SBC distributor oil leak???

Finally started my '89 350 SBC after 5 years of resto-modding and it ran great. Brought it home and noticed oil leaking from rear HEI distributor area. Thought it might be the gasket but when I took off the cap I realised the oil was coming from the botom of the distributor plate.
Closer exam revealed that the plate was oily inside the dist. The car had about 20-25 pounds of oil pressure at idle and about 40 while riding at 40mph. Doesn't seem like excessive oil pressure. It has a PCV system.

Any ideas?

 

Bushing worn out on the distributor?

 

That would be my guess also

 

I suppose anything is possible but it is a brand new Accel distributor.

 

The oil is getting up past the bushing somehow. Haven't torn an accel unit apart but maybe there's a seal of some sort that failed?? New or not its not supposed to let oil up the shaft. Sad to say but "new" doesn't always mean "good"

 

ain't never heard or seen that before

 

NEW= Never Even Worked. Parts are not what they used to be. Mass production is causing a lot more new defects....

 

If its new take it back, send it back: get another one.

 

Unfortunately bought from Summit and really need car tomorrow.

 

This is a cut away of an OLD distributor but it shows the oil hole and how the inside gets oiled. Things havent changed much and id assume you accel unit is similar.
Almost every ounce of oil that goes thru the pump also passes that hole. The inside sees oil pressure too. If something at the top is goofy the oil will come out the top.

 

Oil in hole

 

Oil out or drain hole

 

31Vicky with a hemi....not sure I know what you're saying

 

I get it....I wasn't getting your pics to come up. Thanks

 

^^^No drain hole or the hole is blocked

 

See that groove in the end of the housing ?
That groove is what sends oil to both sides of your engine and its fed directly by the oil pump.
The hole that is in the groove and open to the inside of the distributor shaft housing sees full oil pressure. There is plenty of oil inside the housing but it is supposed to stay below the top of the bushing.

Something is not containing the oil , generally it's a worn bushing. The symptom or appearance of oil under the cap tells you "bushings worn need a new one or rebuild" most of the time it's accompanied by erratic timing and some drivability issue that prompted you to pull the cap in the first place. Then you see the oil.

Since yours is " new" it must be fucked up somehow or the drain hole is screwy.

 

Put another Dist. from any other Chevy BBL or SBC they are all the Same
except a 348 or 409

Just my 3.5 cents

 

Crankcase pressure may be building up to the point it's forcing oil up and out the least path of resistance.

 

Too much oil can cause this. Ask me how I know.

 

That could be an issue too,
Try and install the oil sender at the front in the oil galley and see what you get there. It's very obscure because the circumstances would have to be perfect to not pic up oil pressure everywhere- the current location shows 20-45 psi oil pressure.