OK, I screwed up...

[patrick66]

Putting a new timing chain and gears on my '68 D100 318 this afternoon. Got it all buttoned up, other that the alternator and fuel pump and adding coolant. Look on the intake and find the damn crank oil slinger sitting there, and NOT on the crank! Talk about getting pissed!!!

I'm pissed at myself for doing this. BUT, does the engine really need this???

 

[lewtot184]

some people don't use them but i always do. if it were me i'd try it without it.

 

[zyzzyx]

It keeps the oil that's squirting out of number one main bearing from overloading the crankshaft oil seal in the timing cover. It also throws oil up to the fuel pump accentric. I Dunnow? I've been

really pissed off at myself before! I just need to know that it's together the right way. I bet you don't do that again! Sorry.

 

[patrick66]

I found a thread through Bing on Moparts.com that had three pages with the OP asking the same question...nearly 50/50 split on "yeah, you need it" to "nope, you don't need it".

 

[monaco66coupe]

I can see it being 50-50. In the end, Mopar put it there for a reason. If there is a problem later, then you will have to take it apart again. If Not a race engine, you might be fine.

I've done the same thing, it happens to everybody. Put together a beautiful 440 magnum, shiney and ready to go. I forgot the windage tray. That sucked!

 

[Daves69]

Ouch! We've all done that sort of thing at some point.

Flip a coin on the re-do!

They say practice makes perfect.

You could look at it this way. Better to leave it out than to have installed it backwards.

 

[QQBlue1]

And to think for all these years I thought I was the only one! I did the exact same thing while putting my 318 together several years ago, but after giving myself a one-way lecture, I went ahead and put it back in there . . .

 

[miller]

The slinger is the main source of keeping your timing chain oiled up. Think I'll leave it at that...

 

[patrick66]

My question is, if it were a true "slinger", where does it pick up the oil to "sling" it??? To me, it looks like it helps perform the sealing function on the crank. With the timing cover crank seal in place and doing its job; again I ask, is this a needed part??? I'm starting to get the feeling that if I'm not racing this engine, or otherwise thrashing the crap out of it, it's not. Thanks for the inputs. It's 50/50 as to whether it is an essential piece, and this was a PITA to start with. I'm gonna leave it off. I'll let you know if something happens, good or bad.

 

[miller]

My question is, if it were a true "slinger", where does it pick up the oil to "sling" it??

Really pretty simple, and effective, if you understand it. No, the slinger doesn't have anything to do with 'sealing' the front. Crank main bearings are 'open' design, meaning under oil pressure, oil flows during circulation out the front, and rear ends. Number one main creates oil 'flow' (for lack of better word) into the timing chain cover area, but only in a small area. The slinger picks up the oil, and slings it onto the timing chain. Pretty much the only way the chain gets any amount of oil.
Timing chain doesn't go down in the oil pan, so no oiling from there. And, not getting any 'splash' oil from the pan. Heck, if the oil in the pan was getting churned by the crank, it would foam real quick, and oil nothing.

You can always spit-shine that slinger...nail it to the wall...so you have it, if you need it.

Not trying to be a wiseguy, just tellin' ya.

 

[moper]

The slinger simply shields the front seal from splashing oil in the crankcase. The source of oil for the timing chain is the holes from the valley, along with either a drilled cam retainer bolt, or another "dripper" that aims oil running out and down the front of the block onto the chain. If the timing cover seal is new chances are you won't have an oil leak there anyway. I wouldn't worry about it. But it certainly has nothing to do with oiling anything - just shielding the seal from excess oil.