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OK, I have this persistent little fluid leak that I think I want to fix. I originally thought it was from the intake manifold so I purchased gaskets and such to pull the manifold and reseal. I cleaned up the area getting ready for the manifold pull and I saw a little bubble of fluid rising up from the gasket behind the timing chain cover. Poop, keyrap, etc were the words I used. My question is; how hard is it to reseal the oil pan when when just pulling the timing cover?
I loathe doing this little job as I hate fluids, especially coolant.
I tightened to bolts and I am sure they are over torqued which stopped the leak at first. It only leaks when cold and never much more than is in the picture. I have never had to add coolant.
Should I fix or not?
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BTW, that is six months of coolant buildup.
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If what I see in the picture represents 6 months of leakage and you've never had to add coolant, I'd wipe it clean and forget about it for another six months!
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Or wait until you paint it. Till then it doesn't matter till the paint gets messed up by the coolant.
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I wouldn't mess with it Gary. I believe that's a popular spot for small blocks to leak like that.
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rpm wrote:
I wouldn't mess with it Gary. I believe that's a popular spot for small blocks to leak like that.
Must be...ours used to do about what you see. After the last heads/cam go around it's almost not leaking....almost.
I like rhutt's idea of going six months...or at least until after the Bash. Then check it every six months or so.
Or....do what I did to stop my danged brass freeze plug weeping: Three heaping tablespoons full of Smart & Final's finest black pepper. Been good since before the FWB trip.
BB
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The consensus is to leave it alone and monitor. That is what I have been doing. I'm a little leery of the black powder fix. Will FFFF work? Oh never mind black Pepper!
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Black powder would render a permanent solution of a kind...
I also would not mess with it. Oil pan, front drives, water pump, and timing cover all have to come off. To save my back I might just pull the engine. Yeah, not worth it IMO.
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TKOPerformance wrote:
Black powder would render a permanent solution of a kind...
I also would not mess with it. Oil pan, front drives, water pump, and timing cover all have to come off. To save my back I might just pull the engine. Yeah, not worth it IMO.
My wife knows that my favorite way to solve a problem is with a large explosion. She rolls her eyes and says "Boys will be boys". How true. I still like blowing up stuff in my 60's.
I have decided to follow the wisdom of the forum. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Seriously, I was not very inclined to pull the front of the engine off for no other reason than to fix a tiny leak. I may do it if do a cam change but she runs so well up here at 8500'. She does run out of breath at 5K rpm but pulls so nice in the lower end. I want the best of both worlds; low end and life above 5K rpm.
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That's an easy one: Turbo.
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I just cleaned up the same area on my engine and after a trip around the big block I could hear it ssssss. It wasn't the timing cover it was the thermostat housing squirting a very thin thread size stream right into the timing cover water cavity. I installed a Mr Gasket thermostat gasket with the silicone rubber seal built into it. I would suggest pressurize the cooling system and verify the location of the leak. Your gonna hafta pull the damper if you have to pull that cover.
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Yo Gary, I was looking over my pita oil leaking motor tonight, and saw this. It's like a club thing.
Last edited by rpm (4/01/2019 11:37 PM)
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Bob; Still leaking oil? It's been two years since FWB. Fix that sucker. You gonna be bringing up the arse end again goin' to Clinton? I mean, it's a SBF...how hard can it be to make it stop gushing oil?
BB
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Many times, corrosion in the aluminum cover erodes it so bad it cannot seal. All my engines have new timing covers to restore enough surface area for them to seal. Dorman makes one available wt Oareilly’s for under $100.. i would PLAN ON A NEW ONE, and have one waiting at the store in case you need it, and hope you get lucky and do not need it.
Some covers are bad enough they leak through the coolant passage wall. Just be prepared in case you may need to replace it.
Use gasket adhesive, paper thin to glue the gasket to the block so it cannot move. Then a paper thin layer or rtv on the timing cover. Bolt it up tight and forget it. The new gasket set comes with the small sections of pan gasket. Glue them to the timing cover, then use rtv between the gasket and pan. Use rtv only on the radius in front of the pan.
The good thing about getting a new timing cover is the balancer seal is the newer type that can be removed/installed from the outside, without having to pull the cover to get to it.
Consider installing a harmonic balancer repair sleeve WYAIT. It will make the seal fit better.
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Bullet Bob wrote:
Bob; Still leaking oil? It's been two years since FWB. Fix that sucker. You gonna be bringing up the arse end again goin' to Clinton? I mean, it's a SBF...how hard can it be to make it stop gushing oil?
BB
Ya, no kidding. Multiple rear seals, Felpro and Cometic, and the MS RTV only trick on the pan, 2 different brand one piece pan gaskets, and it still leaks.
But it only makes a mess when driven at speed. I can idle it while parked, and even take it up to 2k rpm and it will only leak a minor amount, and minor leakage on the floor after shutting it off.
When taken up to speed, the oil goes all over the headers and floor, and leaks a bunch after shutting it off. Those headers were freshly painted before taking it on a 10 mile run.
I'm at my wits' end.
Last edited by rpm (4/02/2019 8:41 AM)
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Take it to the coin-op truck wash. Get it up in the air and wash it real good. Then let it dry and spray it with MustangSteve's favorite...Jock Itch powder. THEN drive it home and crawl under and over it.
Doesn't look like there's any oil on the front side of the flex plate so that would eliminate the cam plug or rear oil gallery plugs. Rear of the manifold. Front crank seal. That fancy-axxed pan of your's gots a bad weld. Either or both rocker covers. Timing chain cover.
Sorry bud, that sux...
BB
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Bullet Bob wrote:
Take it to the coin-op truck wash. Get it up in the air and wash it real good. Then let it dry and spray it with MustangSteve's favorite...Jock Itch powder. THEN drive it home and crawl under and over it.
Doesn't look like there's any oil on the front side of the flex plate so that would eliminate the cam plug or rear oil gallery plugs. Rear of the manifold. Front crank seal. That fancy-axxed pan of your's gots a bad weld. Either or both rocker covers. Timing chain cover.
Sorry bud, that sux...
BB
Naaah... There is a much easier fix for that oil leak.
See that pan on the floor under it? Take a 1/4" drill and drill a bunch of perimeter holes as high up on the pan wall as you can get them. Then take some bailing wire and wire that sucker up to the bottom of the car frame. That will stop any leaks showing up on your garage floor. And, oh... don't forget to attach the front of the pan to your tie rods so that when you corner, any accumulation will get dumped on the roadway and not in your garage.
I feel your pain! My 427's rear main seal is leaking again. Replaced about 1,000 miles ago. Total miles on engine, about 16,000. It has a one piece seal.
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As BB mentioned black pepper is a common PA redneck remedy for coolant leaks worst than that.
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rpm wrote:
Bullet Bob wrote:
Bob; Still leaking oil? It's been two years since FWB. Fix that sucker. You gonna be bringing up the arse end again goin' to Clinton? I mean, it's a SBF...how hard can it be to make it stop gushing oil?
BBYa, no kidding. Multiple rear seals, Felpro and Cometic, and the MS RTV only trick on the pan, 2 different brand one piece pan gaskets, and it still leaks.
But it only makes a mess when driven at speed. I can idle it while parked, and even take it up to 2k rpm and it will only leak a minor amount, and minor leakage on the floor after shutting it off.
When taken up to speed, the oil goes all over the headers and floor, and leaks a bunch after shutting it off. Those headers were freshly painted before taking it on a 10 mile run.
I'm at my wits' end.
The pattern looks like it may be coming from the front and not the rear of the engine. A good wash and baby powder.
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HudginJ3 wrote:
I just cleaned up the same area on my engine and after a trip around the big block I could hear it ssssss. It wasn't the timing cover it was the thermostat housing squirting a very thin thread size stream right into the timing cover water cavity. I installed a Mr Gasket thermostat gasket with the silicone rubber seal built into it. I would suggest pressurize the cooling system and verify the location of the leak. Your gonna hafta pull the damper if you have to pull that cover.
I replaced the thermo housing a year ago for the same reason. I purchased a MR G housing and it leaked worse so I ponied up and bought a repo thru NPD. That leak is now gone.
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MS wrote:
Many times, corrosion in the aluminum cover erodes it so bad it cannot seal. All my engines have new timing covers to restore enough surface area for them to seal. Dorman makes one available wt Oareilly’s for under $100.. i would PLAN ON A NEW ONE, and have one waiting at the store in case you need it, and hope you get lucky and do not need it.
Some covers are bad enough they leak through the coolant passage wall. Just be prepared in case you may need to replace it.
Use gasket adhesive, paper thin to glue the gasket to the block so it cannot move. Then a paper thin layer or rtv on the timing cover. Bolt it up tight and forget it. The new gasket set comes with the small sections of pan gasket. Glue them to the timing cover, then use rtv between the gasket and pan. Use rtv only on the radius in front of the pan.
The good thing about getting a new timing cover is the balancer seal is the newer type that can be removed/installed from the outside, without having to pull the cover to get to it.
Consider installing a harmonic balancer repair sleeve WYAIT. It will make the seal fit better.
Steve, I have to agree with you on the corrosion issue. Them parts are 50+ years old and were never designed to last this long. I think I'll pick up a new cover over the summer and replace it next winter when the snow is back. Balancer is pretty new but a sleeve would definitely be in order.
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MS wrote:
I feel your pain! My 427's rear main seal is leaking again. Replaced about 1,000 miles ago. Total miles on engine, about 16,000. It has a one piece seal.
And I was about to tear down the motor to have the crank machined for a one piece seal.
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RV6 wrote:
The pattern looks like it may be coming from the front and not the rear of the engine. A good wash and baby powder.
I've done the good wash and foot powder spray deal a couple of times. Some spray powder is still visible, but goes away when oil hits it. Furthest forward the oil gets is the steering center link.
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rpm wrote:
RV6 wrote:
The pattern looks like it may be coming from the front and not the rear of the engine. A good wash and baby powder.
I've done the good wash and foot powder spray deal a couple of times. Some spray powder is still visible, but goes away when oil hits it. Furthest forward the oil gets is the steering center link.
I know how to stop the leak! Drain the oil!!! Seriously though, it gets on the steering link so it has to be forward of the rear main. The only thing that drips on mine is the oil drain plug which I should have fixed last time the pan was off. Granted I have seeps but not leaks. Have you checked the drain plug, dip stick tube, oil pan, oil pressure sending unit, crankcase vent, intake manifold, valve covers, timing chain cover, front seal, oil filter? BTW, Wix makes great filters!
Last edited by RV6 (4/02/2019 1:53 PM)
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RPM,
Your drivers side header has some serious junk draining down on it. Gotta be the valve cover gasket or oil plug on the back of the head.
Last edited by RV6 (4/02/2019 1:54 PM)
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