OIL LEAKS! How to FIND - SOLVE - PREVENT - OIL LEAKS ON YOUR ENGINE!
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- How much do you hate oil dripping from your muscle car or hotrod?
In this video I discuss how you can find oil leaks, the causes, and how to solve, and prevent them.
I demonstrate this on a SBC Chevrolet Engine but the process is similar for all makes, Mopar, Ford, Pontiac, Buick Etc.
#automobile #chevy #sbc #350 - Auta a dopravní prostředky
We called them Y BLOCKS.
Thanks for reminding me David. I just couldn't recall it in the moment. i thought it was a rocket.AG
@@goldsgarage8236 dont they have the intake ports laying down. I think an idea that didnt work out.
My experience with harmonic balancer that the seal surface is worn so is the rubber so it gets replaced. Speedy sleeves definitely have there place thou. Thanks as always.
Good point, thanks Benn.AG
A couple of additional points for sheet metal cover If your reusing them make sure flanges are flat and the bolt holes are not distorted Use a level on the rail to check flat ness Use a body hammer to straighten Also torque the fasteners to spec when in doubt 12" lbs. on most 3/16 fasteners. If that seems excessive consider your reputation, a leak will lead to no oil, no one wants a leaker, if its a coemption engine an oil leak is guaranteed to get you thrown out, How do you know its only a small leak? Having oil under your tires isn't fun! We use a dye that you can use in any component engine, trans etc. and a black light it does a remarkable job of showing the leaks
Thanks for the tips Truck.AG
Happy Canada Day Allen Gold, and all other Canadians !!
Thank you Alleyoop. And happy 4th of July coming up soon to you and all my USA viewers.AG
Good Topic Alan, always honing the skills on sealing up the engines.
Sealants and procedures have changed over the years.
Silicone on the China wall is good as long as its not to thick.
If a seal will fit I use it sometimes.
Can make for a more stable seal.
Sometimes if you can get a better pan gasket, valve cover gasket it is worth the investment.
I never use plain silicone .
Usually ultra or the gray.
Have a good evening. 👍
All good info and nice to hear from you Ed.AG
All good info Gold. I've been doing this 25 years, and what I've found to cause a lot of leaks is a poorly operating PCV system. ME Wagner has the solution for excessive pressure in the crankcase.
As fa4 as leaks....UV dye never lies.
“Gold’s ‘graaage’ “ 😂
Thats a nice old Ford with the Y engine I would not mess with you about that. 🙂
Thanks Allan, i just couldn't remember the "Y" block in the moment. AG
Time is an important factor also.... Take your time, stay focused, don't rush, do the right sequence. As of now, sealing up my sbc builds take about 3-5 days of work.... That's when I started processing with this issue.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Good thoughts. AG
Thank you for the engine sealing tips and reminders, Alan. Unfortunately, the down side is our high performance powerplants will no longer be able to mark their territory. 😂 Seriously, good info as usual!
Thanks Bill, good point. AG
Hey AG,
Tim here, yea, for my Poncho's i use the BOP seal.....no more rope seal......i've STILL had them seep.....frustrates me, but its better than the oem rope......plus reduces drag......i dont know of a bonafide tried and true rear main for our old Gen 1 blocks.... all i know is that the BOP Engineering seal for a Poncho is AWESOME compared to the rope seal.....GREAT vid, of a tuff subject.. TY sir!!
Good to hear from you Tim. AG
Years ago I rebuilt a 69 DZ302 with roller rockers. It took a lot of work to make those rockers fit under the factory aluminum valve covers. I used a Mr Gasket set of extra thick valve cover gaskets. The motor developed an oil leak and it took me a while to discover that those thick VC gaskets were actually 4 seperate pieces glued together....My Joe Gibbs Oil seemed to be attacking the adhesive that held the cork composite gasket sections together. When I use RTV on China Walls I take a punch or chisel to the smooth sealing surfaces and create a diamond cross hatch pattern to give the RTV a better surface to grip....Do the same to the bottom of the intake manifold.
Thanks for the info and tips EJ. AG
hehe remove that High pressure oil pump!
Thanks for the tip of the. China walls have given me trouble. Cheers.
Thanks for the comment Ms. Katie. AG
Hello Allen good to see this. I learned from this thank you. I remember when I first bought my 1976 firebird project car. It leaked so bad not only oil but everything else. I named it lake Pontiac because it left a puddle in my carport. Its down to a small drip now and still battling the rear main seal.
Thanks for your comments Christopher. AG
Thank you for answering my question about the Z-28 exhaust system. I enjoy your channel, thank you for sharing your wisdom.
You are welcome, thanks for watching.AG
Thank you for the lesson.
Thank you for watching and commenting. AG
Great topic AG. We all dread the infamous oil leak challenge. Keep up the great video content..👍👍👍
Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed it. AG
Good stuff AG. (-:
For valve covers that require frequent removal for clearance checks etc., I just glue the gasket into the valve cover with none on the head.
For tracing the source of external oil or coolant leaks, I will clean them up and dry completely and then run for a short period of time and then sprinkle on baby powder or corn starch, which ever you can sneak out of the house (-; and look for trails from the source, before wind and gravity come to confuse things. As you mentioned in the video movement of oil can trick you.
That is a great tip Marcus, I never thought of that. Thanks. AG
It might be overkill, but I treat plastic tubing on mechanical oil pressure gauges like belts: they get replaced at the 5 year mark. Trouble is, those fittings are not reusable - once crushed, the ferrule is never going on anything else.
Good preventive maintenance, thanks for the tip Flinch. AG
Good information.
Thanks Bob. AG
There is a product for the rear main seal crankshaft it is called ready sleeve I believe it is a metal sleeve that fits over the rear of the crankshaft
Thanks Bo! That is news to me. How does it work? AG
@goldsgarage8236 fits over the crankshaft hub really thin sleeve has to be evenly tapped on works good.
the ford thing is for fun. I have had many brands my first car was a ford 1956 two door ranch wagon 312 Y- block a friend and i built an engine for it had factory power windows believe it or not, by the way I was fifteen and had no license. never was stopped. thanks injoy the flow videos.
Thanks Gordon, sounds like we had similar experiences in our youth, only you didn't get caught.AG
Thanks for another good video. I always thought the way to go with an oil pressure gauge was to go to an electrical gauge. There could be a leak at the sending unit BUT with a mechanical gauge the plastic line will get brittle with age and leak and the copper line can also fatigue with age.
Thanks 4speed. Electrical gauges don't leak but they can fail. AG
Before putting sealant on the china wall, set the intake manifold in place and observe the gap. Youd of course want the intake gaskets set in place when doing it. Seeing the actual gap would prevent guys from putting on an excessive bead of silicone.
What type of gasket do you use on the oil drain plug. Ive just used the blue or green plastic ones, but they feel cheap. I had one crack once, then started replacing it every oil change.
Thanks Randy, I have just used the standard gaskets with no issues so far anyway. AG
Thanks man
Thanks for watching and commenting Bill. AG
@@goldsgarage8236 really enjoy your show! I’m over the road truck driver and I watch when I can!
Here's another trick that never fails, I use wheel bearing grease on the front and rear main seals for an added layer of oil stopping power. It has to be the high temp wheel bearing grease because the all purpose grease would just melt off.
I pack it behind the V groove that faces in and on the surface the crank rides on for both ends. Being high temp grease rated for higher temperatures that oil usually doesn't gets to it won't melt away. Plus you should never install a dry seal, it should always be lubricated. I have seen Al use assembly grease there which is fine but it will melt and oil will find it's way there. The question is will it stay on the side you want it to?🤔😎👍
That is a good method, thanks for the input IEGTWOIN.AG
Short video Idea for you..
What and when do you re-use gaskets. I've done it a lot with mostly good results..
Thanks for the suggestion frank.AG
I'm going to add one very important rule to gaskets, never ever ever ever ever ever use former gasket on gaskets weather paper or cork if you got to use something on gasket use aviation permatex or are they used to have that spray stuff. Remember former gasket is only to be used when there's no gasket being used it can be used with rubber gaskets only. If you want your paper or cork gaskets to turn the mush then use aviation permatex and see how long it will last. You have a leaky mush on your hands.
Good points, thanks for the input Paul.AG
second view!
My 96 Chev truck had a oil leak when the connecting rod punched through the oil pan. My 85 Chev truck had the same problem.
The new reusable gaskets are the way to go.
That will do it every time, thanks for the comment.AG
Mr Gold your first car had a Y block Ford engine.
Great, thanks for reminding me. i thought it was a rocket.AG
Ford, GM, Chrystler, are all ok. if you drove a Honda Ridgeline.... well then i would make fun of you. just kidding, Toyota and Honda make good cars too, they are just not a cool as the old American cars. Anyway, All the old engines leaked, from my experience, what i usually find the fallowing things cause leaks.
1. the rear main seal. most of these old cranks are worn where the main seal touch's the crank to the point that no rear main seal will seal it like you said.
2. more on the rear main seal. most people install the seal offset like you showed. IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO SEAL LIKE THAT! they are designed like a main or rod bearing, with a certain amount of crush built into it, so when the main cap is torqued, the seal becomes round and seals better. on the Big Block Chevy's i build, i use GTS racing seals on all of them. they are a 1-piece seal designed to fit a 2-piece seal block. and they only have 1 slit in them to install over the crank, and i put it at the top of the block.
3. the front seal is the same as you said. and i use that on number matching rebuilds, if it doesn't have to be numbers matching, then i use a new balancer every time. the balancer is one of the most overlooked parts on building an engine.
4. on big block chevys, all the aftermarket stamped steal timing chain covers have a center hole at the bottom gasket that is punched too big and will not seal completely with any pan gasket on the market. avoid them all. if you have to have the stamped steal cover, then either use a factory cover or have an aftermarket cover welded up.
5. the once piece pan gaskets from Fel-Pro suck. they are too thick in the front timing cover area and will not compress properly and will leak in the corners where the pan meets the front cover. I have switch to Cometic and Mr Gasket for one piece gasket.
6. on small blocks, some times the front engine mount holes that were used for mounting in 55-57 chevys will sometimes go all the say through the block behind the fuel pump pad and leak there. use thread sealer on a short bolt and tighten it down to 25LBF to prevent a leak. just like you showed in the video, but check all 4 of the holes, sometime more than one will go all the way through. don't use RTV or it could push into the block and end up in the oil pump pickup, ask me how i know.
6. while on the subject of gaskets, Fel-pro's Quality has fallen off drastically over the last 20+ years. I used to use nothing but Fel-Pro, but switched to Cometic and Mr. Gasket. on some of them the bolt hole doesn't line up properly or the intake ports don't line up properly. at first I thought it was the intake port shifting in the casting, but it turns out the gaskets were not correct.
7. Cork gaskets are not designed to be used with RTV. you need to use a gasket sealer/glue like Permatex High-Tack, or Gasgacinch or the old Indian Head gasket shellac compound. if you don't use it on cork gaskets, they will move and not compress properly, and you will get a leak.
8. Valve Cover Gaskets have always been an issue. I use the rubber type on anything that a machined surface, like most aftermarket heads, but the rubber ones will not seal properly on a cast iron head with the cast iron valve cover sealing surface. you need cork for than. the trick to using cork is to use the Indian Head gasket shellac to hold the gasket in place on the valve cover side of the gasket. wait for it to dry and then install them. also, the Stamped valve cover can be over tightened and warp during install, or the owner leave out the tringle torque spreaders then they can still leak. I prefer a cast aluminum valve cover, if possible, like the old Cal Customs, the old Mickey Thompson M/T on big blocks or the factory Z/28 and corvette valve covers. any aftermarket valve cove is better than a factory stamped cover. I only use factory stamped covers on numbers matching restores, other than that, there is no reason to use them. the cast covers are so cheap these days it makes no sense to use a stamped valve cover. also tightening them to the proper torque is also important. the factory manual say 5-6 FT/LBS. to little and it will leak, to tight and it will distort the valve cover. I use a very small 1/4inch - inch/pound torque wrench set to 66 inch lbs. you can over torque them by just using a standard open end wrench.
9. i also use Indian Head Shellac on all the other paper gaskets, like the timing cover, distributer gasket, water pump gasket, thermostat gasket and carb gasket. it makes tear down and repair a pain in the butt if you have to take it apart, but i get no leaks when using it.
10. lastly, not related to oil but i hate exhaust leaks. if you are running headers, don't use paper/card board style gaskets, get the copper or aluminum ones for both the flange and the collector. paper in short order. the copper and aluminum ones will last far longer. also torque them to spec, bring the engine up to temp, retorque them again, then drive it for 20 miles and then retorque them a 3rd time. you will be surprised how much they will loosen up. also its a good idea to run a bolt like the stage 8 locking header bolts.
Wow! Lots of great information, thanks for taking the time Shad. AG
Y block
Thanks Ben, just couldn't think of it in the moment.AG
I think rope seals are not compatible with full synthetic oil and the detergents wash the graphite out and then leak. I think they were good on low rpm engines of 1940 and 50s that used non detergent like my dad's old 1954 Chevy Bel Air 235 cu in straight six
Thanks for your comments Christopher. i have no personal experience with rope seals. AG
I would think you would be driving a 1967 to 1972 chevy truck
Thanks Glenn, got it now. AG
Mr. G. Question for you regarding an oi leak.
I've an old MSD distributor with a new nitrided cam gear. That's to go with the billet cam from Jones. He spec'd the whole deal.
What I found was that the previous stack up of washers between the gear and the distributor housing didn't allow the distributor to seat fully on the block. This created a gap that resulted in a leak. I've removed a shim in the stack up (from .060" then to about .030" now) however the fitment between the block and dist. is still loose despite being properly torqued.
Have you come across this and if you did, what was your remedy? Might it be that a little run time will bed the two new components together and sort of rectify itself?
If that description makes sense, I look forward to your reply.
Thanks as always Alan. Kevin
Thicker or double gaskets?
Thanks for the question Kevin. i have not experienced this, however i don't think it will go away. Also, when you torque it down you will be putting pressure between the cam and distributor gear, taking away all the backlash as well. This may damage the gear or cam or both. I would suggest re-checking all the dimensions including the new distributor gear, comparing it with the old gear for example. Hope this helps. AG
@@goldsgarage8236 I suspect you may be right. I've never experienced it either. Never even gave it a 2nd thought actually. This time around there's obviously a stack up issue. That's the only leak so far in this latest SBC build. More to follow.
@@hardtail-gy8dk Single distributor gasket with a FelPro 1255 .060" intake gasket.
Loose oil filter !
Thanks Tom, for sure, just didn't think of that although i have experienced it.AG
I have sealed up timing covers and oil pans no gasket black rtv. No oil leaks..
thanks Eric. AG
Y- block ford V8
Thanks Glenn. It just didn't come to me in the moment.AG
How to find the leaks or how to address the leaks?
I have no issue with rope seals, they work fine for me.
That's great captain, I just don't have much experience with them.AG
Chevy 350 dirt engine angle milled heads 202-165 raised .050 up from dowel pins weiand single Plaine manifold excessive china wall clearance 1/4'' to 5/16 what do you do rtv or weld intake. let me know pat m
Thanks Patrick. How about use the cork gasket to take up some of the gap, then fill the rest with RTV? AG
@@goldsgarage8236 Ok will try thanks
I knew a guy who used to paint his engines black so he didn't have to see oil leaks. What a craftsman. 😂
That's a different approach for sure, thanks for the comment.AG
Funny you should say that. My engine is painted black as that's OEM (86 SBC). At this stage of the game, although it looks pretty sharp, leaks are hard to trace.
After assembly shoot it with Flex Seal spray. 😂
@@randywl8925Cool, that means I can use window screen for gaskets. 😂
@@allhailinternalcombustion only the aluminum screen. 😁
All old 2 piece rear seals SBC leck, i fixed it 4 Times and it leaked again...than i bought Bars lecak fix and that shit stoppen 4 ever
Thanks for the info Haff. AG
MG? Why did the Brits never make computers? Couldn’t figure out how to make them leak oil!
That's a good one, are you watching Alex? AG
I hate leaks 😂 my old Corvette has a new block all new silicon gaskets and still drips 😂 my 2003 nissan 350Z has zero on original gaskets 😂
Thanks Marcus, leaks are frustrating. AG
I’m very triggered by the term “Chev”. It takes all the teeth out of that awesome name, and sounds strange.
Thanks for your thoughts. AG
Y block
Got it, thanks John.. AG