Oil leaking under distributor
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Oil leaking under distributor
I've got an oil leak at a very weird place, the distributor. I noticed oil all over the back of the block where the bellhousing bolts up and first thought it was the oil pressure sender. I replaced that but oil was still showing up. That's when I noticed that the paper gasket between the intake and dizzy was all oil soaked.
Has anyone heard of this or does it even make sense? I didn't think there would be much pressure there. How can I solve it, double gasket it???
Has anyone heard of this or does it even make sense? I didn't think there would be much pressure there. How can I solve it, double gasket it???
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 10,045
Likes: 675
From: FL
Originally Posted by tshort
Has anyone heard of this or does it even make sense? I didn't think there would be much pressure there. How can I solve it, double gasket it???
Don't double gasket since that will raise the distributor which will screw with the gear and oil pump drive.
Pull distributor. Clean real well. New gasket with some sealer on it. (I use non hardening Permatex). Reinstall. Retime.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
I assume you mean gasket sealer underneath the gasket? So that the distributor can still swivel above it??
Has anyone else ever had to do this? It seems quite odd to me.
Has anyone else ever had to do this? It seems quite odd to me.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,162
Likes: 2
From: Beaverton, OR
Travis, my seal was also oil soaked. Maybe it's an AR trademark 
What's your oil pressure like out of curiosity? Mine is through the roof. I have 40 PSI at idle when fully warm and it pegs while I'm driving. Don't know if high oil pressure could be causing that, seems like not, but I had never heard of or seen this before my engine either. Mine doesn't really seem to leak much if any, but the gasket sure was soaked.
-dath
EDIT:
P.S. Is that an L88 style hood you have there? I can't fit any kind of decent air filter under my stock L48 hood on my car. . . The hood you have (though not compatible with my year) doesn't look too bad. I thought I didn't like the L88 hoods though, but not I don't know, yours looks really nice
What's your oil pressure like out of curiosity? Mine is through the roof. I have 40 PSI at idle when fully warm and it pegs while I'm driving. Don't know if high oil pressure could be causing that, seems like not, but I had never heard of or seen this before my engine either. Mine doesn't really seem to leak much if any, but the gasket sure was soaked.-dath
EDIT:
P.S. Is that an L88 style hood you have there? I can't fit any kind of decent air filter under my stock L48 hood on my car. . . The hood you have (though not compatible with my year) doesn't look too bad. I thought I didn't like the L88 hoods though, but not I don't know, yours looks really nice
Last edited by dath; Aug 28, 2005 at 05:15 PM.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
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From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
I've had oily mist coming out of my breathers on all my engines so far when I was using open breathers.. I believe that this is normal if you use this type of breather... If you use the restrictive type of breathers, the foam element inside of them clogs and at one point they don't breathe anymore and pressure builds up in the engine.. The open breathers don't clog that easy but you will get oily mist on the valve covers..
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Olivier, I think you are responding to my other post about breathing the engine 
Dath,
I get much better oil pressure with this engine than the previous AR engine. At startup about 40 psi. When cruising shoots up to about 65 and when warm goes back down to maybe 15-20 at idle.
I didn't used to be an L-88 hood fan either until about a year ago and then I fell in love with them for some reason. Here's some pics to try to convince you. I only have about 3 pics of it so far cause I've only had it on for a few weeks. It's not body color either yet but my dark green metallic is so close to black you can hardly tell. I was at a car show last night and with the hood up most people didn't even notice.
I got another distributor gasket so I'm going to try a new gasket and non-hardening perma gasket and see how that goes.
Dath,
I get much better oil pressure with this engine than the previous AR engine. At startup about 40 psi. When cruising shoots up to about 65 and when warm goes back down to maybe 15-20 at idle.
I didn't used to be an L-88 hood fan either until about a year ago and then I fell in love with them for some reason. Here's some pics to try to convince you. I only have about 3 pics of it so far cause I've only had it on for a few weeks. It's not body color either yet but my dark green metallic is so close to black you can hardly tell. I was at a car show last night and with the hood up most people didn't even notice.
I got another distributor gasket so I'm going to try a new gasket and non-hardening perma gasket and see how that goes.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Originally Posted by StickShiftCorvette
Did you check to see that your oil pressure line isn't leaking? That might look like a leak in that area.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,162
Likes: 2
From: Beaverton, OR
Man, I love the way your car looks Travis. I really like the crome bumper cars. I may just have to get an L88 hood for mine so I can get my clearance up enough to run a real filter. I am/was tempted to try to make some kind of cold air induction system, but it may just be simpler to get a new hood since the look has definitely grown on me. Of course I loose that sleeper look, not that anyone doesn't know the second they pull up next to me
How's your oil doing in the new engine, burning any? I'm burning oil like crazy and am hoping it's just the valve seals. From the looks of things, that may be it, but I'm going to see about getting a leakdown tester here soon and checking before I button the intake back up. . .
-dath
How's your oil doing in the new engine, burning any? I'm burning oil like crazy and am hoping it's just the valve seals. From the looks of things, that may be it, but I'm going to see about getting a leakdown tester here soon and checking before I button the intake back up. . .
-dath
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
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From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Oil consumption, hard to tell. I don't see any smoke out my rear view mirror on hard acceleration or cruising and very rarely have seen any on startup. There is some consumption but that might be completely from the oil misting out of the breathers and leaking out under the distributor. This time I had Mark install viton rubber valve guide seals. I didn't like the teflon seals at all on the old engine, the majority of them split and were allowing oil past them.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Thanks for the kind words Dath. For info, I'm now able to fit a Vic Jr, 1 inch spacer, Edelbrock drop base (not the big LT-1 2" drop, probably more like 1" or 1.5") and 3" filter. I've about 1/4" clearance now. It's kinda cool being able to see the filter while I'm driving.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,162
Likes: 2
From: Beaverton, OR
Good to know about the hood, that is exactly what I'm looking for. I would like to be able to fit a K&N filter on the thing when I'm all done. The Mr. Gasket tiny deal I have on there now is a joke.
As for the oil burning, if it is as bad as mine, it would be obvious. I don't see smoke (haven't had anyone follow me), but I went through 2.5 quarts in the first 500 miles and it is still burning about 1 quart per 200 miles or so (at 900 miles now). I'll be replacing the valve seals at a minimum, I'm hoping that is all that needs to be done. I do wonder why you had all of your seals split on you. . . I assume the same thing has happened to me given the oil on my valves, but we'll see. I'll shoot some pictures if I find that they don't look good when I pull them out.
-dath
As for the oil burning, if it is as bad as mine, it would be obvious. I don't see smoke (haven't had anyone follow me), but I went through 2.5 quarts in the first 500 miles and it is still burning about 1 quart per 200 miles or so (at 900 miles now). I'll be replacing the valve seals at a minimum, I'm hoping that is all that needs to be done. I do wonder why you had all of your seals split on you. . . I assume the same thing has happened to me given the oil on my valves, but we'll see. I'll shoot some pictures if I find that they don't look good when I pull them out.
-dath
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 2,010
Likes: 3
From: Moon Twp. PA USA
Originally Posted by tshort
I've got an oil leak at a very weird place, the distributor. I noticed oil all over the back of the block where the bellhousing bolts up and first thought it was the oil pressure sender. I replaced that but oil was still showing up. That's when I noticed that the paper gasket between the intake and dizzy was all oil soaked.
Has anyone heard of this or does it even make sense? I didn't think there would be much pressure there. How can I solve it, double gasket it???
Has anyone heard of this or does it even make sense? I didn't think there would be much pressure there. How can I solve it, double gasket it???
