I am new to this site and would appreciate some help. I have a 62 Valiant with a 225 (cast iron block) which recently developed an oil leak. The leak is coming from someplace at the front driver’s side; it looks like it is coming from between the head and block. I suspect that it might be the head gasket, but I see no sign of coolant leaking.
Thanks

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64 Town Panel
225 A745 3-speed
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Check your valve cover gasket. The oil is probably leaking out of the valve cover, running down the head, and pooling up between the block and head. Wash your engine and look for any oil streaks afterwards. Check your valve cover bolts to see if any of them are loose.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

Thanks for the response but the engine is very clean and there is no oil between the valve cover and tthe head so I'm (fairly?) sure that it is not the valve cover.

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64 Town Panel
225 A745 3-speed
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Something like that happens with my ´71 Duster, check las bolt in head cover, or below, in the gasket.

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Mopar Muscle is well defend by Slant Six!

Valiant Duster 1971

If you ain't running the PCV (or it's stucked closed) crankcase will spit oil thru any place it can. Maybe your leak comes from your dipstick. Or, if you have power steering, look at the nut that locks the regulator ontop of the steering box, there's one source of leaks, or maybe your pump cap has worn out and is leaking there.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

Put teflon tape on the bolts that hold the alternator bracket onto the engine block. One of them (or maybe both?) thread into an oil galley. Could be where your leak is coming.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I have double checked and it is not coming from the valve cover, the engine came with a blow-by tube, no PCV. I also looked at the alternator bolts and they are dry.

I guess my question is could the head gasket leak oil and not leak coolant.

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64 Town Panel
225 A745 3-speed
[img][img]http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n93/62toad/64%20Town%20Panel/TPsignature.jpg[/img]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I have double checked and it is not coming from the valve cover, the engine came with a blow-by tube, no PCV. I also looked at the alternator bolts and they are dry.

I guess my question is could the head gasket leak oil and not leak coolant.

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64 Town Panel
225 A745 3-speed
[img][img]http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n93/62toad/64%20Town%20Panel/TPsignature.jpg[/img]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I have double checked and it is not coming from the valve cover, the engine came with a blow-by tube, no PCV. I also looked at the alternator bolts and they are dry.

I guess my question is could the head gasket leak oil and not leak coolant.

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64 Town Panel
225 A745 3-speed
[img][img]http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n93/62toad/64%20Town%20Panel/TPsignature.jpg[/img]

Check that road draft ("blow by") tube -- if it's clogged, you can get oil leaks.
Yes.

Are you seeing oil running down the side of the block, behind the manifolds, near the front of the left side of the engine block? Because if you're not seeing oil *ON* the engine block, the oil pan gasket or timing cover are prime suspects.

Yes, it is on the block it, I can see it under the manifold.

Again thanks for the suggestions.

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64 Town Panel
225 A745 3-speed
[img][img]http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n93/62toad/64%20Town%20Panel/TPsignature.jpg[/img]

Hmmmmm.... that is sounding more like an exhaust leak. If you exhaust gasket is leaking (or a cracked manifold???) the black sooty water from the exhaust is running down the side of the block.

Water is a byproduct of combustion.

H'm. I've never seen an exhaust leak up at the engine end of the system that produced enough liquid water to create trails of black fluid. The exhaust that close to the engine is so hot that all the water is in vapor form.

Anyhow, swiping a finger through the trail of fluid ought to tell us what it is in a hurry.

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64 Town Panel
225 A745 3-speed
[img][img]http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n93/62toad/64%20Town%20Panel/TPsignature.jpg[/img]

Yes, it can.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.