Thread: 300tdi t-seals/injected silicone

The 300tdi engine was made up to 2004 for different markets - but the 'packing strip-300tdi' - ERR319 - aka T-seal is still freely available. In the absence of information from someone who has worked on an engine with a leaking injected silicone version, or someone who has used a pressurized silicone gun, it might be a better idea to use the rubber t-seals anyway.

You still will need to drop the pan and #5 main bearing cap to see.

I can say that I used both when I did my t-seals some time ago, and it worked out fine. I use black Dow Corning 732 ( CBC bearings) and to aid assembly I smeared it all over the back of the #5 bearing cap, the face of the rear main oil seal assembly, in the t-seal grooves - most everywhere. Assembled immediately, the silicone provides some slipperiness so that the t-seals don't stretch too much. However, it is messy and fiddly that way.

Thanks langy!

I was just concerned that I would get in there and find silicone seals.
Seems like this might be unlikely, and changing to t-seals a better option anyway.

I've searched many pages of t-seal search results, read RAVE and anything else I could find, but I still have a couple of questions.

Are the better seals original Land Rover ones or aftermarket Britpart ones will do? I don't think ERR319 is correct either, I get a hose for that number.

Do you put the t-seals into the bearing cap and then slide it back in place?

Oil and grease have been mentioned for lubricating the t-seals, is this a good idea or is the silicone sealant better?
Is the Dow Corning stuff bought from CBC bearings?

For the sump, I've seen Wurth 250 mentioned as being good or recently a Toyota black sealant.

I made a gasket for my sump it's not hard and it's dry un like when I slazed it up. But my t seals were cork and real pains to fit I have some factory ones some place there rubber and should be better. Be careful with sealant you don't want it on the mating surfaces where the cap bolts to the block it will change the bearing clearance

Oops - try ERR913...

As to your questions:

t seal brand -both companies probably buy them from the same factory. Whatever is easiest to obtain wins.

installation - yep, like fitting piston rings.

oil vs silicone - everyone has their favorite ways. Silicon worked for me. ( But, as others can attest to, silicon is messy)

732 - on display at CBC ( Green tube/box)

Sump - Provided the mating surfaces on the sump are surgically clean, and you follow the RAVE instructions as to fitting and torquing, most decent brands will work. Again, 732 works for me, others like the Wurth etc.

Is it vital to torque the main bearing cap bolts to 133Nm (as I doubt my wrench goes that high), or can they just be tightened without a torque wrench?

Is it best to loctite the bolts as well?

133nm is a fair amount of torque, and bearing cap bolts are something you don't want to have to worry about - use a torque wrench. No loctite- in fact leave a little oil behind on the threads so the torque is spot on