Oil leak at the distributor to manifold gasket
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,960
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From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Oil leak at the distributor to manifold gasket
I've been chasing this problem and it's driving me crazy. My oil leak is not from the valve covers and not from the back of the intake, but from my distributor to intake manifold gasket. I've replaced this gasket twice, and last night I mounted a second distributor hold down clamp. No joy, it still leaks, only worse. Someone mentioned to me that the Edelbrock RPM air gap intake doesn't match the stock intake exactly and I need a special gasket/shim. Is that true? My block has never been shaved and I'm running AFR heads that have never been cut. Any one else have this problem?
Bee Jay
Bee Jay
Last edited by Bee Jay; Jul 6, 2011 at 06:04 PM.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Plano TX
What if you install the distributor without gasket... does it go all the way to the manifold or is there a gap? You could be bottoming out on the oil pump not allowing it to squeeze the gasket.
Edit: What roger said.
Edit: What roger said.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
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From: Florida
In the past I have used a very thin o ring for a gasket stretched over the shaft.
If the dist is going down far enough, you can always drill a relief hole in the dist shaft housing above the 2 oil galley lands. Some oem GM dist had them.
If the dist is going down far enough, you can always drill a relief hole in the dist shaft housing above the 2 oil galley lands. Some oem GM dist had them.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
What oil pump drive shaft are you running? I have heard issues with the ARP shaft being too long and causing the distributor not to seal up against the intake.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Bee Jay
Thread Starter
Safety Car
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From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Le Mans Master
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From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
I set the distributor in with no gasket and measured the gap. It was .020". The gasket is about .060" so that can't be the problem. I put a new gasket in with a little silicone this time. I'm letting it set up overnight before starting it. Im getting pretty good at putting it right on the timing by using some marks I made on the distributor housing, so when I start it up, I won't have to move it much to get it timed right. I hope it doesn't leak anymore.
Bee Jay
Bee Jay
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From: Dayton, Ohio
Race Director
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From: Florida
Yes.
Team Owner
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Lompoc, CA. Santa Barbara County
Ok, I started the car tonight. Ran it only long enough to set the timing. Then I look at the base of the dizzy, dammit, there's oil there. But I don't think it is leaking past the gasket seal. It looks like oil is making it's way up to the base of the dizzy, and leaking oil under the dizzy. There are four small holes there, and the oil is dripping out of them. WTF? Over.
Bee Jay
Bee Jay
Last edited by Bee Jay; Jul 9, 2011 at 02:32 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Goose Creek SC
I don't mean to sound like Mr Obvious but is there any chance you have a small piece of an old gasket still on the manifold? Sometimes you think you have the old gasket completely removed and just a very thin, nearly invisible remnant can cause it to leak like crazy. Just throwing that out there as a remote possibility.