isosceles

Leaking where the oil pan meets the timing cover. HOW CAN I GET THIS TO SEAL?

I bought a new timing cover, an almost new pan, and the Felpro one piece oil pan gasket. I put a little RTV in the corners of the timing cover/pan junction like it said. Timing cover and seal are new, so is balancer. Oil doesn't appear to be running down from there.

Any tips? Should I glob on more RTV all the way around the bottom of the front cover? It STILL leaks!

70LT-1

I had the same problem with my car. I also used the one piece fel-pro gasket and mine leaked when the car was parked. I( know this sounds a little ghetto but I used a block of wood and a floor jack to bend the pan lip up a very little bit(just to some more pressure on the seal) I did loosen the front bolts. It did stop my leak

GasketDude

Is your new timing cover chrome? Sometimes the chrome effects the sealing of the front molded in seal of the gasket. The chrome is so smooth (even on the cheap chromed covers) that the seal moves around or folds over and creates a leak path. This is one of those times where surface finish is important for a proper seal.

Using a bench grinder or die grinder with a wire wheel/end brush, lightly buff up/off the chrome at the front seal area along with the timing cover gasket surface. This trick works on the chrome timing cover plate also.

Make sure the pan is "flat" along the side rails. Use a body hammer and a piece of steel and flatten at each bolt hole.

But first inspect the passenger side front of the engine, just in front of the fuel pump. There is a bolt there that oil can leak from. Remove this bolt and put sealer on the threads and re-install. This bolt goes into the fuel pump/rod actuator portion of the block and is lubed with oil. Some times these are removed and a longer bolt is used to secure the fuel pump rod during fuel pump swaps. Usually re-installed w/o adequate sealer.

Which Fel-Pro gasket did you use? There's the hi-perf, and then there's the aftermarket stock retro fit. If your is mostly stock, normally stick with the 2nd model.

Do not use more RTV! "Only a Dap will do ya" at all four corners.

Good Luck,

Ex-GasketDude
(Fel-Pro)

Brettmc

All good suggestions. Also, don't drive it for a day or two to let the oil drain away from the leak. Then clean the area where it's leaking and apply a goodly amount of rtv.

Brett

isosceles

I used the neato one peice blue silicone model.

and yes, I have a nearly new, nice and flat, chrome oil pan, (THANKS GLENSGAGES!) AND a chrome timing cover.

These are good suggestions above. I'll try them tomorrow, thanks!

Glensgages

Oh.... THAT'S it, huh?


Blame ME for the oil leak.....

isosceles

No way! I expect to gain .003 or so in ET from the decreased wind resistance.

Update: The leak is coming from the very bottom of the joint where the timing cover meets the pan.

I tried jacking the lip up as suggested and also carefully prying on a block of wood between the balance and lower lip of the timng cover, but neither worked. It drips a drop about once every 7-10 seconds while running. This is not a small leak.

tomorrow I'll try dropping the pan and some of the other suggestions above.

Jughead

Chrome oil pans have been a common source of leaks here on the forum.

Uncle Ralphy

I had the same problem with my '73 after rebuilding the engine, with new pan gaskets of course. Found out later that the pan was not the original 1973 pan but a 1975 version. It uses a slightly thicker gasket at the front. Once I used the right gasket, no problems.

Al

72rdstr

This is a pretty common cause of leaks in this area and your rate sounds about right for leaking at idle (don't ask how I know).

GasketDude

I already replied to your PM about this. I think you have the wrong gasket for the chrome stuff. The "fits all SBC" syndrome bites another one in the a**. Try the other gasket instead, like Uncle Ralphy's reply, it's thicker at the front seal. Otherwise they're the same. You also have a choice between the Hi-Perf or the Perma-Dry line depending on what's in stock. Both are 1pc retro to replace the oringinal cork/silicone stuff.

Sorry I don't have part numbers handy, I left most of that stuff at my desk the day they walked me (and alot of other folks) to the door.

Plus it's almost 2am, and I just got home after finding Mom's electrical woes on her '59. Water/corrosion at the back of the fuse panel. Circuit would drop out with any kind of load. Now just got more work ahead of me. At least I got more time being unemployed....Not!

Later.

isosceles

Got the PM and thanks for the advice!

Sorry to hear about the down sizing. You'll find something better!

GasketDude

Perma-Dry #'s

OS 34509T--Chevrolet small-block V-8 '57-'74
OS 34510T--Chevrolet small-block V-8 '75-'85
OS 30061T--Chevrolet big-block V-8 '65-'90

Hi-Perf #'s

1802 - '57-'74 (thin frt seal-LH dipstick)
1803 - '75-'79 (thick frt sea-LH dipstickl)
1818 - '80-'85 (thick frt seal-RH dipstick)
1884R- BBC '65-'90

These SBC numbers are important for those mixing and matching different year hardware or using the cool chrome or aluminum front covers.

Later.

Glensgages

ISO:

what do you need Lee Beard for when GasketDude is on the job?

Bullyj

I bought a chrome oil pan recently and it came with two front seals you had to measure the distance from the bottom of the block and the bottom of the timing chain cover. Not sure on the distance but it seems like it was 2 1/4 and 2 3/8 and you would use the appropiate seal.

isosceles

it's SEALED

Thanks to Gasketdude for the advice and pointing me in the right direction. I had the correct gasket for my stock setup all along. However, the piece o' junk chrome timing cover had other ideas. I found RTV had seeped in between the metal groove and the front of the timing cover. So, oil must've been leaking out there!

I'll start another thread with pics. But the moral of the story is, beware cheap chrome plated parts.