shipped a TON of those covers and never had a single call about a leak. I've run them on several personal trucks as well, never a leak.

That said, it's got an o-ring so anything is possible. Clean the area with brake clean and then drive the truck. If the oil is coming from that location, you should be able to run a clean white rag or paper towel around the cover and verify it with ease. If the rag stays clean, it's coming from somewhere else.

TyCorr · Jun 7, 2015

That seems impossible if the oring wasnt damaged. Sure the lid in the res isnt spitting a bit? Or a line?

Isobaric · Jun 8, 2015

My billet cover from NLTD has started leaking recently.

Dennis, does your cover have a groove to retain the o-ring during installation?

Jomax · Jun 8, 2015

Im using dennis' cover, with no issues 40k miles later. I bet it's coming from somewhere else.

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Strictly Diesel · Jun 8, 2015

Isobaric said:
My billet cover from NLTD has started leaking recently.

Dennis, does your cover have a groove to retain the o-ring during installation?

Yes it does. It also seals differently than the other covers on the market, we don't try to use the groove in the factory front cover as an o-ring groove.

TyCorr · Jun 8, 2015

Strictly Diesel said:
Yes it does. It also seals differently than the other covers on the market, we don't try to use the groove in the factory front cover as an o-ring groove.

Exactly....

zilla68 · Jun 8, 2015

i don't think its the cover itself, It almost looks like its coming out of the bolt like its leaking thru the threads.
when the cover is on, then I put the small bracket that retains the wiring harness, then the bolt thru that and into the cover.

i'm going to tear it off again tomorrow night, too damn humid to mess with it today

zilla68 · Jun 8, 2015

Strictly Diesel said:
We've shipped a TON of those covers and never had a single call about a leak. I've run them on several personal trucks as well, never a leak.

That said, it's got an o-ring so anything is possible. Clean the area with brake clean and then drive the truck. If the oil is coming from that location, you should be able to run a clean white rag or paper towel around the cover and verify it with ease. If the rag stays clean, it's coming from somewhere else.

I did just that already, that's how I saw it was not the right side of the cover, as that side of it is still dry.
did you install the little holder for the wiring harness or leave it off, im thinking its that causing the issue.
that hpop gear is not submerged in oil is it? or is it just getting splash lubed (I guess what you'd call it), so I can try to figure out if its got oil behind that cover while running, I had already drained everything for the hpop install so I don't know.

Isobaric · Jun 8, 2015

Strictly Diesel said:
Yes it does. It also seals differently than the other covers on the market, we don't try to use the groove in the factory front cover as an o-ring groove.

Will have to invest in one of those. Less than pleased with the cover that came with my HB-Jr.

Strictly Diesel · Jun 9, 2015

zilla68 said:
I did just that already, that's how I saw it was not the right side of the cover, as that side of it is still dry.
did you install the little holder for the wiring harness or leave it off, im thinking its that causing the issue.
that hpop gear is not submerged in oil is it? or is it just getting splash lubed (I guess what you'd call it), so I can try to figure out if its got oil behind that cover while running, I had already drained everything for the hpop install so I don't know.

Splash, not submerged. Yes there is oil, but not just sitting there.

Sorry, not looking at one right now, what wiring harness? Generally we don't touch anything to do with any wiring. Can you post a picture of what you think is causing your problem?

TyCorr · Jun 9, 2015

zilla68 said:
i don't think its the cover itself, It almost looks like its coming out of the bolt like its leaking thru the threads.
when the cover is on, then I put the small bracket that retains the wiring harness, then the bolt thru that and into the cover.

i'm going to tear it off again tomorrow night, too damn humid to mess with it today

Why would you do that?

If im remembering this correctly you should have ordered an updated ebpv tube and that relocates the mounting point of that bracket you speak of. Perhaps your bolt isnt long enough and the cover is loose.

At any rate my ebpv tube did NOT mount back and get held captive by the pass side bolt of that gear cover.

TyCorr · Jun 9, 2015

Notice the tube is moved to the left? Ill see if I have a better picture.

Dmstrucks02 · Jun 9, 2015

Mine leaked, I damaged the O ring on install somehow I assume- it had a flat spot on it
Put a bead of grey death and it's dry as a bone now

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zilla68 · Jun 9, 2015

TyCorr said:
Why would you do that?

If im remembering this correctly you should have ordered an updated ebpv tube and that relocates the mounting point of that bracket you speak of. Perhaps your bolt isnt long enough and the cover is loose.

At any rate my ebpv tube did NOT mount back and get held captive by the pass side bolt of that gear cover.

my ebpv tube didn't mount there, it runs behind the hpop.
the bracket i'm speaking about just holds the wiring harness that goes to a temp gauge,
bolt is tight, cover is not loose.
the passenger side bolt holds a small "holder" for lack of the OG term, and the wiring with loom just lays in it.
I think the relocation deal was for certain years.

zilla68 · Jun 9, 2015

TyCorr said:
Notice the tube is moved to the left? Ill see if I have a better picture.

by the way, that motor would be super easy to spot a leak on !!!

zilla68 · Jun 9, 2015

Strictly Diesel said:
Splash, not submerged. Yes there is oil, but not just sitting there.

Sorry, not looking at one right now, what wiring harness? Generally we don't touch anything to do with any wiring. Can you post a picture of what you think is causing your problem?

there is a small little bracket/holder that keeps a temp sensor wiring loom from flopping around I guess, its behind the top heater hose that comes off the water pump.

Strictly Diesel · Jun 9, 2015

OBS, sorry, wasn't paying attention.

That should not be a problem, as long as it is against the outside of the cover and not under it and the bolts are tight.

zilla68 · Jun 9, 2015

I got it,
pulled it back off again, and found a small abrasion on the oring, although it was not on the bottom.
all I can say is it must sling a ton of oil around in there, but I see where the oil sits as it was puddled on the ledge behind the hpop gear cover.
I took a pick and ran it around the surface the oring seats in, and there is a bur there, its all smooth up until that spot, then it gets tough to move the pick. so I just used the gray ford stuff and sealed it back up, then used a little thread sealer on the threads for safe keeping, so hopefully that was it.
i'll let it sit until tomorrow nite or Thursday and fire it up and run it around and see what happens.

I looked at that oring a couple times and it must have been messed up at just the right angle to not see it, then this time it showed up pretty easy to spot.

so anyone using these covers, take a really close look at the housing the gear cover bolts to, make sure there is no burr's there so you don't tear the oring!!

TyCorr · Jun 9, 2015

Yea chris the oil is flying off the gears in there! Lots messier than you'd think.

Glad you got it figured out. As sad as it is to say that cover was one of the easiest "mods" ive done. I bolted it on and never had an issue.
I got it to use with a gen 3 or twins but never ran them.

I like the silver for spotting leaks but wish id have cleaned it a little better, the block anyway, before painting. Its made it through two salty winters with no issues. Manifolds have little "dots" of rust poking through the vht header paint. I could wipe them down and spray them again and they would be fine.

Anyway, enough derail. Good luck bro!