Oil Slinger or Not

I bought a new timing cover from mustangs unlimited and when I tried fitting it to the block it would not go all the way against it because the oil slinger was holding it out. I have heard that it is not necessary to put it back on but I figured that ford put it on for some reason. What should I do about this? I planned on getting a lot done on my motor over memorial weekend but I am stuck until I figure this out! Will it be okay without it? Will it cause it to leak? Does anyone out there have an earlier engine without this piece? I apperciate any input I can get.  

I have an aftermarket cover on my 351W and mine fits but I put the slinger on just to keep oil from splashing against the seal. You can call JGM 661-257-0101 on tuesday and ask Jim or Jeff if its necassary , this shop does the highest quialty machine work in the Los Angeles Ca. area and whats best is Jim the owner and head engine builder is a FORD man !!! He's got a set of John Kasse Boss 429 heads for an engine he's building,ask this guy about the oil slinger.  

Sure you can run without the oil slinger, its not gonna make it spew oil out or puke or anything. Oil vaporizes and gets thrown around, you might wind up with a little film outside your seal it wont be catastrophic or anything. There are thousands of Fords out there without it. I always try to put them in, because it helps the seal, but I would still sleep at night if I forgot it.  

So you wouldnt go through the trouble of returning the cover and getting another one? Just wanted to make sure. You know - a lot of money and a lot of time.  

If I bought a timing cover that wasn't right I would return it even if I wasn't going to use the slinger cause if I buy an aftermarket cover I expect it to be made correctly unless I know it's made differently before I buy it. If it was mail ordered I would demand that the company send me a prepaid shipping label and ship the replacement item at their expense after all it ain't my fault somebody else designed it wrong !  

Just thought of something else ,the pinion-axle-transmission seals are subject to at least the same splash as the harmonic balancer seal so I dont see a problem with the seal itself ,when I replace my timing chain I will leave it out.  

Do you have the stock single row timing chain or did you or someone else put in a double row aftermarket timing chain and sprocket?
If it has a double chain then leave the slinger ring off. There may not be enough room with that wider lower cam sprocket in there.
Don't worry about the slinger. It was just menat to splash oil but it was overkill.
The cam chain and sprokets get plenty of oil from slosh, spray, and return oil flow. The Hipo motor didn't have one since it had a crank counter wieght there instead.  

That makes sense. I have a cloyes double roller timing set. That is why the slinger wouldnt fit so I left it off.  I got my timing cover, water pump, and oil pan on. it is starting to look good.  

My 289 has 903,000 miles on it and is on it's 3rd rebuild (running like a top thank you very much). I did the second rebuild myself and came across the same problem you did. So, I just left off the oil slinger. It ran about 210,000 miles perfectly without an oil slinger. It now has the oil slinger back on (with a different timing cover) since it's 3rd rebuild and runs no different than it did without it. I am at about 185k miles since the 3rd rebuild.  

What does this mustang with 903000 miles on it look like? That has to be some kind of record. How many times has the block been bored? You might need to find a new one next time.  

If I knew how to upload pictures I would, but my '66 looks basically brand new. I replace items and upgrade items continuously in order to keep it running and looking new. It's just a '66 coupe with pony interior, but most people who see it think it's a car that only gets pulled out in sunny weather, which is far from the truth. It gets driven daily as my main driver since my dad passed it on to me around 1985. So, I have driven it about 25k per year since then.

I continously add to my collection of NOS parts to continously replace everything from wiper arms to bumpers when they start to look anything other than new. Mustang City in Belmont always like to take my cast-offs since he says what I replace people want to buy. I decided many years ago that in order to continue to drive the car continously and have it look nice I would have to do these things.

Here's just a smattering of what has been replaced or added to this car to keep it going as new or better:

-TankArmor over the gas tank
-steel divider between backseat and trunk
-SSBC front discs with dual power MC
-GearVendors 4 speed automatic overdrive
-TMI Sport Seats with headrest kit from NPD (red pony interior)
-Styled Steel wheels (original set from Dallas Mustang) with NOS trim rings
-Dual Red Bands from Coker Tire
-Pony Carburetors Autolite 4100 (concours plating)
-Autolite battery
-Pertronix II electronic ignition
-Flaming River gearbox
-restored Rally Pak with rebuilt tach by the TachMan and quartz clock conversion
-subframe connectors from Global West
-NOS headlight warning buzzer
-vintage ARA cruise control (replaces turn signal stalk)
-NOS seat belt warning light
-NOS parking brake warning light
-NOS ashtray light
-seatbelts restored by SSnake-Oyl
-disc brake dust shields (to keep the NOS trim rings clean)
-NOS visor mirror (inset into visor rather than just glued on)
-windage tray inside oil pan
-correct logo reproduction hoses, belts, clamps, oil filter (replaced as needed)
-restored original black-and-yellow California plates
-sequential LED tail lights from North West Mustang
-Edelbrock's new variable rate shocks
-cylindrical SS coolant overflow collector from Mustangs Plus
-export brace
-roller bearing spring perches
-NOS 8-Track face plate milled to fit NIB Kenwood KRC-3006 (10 disc CD changer in trunk)
-NOS trunk release
-real hand-rubbed walnut on restored steering wheel
-front and rear springs from Mustangs Plus
-real walnut veneer to replace original metal-backed vinyl on dash and glovebox
-locking glove box
-intermittent wiper switch
-trunk/utility light
-humphugger console
-SS braided brake lines
-SS wheel well trim from Mustang City of Belmont
-Dealer-installed A/C with FoMoCo bracket (which puts compressor on passenger side)
-SS door thresholds with NOS SS accessory plates
-HIPO exhaust manifolds - w/heat boss on passenger side to work factory automatic choke
-rebuilt and re-curved NOS distributor

The following is being done next month over a span of 3 days:

-Dynmat and Quite-Sheild the entire car (gutting the interior to do so)
-installing NOS gauges in instrument cluster (checked over by AutoInstruments)
-installing '67 dash harness plug in my 66 harness (to ease removal of cluster)
-install L.E.D. dash lights and Rally-Pac lights from Mustang Project
-replacing console with complete restored console from NOS parts
-replacing door hinges with roller bearing hinge pins w/zerk fittings
-replace all engine harnesses, ignition wires, coil, plug wires, cap, plugs, etc.
-install NOS rear window defroster with matching dash knob
-install roller bearing upper control arms


And yes, the block will not make it thru another rebuild. I runs perfectly, but will probably last only another 100k (it has about 140k on it now since last rebuild). At that point I will be searching for a new block. I may or may not put on 302 heads at that point to alleviate some of the problems that the 289 heads had with the rocker arms, but then again is there really any "problem" if the engine gets 250k before needing to be rebuilt.

Oh well, at least it keeps me interested and wanting to find a 1966 Tiger to start all over again on.