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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Colfax California
Posts: 1,644
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Oil leak
Hello guys, I just installed a new oil pan gasket after I overfilled the engine with 30 weight and blew some out of the crank seal and valve cover. While installing a new cam I broke the oil pan gasket by prying the pan down to try and slide the one peice timing cover back in....PITA. Long story short, I got a new permadry pan gasket and after installing it, there's a small leak in the back of the engine. It never leaked from here before the new gasket went on, any ideas?
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#2 |
Senior Member
![]() ![]() Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Eagle, ID
Posts: 3,005
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Re: Oil leak
Could be a rear main seal, or a valve cover gasket. Did you replace the VC gaskets? Do you have an auto or manual trans? I have an auto and there's an inspection cover over the bottom part of the trans. There's a hole (it's supposed to be there) in that cover. There's oil that leaks out of it. So, if you have a similar setup to mine, check your inspection cover and see if there's oil coming from it.
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WARRENSBURG,MISSOURI,64093
Posts: 1,518
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Felpro makes a one piece oil pan gasket that has stiffener's imbedded in the rails to prevent the gasket from bulging out from over torque. (Not saying that's what has happened here) but this would help prevent any leaks from the mating edges of those multi part gaskets. I still put a dab of RTV in each of the four corners of the pan before I torqued it down, and so far no leaks to speak of.
Did you by chance clean the corners out with brake cleaner or other solvent before installing the new gasket? If not, could have left a path for oil to seep out. Just an idea.....HTH, Ben ![]()
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"Persistence is the twin sister of Excellence.one is a matter of quality,the other, a matter of time" ![]() “Serious Black” my 1971 Short Bed Fleetside Sold to an outstanding man in Lees Summit,Mo. “Gone, but by no means,Forgotten” |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Colfax California
Posts: 1,644
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Re: Oil leak
This started only after I changed the gasket to a FelPro one peice, so I'm wondering if I didn't clean it good enough
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#5 |
Senior Member
![]() ![]() Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Eagle, ID
Posts: 3,005
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Re: Oil leak
Could be. I have the same oil pan gasket as you are using and I have no leaks from that gasket.
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Modesto, CA
Posts: 2,188
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Re: Oil leak
Leaks are usually caused by the last thing you replaced. In this case, your pan gasket.
The Felpro 1 piece is a great gasket, stopped some leaks I had. However, there are thick, and thin front and rear gaskets, and Felpro has a 1 piece gasket for both of them, are you sure you put the right one on? |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WARRENSBURG,MISSOURI,64093
Posts: 1,518
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I guess I'm old school and have always put a dab of RTV next to the main cap and pan area,as well as around the timing cover to pan rail area. Maybe over kill, but always worked for me.
Ben ![]()
__________________
"Persistence is the twin sister of Excellence.one is a matter of quality,the other, a matter of time" ![]() “Serious Black” my 1971 Short Bed Fleetside Sold to an outstanding man in Lees Summit,Mo. “Gone, but by no means,Forgotten” |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Colfax California
Posts: 1,644
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Re: Oil leak
It's the right gasket, I think it because I didn't clean the rear crank journal or whatever it is that the oil pan gasket arches over in the back.
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Colfax California
Posts: 1,644
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Re: Oil leak
Okay so I got under it and took the larger pan bolt out, then I switched to a smaller socket and went for the first smaller bolt in the corner where it's leaking and it wasn't tight at all. If all other bolts were tight could this still have caused my leak? Or should I drop the pan, clean, and install again?
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#10 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Nevada
Posts: 7,240
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Re: Oil leak
snap, I just posted a thread on topic. Think I'll delete it add it here, though yours sounds more like an install issue or just a bad gasket.
If memory serves me, not long after the rebuild in 1993 I developed a leak. Don't know much about blocks, but it's likely the rear main. I've used Durablend 10/40 & 20/50 for as long as I remember, and really, my engine was real happy with it. Especially the 20/50. By advise of some board members I now use Mobile 1 5/30......Leaks have reduced to near nothing. Anyway, I've read of oil issues like this. Case in point. EDIT: Reading your last post, just tighten everything up even, I don't imagine a lot of torque, but I haven't replaced a pan in decades. Slowly tighten it down, and cross patterns like the heads on my Pearls (HA!). If it doesn't leak then I believe you're good to go. If it does lesson learned and you do it all over again.
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Tony 71 Custom Deluxe, SWB, 2WD, 402, A/C. I developed an assembly kit for restoring the (a) truck from the ground up. My build thread, and more on the assembly kit https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=730025 Last edited by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402; 08-17-2016 at 12:26 AM. |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: California
Posts: 971
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Re: Oil leak
Any luck mrturner? Just curious. Like I mentioned in your other post, I just finished mine... except I still have a leak! Must be the rear main but at least I know exactly what I need to do to get that pan dropped... pull the crossmember.
Did you replace the rear main seal when you had it open?
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--------------------------------------------------------- I'm not crazy, I'm chosen, there's a difference. ---------------------------- '72 K10 SWB, 350, sm465/np205 ---- ---- |
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#12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Colfax California
Posts: 1,644
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Re: Oil leak
Quote:
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#13 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Colfax California
Posts: 1,644
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Re: Oil leak
Quote:
I took the truck for a drive after tightening that pan bolt down and gave it a good 30 minutes of cruising with an occasional WOT run through all 3 gears (so fun with the new parts and exhaust lol) and I crawled under after the motor cooled a little and it was bone dry man. It looks like that bolt being loose was the problem. Where did you say yours was leaking? And when did you change the gasket. I don't know if I already said this but I use a one-peice FelPro pan gasket. It's pretty thick, blue in color and has new pan bolts included. Much better than paper or cardboard gaskets if you ask me. By the way, I didn't drop my crossmember when I changed the pan gasket, I didn't even unbolt the motor mounts I just dropped the pan down a few inches and let if rest on the crossmember, slid the gasket in from the driver side over to the passenger side, put a dab or red RTV in each of the four corners (as per your instructions when I first rebuilt this thing a year or so ago lol) and bolted the pan back up. |
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#14 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: California
Posts: 971
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Re: Oil leak
Quote:
On the leak note... all said and done, I roll mine to SF and back, check it the next morning and have a drip on dust cover. Now I don't consider it a leak unless it's made it to the garage floor but went ahead and checked pan bolts. Bigger end bolts were snugged good, although ALL the smaller ones need some good tightening! Put a few miles on it yesterday and all looks good. Wait, not all... The damn timing chain cover seal is leaking again! The strange thing is, I've got fresh oil in there and what is leaking is almost black. I'm thinking maybe it's just excess grease that was used to lube the crank during install, although I didn't use much. damnit... that one is a pita to swap, just takes time really. The good part is, I don't currently have a wife or gf so I don't need to see my neighborhood car dealer!!
__________________
--------------------------------------------------------- I'm not crazy, I'm chosen, there's a difference. ---------------------------- '72 K10 SWB, 350, sm465/np205 ---- ---- |
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