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!

I wouldn't mess with it Gary. I believe that's a popular spot for small blocks to leak like that.

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!

 

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. 
 

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.

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

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)

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.

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?

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.

The pattern looks like it may be coming from the front and not the rear of the engine. A good wash and baby powder.

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.
 

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.

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)