i have a 350 leaking oil down the back of the motor(mainly passenger side) dripping on header.ive looked and cant see where its coming from.its loosing about 2 quarts on a 50 mile run and killing all the bugs in the air.valve covers look good.any suggestions.
how do you know the valve cover gasket is good? does it have a mechanical oil pressure gage? if it does, check for a leak that could be shooting over to that side. clean the block and use a paper towel to find the oil by slowly wiping down the back of engine till you hit the oil. i'm betting valve cover. if the covers a tin you need spreaders.
Clean the engine, then dust it with flour, look for the yellow......you will see where the leak is originating from. 2 quarts every 50 miles is alot of oil, the leak wont be hard to find.
2qts ever 50 is damn near a gussher. I'll bet its the rear lower corner of the valve cover. There's a huge amount of oil there that's not under pressure. I had a set from a new crate motor that wouldn't seal - cheap Asian stamping. Grabbed a early 80s vintage set and no problems. Took me several sets of gaskets, and a lot of aggravation to stop it.
Might be coming from the back of the intake. Original rubber seals that are supplied with gasket set are bad about splitting and working out. If you do replace it clean the area real good and put a 1/4" bead of silicone across the back and front rails instead of the rubber gaskets.
If you can't tell where 2 qts in 50 miles is coming from, I'd suggest you need your eyes tested. That should be very apparent sitting in a garage. We can't see the problem source so you have to use your own eyes. Good luck It can't be hard to find.
Have you changed the intake ? Could be out of the rear of the intake . I don't think it would be the oil filter , oil filter is on the drivers side .
I'd run it down to the car wash and wash the whole engine compartment and all of the chassis around the engine you can reach real good and by the time you get back home you should easily be able to tell where the oil is leaking. Two quarts in 50 miles should be leaving a trail of oil down the street. Valve cover gaskets, end rail gasket on the manifold, Oil filter (including extra gasket stuck on block) Oil pressure switch, rear main seal, front main seal. One or more, take your pick.
If you say the valve covers don't look like the culprit, my first thought is the end seal on the intake. You should be able to put a clean hand back there and feel and see where it starts. 2 quarts in 50 miles is a serious leak. Also, an inspection mirror might help. Don
I did warn you, this may sound dumb..........but I would still check the filter before taking off the manifold.
Hot rods are supposed to leak oil aren't they? I guess that much could be a problem. Looks like everybody has the main problem areas covered, good luck.
That much oil I would check the oil pressure fitting at the back of the block. That much has to be coming out under pressure. Just my opinion.
The back corner of the head can leak out oil where the drain is at the block. But i dont know how it would get on the header, mine covered the starter.
sorry it took so long to respond findings but with work and home projects i got side tracked.it was the intake gasket,when the builder put it together he used what appeared to be a hardening sealer and also didnt put enough to seal corners
ok so if the distributor is too close to the firewall to pull out, can i use an engine hoist and move the engine forward a little? is there neough play on the drive shaft etc?
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