Aluminum Half-Moon VC Seal -when enthusiasm turns to sickness.

[Jafro]

Last time I rebuilt, I replaced it. OEM seal kit. It was a rubber seal. Completely adequate. Never leaked oil from it before.

During this build I accidentally buzzed a corner of it off with the polishing wheel when I was re-blinging the head. Decided to replace it for cosmetic reasons... Ordered just the seal...

THIS is what I got. I've got mixed feelings about it. I mean... since I've polished everything else, now I have to polish a seal?! Whoever heard of such a thing? That's too much like work. It's rough as hell. I thought I was done with the polishing but I guess it's a nice finishing touch... This would be a permanent seal and no more worries about buzzing an edge off of it with the polishing wheel in the future.

Wouldn't the installation process just be the same? Just RTV it in? I've never seen an aluminum seal like this on another DSM. I've only seen the rubber ones. Has there been some sort of TSB about this or something? Why did the part change? ...and look... it's a p**** magnet.

 

[turbosax2]

That seal is used on Evo's and works well on our cars too. The installation is the same as a rubber one, RTV on both sides.

 

[deerhunter0881]

I have the same one put it in the same rtv it, It's better they don't break like the plastic ones. Don't know why they change it.

 

[Defiant]

I see you also have a Customs Inspecting cat. Checked, cleared, marked. You may pass.

I mean... since I've polished everything else, now I have to polish a seal?!

No. Engine-turn it.

 

[Jafro]

I see you also have a Customs Inspecting cat. Checked, cleared, marked. You may pass.

Yes, Caboose thoroughly cat-scanned all of my parts when they came in. He went nuts on the Magnus packages (Canada). ...and so did I.

No. Engine-turn it.

I've always liked that finish. I don't have a drill press, though (yet). I'm just gonna polish it. Way too much other bling in there. I'll post pics when I'm done with all of it.

Edit: btw... thx guys...

That seal is used on Evo's and works well on our cars too. The installation is the same as a rubber one, RTV on both sides.

I have the same one put it in the same rtv it, It's better they don't break like the plastic ones. Don't know why they change it.

 

[DGajre777]

Old thread - but the CAPS part number for the EVO VIII aluminum half moon gasket is MD372348, in case anyone was looking (like me).

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/app...-cover-gasket-merged-7-9-a-7.html#post1847891

 

[Jafro]

Originally Posted by DGajre777
Old thread - but the CAPS part number for the EVO VIII aluminum half moon gasket is MD372348, in case anyone was looking (like me).[/IMG]

Eeyup. That's the one pictured in OEM packaging above that says MD372348 on it.

 

[Defiant]

I've always liked that finish. I don't have a drill press, though (yet).

For that small a part, you can do fine with a piece of dowel stick, toothpaste and a hand drill. The main benefit of that finish is that its diffraction covers tons of "error".

 

[Jafro]

Okay, I did it. I might be the only bastard you know who's polished a seal. Which reminds me of a joke...

So a penguin's car starts acting up and he takes it to the garage to get it looked at. While the mechanic's checking it out, the penguin goes across the street for an ice cream cone. When he finally returns from his snack, he approaches the mechanic who tells him, "It looks like you blew a seal".

"Oh no... that's just some ice cream" says the penguin while wiping off his coat.

Anyway, I happened to have an orbital sander staring me in the face with some 220 grit spray-adhesive'd to it. That made me pretty happy. 'bout 2 minutes later I was able to start sanding it with 320, then 600, then hit it with black rouge and a polishing wheel. Took all of 10 minutes. I don't know why I bitched so much about it. It came out really well.

 

[zckry]

Holy hell, you polished your entire head?!

 

[eclipseGSTud]

Wow...you did a lot of polishing. How long did it take you to do all of that? Any pics of everything in the engine bay? Caboose is a handsome cat.

 

[rayrayx411]

that engine looks nice! how long did that take you?!

 

[greengoblin]

That is really nice!!

Kevin

 

[Jafro]

Hahah. yeah I polished it. Did this to it back in '04.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

It took 2 1/2 months originally to hand-sand from 220 grit to 1200 grit, every aluminum part on the motor. After the sanding, I finished it up with a 3-stage polish using an electric DIY grinder, flannel wheels, black & white rouges. Everything down to the EGR valve was polished. Everything cast-iron was powder coated including the block. After you start this, it never ends. It's an incredible amount of maintenance.

I put 40k miles, 3 batteries and 2 alternators on it amidst some downtime from a blown center section, and then an exploded 4th gear. The battery draining took a big toll on the finish, and so did 4 years of abuse. So to go with a fresh stage 2.5 TRE tranny replacement, I pulled the motor to re-bling it and freshen up everything else. I didn't like how the $170 worth of brand new OEM fasteners all rusted up. So I even just spent another $170 on all polished SS ARP replacements for this revision. I have all the parts now that I couldn't afford to put on it the first time, and as this goes back together, this is just going to keep getting more insane.

I don't drive it in the rain. It's back to its original show finish now, but this is what it looked like after a battery drains and sits for a year...

YouTube - 2009 06 14 GSX Engine Removal & Disassembly

Caboose is a Manx. He sits, speaks, comes when you call him, and plays fetch. Best genetic mutant of a pet I've ever had! He just grabbed $15 off my desk and ran into the living room with it. Gotta go catch him.

 

[turbo addict]

Holey bloody fingers batman! that does look nice though. I would like to see some bigger better pics too.

 

[Jafro]

I had no fingerprints for a while. It was really weird. My cuticles took a beating that I remember every time I see it bling.

I'm putting the timing stuff back on it today along with the new intake manifold. Should be more YouTube videos posted soon showing the re-polish, assembly and install... but 5 critical parts aren't here and are holding that up. Water pipe, brakes, dipstick tube (currently being powder-coated) and polished aluminum COP plate & accessory pulleys. I ordered the last 2 from CI Motorsports over 6 weeks ago and they still haven't shipped. More than anything else, the water pipe is holding me back, though. Can't do anything to the front of the motor without it.

The polish job is barely on-topic, and I don't know if posting a bunch of images about it is appropriate in the thread about a seal? Seems like it would be a "look at me" kind of thing to do, and I don't want to be a douche. Unless a moderator approves? This message board needs a basement for off-topic stuff.

 

[DSMunknown]

You did all that work but kept the POS 2G IM?

 

[97 GSX 97]

JNZ told me those metal half moon seal's are all Mitsubishi actually sends out anymore because they last longer and the Evo's use them anyway. They look better... but its only a seal so I could really care less as long as it does the job.

To the OP I had a polished/shaved VC, polished Greddy UICP, and a polished Injen Intake and I think you are insane to polish everything. It is a complete pain in the dick to keep the polished look. I decided when I do it over its getting powdercoated. Sure polished looks good but its not worth the upkeep at all.

 

[Jafro]

To the OP I had a polished/shaved VC, polished Greddy UICP, and a polished Injen Intake and I think you are insane to polish everything. It is a complete pain in the dick to keep the polished look. I decided when I do it over its getting powdercoated. Sure polished looks good but its not worth the upkeep at all.

Yes, it's a pain in the dick. Worth it IMO. I won 8 show trophies in 3 shows despite rolling in on factory '95 GS alloys... including best-in-show. Many of those I won because... despite the polished finish, I still drive and race this car and I had faster timeslips than other cars competing in the shows.

I'm using ZoopSeal this time.

You did all that work but kept the POS 2G IM?

Suck it! Man, there's nothing left to upgrade but the turbo. Trust me. I'll post more pics when it's done being put back together.

 

[turbo addict]

very nice. I still want pics of the head tho;-) I had a friend that was going to school in the middle of nowhere so he polished hs tranny in his dorm room. took forever.

 

[97 GSX 97]

The previous owner polished my transmission too. That is a royal pain to maintain since it is hard to reach obviously.

 

[Jafro]

Polished the transmission? At least someone out there is sicker than me.

I would never attempt such a thing. I have considered it, but I draw the line right there. It's one thing if it were a ZF-5 bolted to a 351 Cleveland in a mid-engine'd collector car, but it's a DSM, and if there's one thing a DSM does well, it's shred transmissions. I'm on my 4th one in 40k miles. I'd be inconsolable if my polished transmission case ended up with a hole in it, and polishing it would be like teasing/begging for the car gods to strike you down. I only polish parts that I know won't break or replace, so my OFH, water pump, and alternator are factory-finished. I did polish my PS pump, though.

You can check out all the technical stuff from the build at my old picture site. Included in he '03 section, there's a few pics of the half-ounce of loose slag I knocked out of the head before the polishing began (either scraping it or knocked out with hammer/punch). 1g heads don't seem to have this casting issue, but I don't think they're superior parts, just better quality casting because Mitsu wasn't in such a hurry to make those like they were with the 2g's.

one page is here ('03): x3

and here ('04): x4

aw hell, here's '05: x5

A lot changed between '06-'09, but I sorta sucked at keeping things updated on-line through those years... but you'll get to know the basics of what I've done to it on those pages.

 

[Rogan]

Man, having two small children, I haven't seen anything that clean in a long time..

Looks great, indeed, but I'm way too old and lazy for that level of upkeep!

 

[Jafro]

Since this thread about [polishing] an oil seal has been moved to appearance/cosmetics, I thought I'd post an update. Powder coated stuff is in the mail. I just got a wallet-busting order of stuff from Summit, and included in that were all the ARP fasteners for the coil-on-plug setup. After thorough inspection, Caboose finally let me play with it.

YouTube - Manx Cat Caboose Inspecting Package

I used new coils, new-everything in its construction, with exception to the plug from my old coil pack. I did it just like the guy in this DIY thread instructed except for the wire management and I used 3/16" grommets in the wire holes rather than cut into this awesome piece of hardware.

I've just gotta say, jshuman did a phenominal job with his parts list because I was able to order all the critical components correctly the first time. What resulted came out better than I was expecting. I had to do the coil-on-plug thing with the Magnus manifold because there wasn't a good place to put my ugly 2g coil pack. I spent a LOT more on mine because of the ARP fasteners, and I couldn't get those coils locally for any less than $40 a piece. JMFabrications took their time getting it to me, but with this degree of quality, I don't mind.

 

[Defiant]

Oh, and a Manx besides. Too cool.