Oil pan keeps leaking, PCV valve?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,631
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From: Union City CA
Oil pan keeps leaking, PCV valve?
400 block chevy, upgraded the oil pan and now I the vacuum line from the intake to the valve cover is collapsing under idle. I do have a breather with a nipple 5/8 on the driver side and a regular breather on the passanger side. Inline I have put a PCV valve between the breather and the intake.
Problem: keep it under 3,000 no oil leaks, all is good. Take it for 1 quick run to 5000rpm, no leaks still good. 2nd run and then it starts dripping oil out the front and real seal of the oil pan. It is not a constant leak when the engine is running, just when I come to a stop, the oil starts dripping and pools under the engine. Do I need a stiffer hose for the vacuum? Should I ditch the chrome round pepboys breather and get one with a PCV on it?
Problem: keep it under 3,000 no oil leaks, all is good. Take it for 1 quick run to 5000rpm, no leaks still good. 2nd run and then it starts dripping oil out the front and real seal of the oil pan. It is not a constant leak when the engine is running, just when I come to a stop, the oil starts dripping and pools under the engine. Do I need a stiffer hose for the vacuum? Should I ditch the chrome round pepboys breather and get one with a PCV on it?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,631
Likes: 0
From: Union City CA
One piece pan gasket, got a PVC, replaced the hose, still drips a little after spirited driving, only from the rear now. So I put 12oz of stopleak, really thick heavy oil basically, leak cut down a good amount but still a couple of drops when I park or stop. I think the valve stem seals maybe going out, had a similar problem of smelling oil in the exhaust and seeing a puff of blue smoke driving hard when I first got these heads off ebay. Changed the valve stem seals and puff went away about 3yrs ago.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 755
Likes: 32
From: Roswell Georgia
Still Leaking Oil? It Might Be The One-Piece Seal
If you have a breather in one valve cover, your crankcase is vented to the atmosphere at all times. So pressurizing the crankcase isn't the culprit.
I won't use Stop Leak in any engine I own, but YMMV. As a temporary fix, you might consider increasing the viscosity of the oil you're using to decrease the amount of oil loss.
I think that the real fix is removing the oil pan and seeing why the one-piece gasket isn't working as it should. Maybe something got pinched during the final assembly that is allowing the oil past the rear main seal. You might want to check the front timing chain seal at the same time since you had a leak there earlier.
Hope this helps!
I won't use Stop Leak in any engine I own, but YMMV. As a temporary fix, you might consider increasing the viscosity of the oil you're using to decrease the amount of oil loss.
I think that the real fix is removing the oil pan and seeing why the one-piece gasket isn't working as it should. Maybe something got pinched during the final assembly that is allowing the oil past the rear main seal. You might want to check the front timing chain seal at the same time since you had a leak there earlier.
Hope this helps!
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
Likes: 1,445
From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
A little tiny vacuum pvc line doesn't do squat if you have free flowing breathers.
Another thing blow by is at it's peak at max throttle when vacuum is at it's lowest.
Another thing blow by is at it's peak at max throttle when vacuum is at it's lowest.
