I seem to have a good amount of oil leaking from around where the head joins the block. What could cause this? Bad head gasket? Surface not clean when I put a new head gasket on (5 years ago)? I just did a valve adjustment, so the valve cover gasket is new and leak free, and the spark plug gasket seals are only a couple of years old and also do not leak. Thanks for any replies.

I had a situation like this on the '62 about a decade ago. Put a little bottle of UV-fluorescent dye into the engine oil and ran the engine for a day or so, then shone my budget UV leak detector light* at the oily area. WHOAH, bigtime bright yellow from the valve cover-to-head junction. I'd missed one or two of the bolt holes in the gasket when I installed it, and it'd got sucked inward, causing a major draindown leak that looked for all the world like a head gasket leak. I replaced the valve cover gasket and all was well.

*-Rather than pay stupid prices for a prefab unit, I simply went to a lightbulb supply house and bought an F15T8BLB "blacklight blue" fluorescent tube to fit my existing Sears fluorescent droplight. This is the UV bulb that looks black when off, purple when on. Works great!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

E-My hydraulic head has always leaked oil down the rear. It comes from the valve cover, but looks like it comes from the head gasket.

I did have a 170 that leaked under the head on the part above the #6 cylinder. I just cleaned it up really good and laid a bead of silicone in the crack. It worked for a long time.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Spark plug tube seals can also cause it if you have the early head. Does anyone know where to get tube seals. Mine started leaking and it really does look like a head gasket leak until you get real close.

I can get those in most any parts store, over here

Order them for a hemi, if you can´t find them for a slant

Fel-Pro ES12794 (set of six plug tube seals) or NAPA Victor-Reinz B45384 (individual spark plug tube seal)

(the board's search function does work...! )

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

If the search feature works then the power of my laziness most have overcome the power of the search feature. Thanks for the info my laziness will not prevent me from ordering a set and installing them.

the power of laziness is the dark side of the force.........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

What sort of silicon did you use there to hold up to those kinds of temps?

I have a tube of some fancy oem audi/vw silcon that someone gave me thats supposed to be excellent stuff. I wanted something stickier to hold dipstick in. Wonder if that will work to goop on between the head and block along that crack. Ok, that just sounded bad....

I have made lots of messes with lots of different brands of RTV silicone.

I will not buy anything other than Mopar brand any longer. Not because it says "Mopar" on the tube, not because it comes from the Chrysler dealer, but because it's far and away the least-messy, most-effective gookum of its type that I've ever used.

Awhile back I figured maybe it wasn't the brand of RTV that had improved, that rather it was my technique. I bought a tube of Permatex black RTV. Instant mess. Not again. Get real, get Mopar. I keep two kinds "in stock": The regular black (actually charcoal grey) stuff and the high-temp light grey stuff.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Dan how much is that mopar stuff at the dealer? The vw tube I was telling you about, same size as the permatex tubes if not a little smaller, I was told is like $50/tube.

I don't mind the mess, as long as it sticks and holds up to heat. I've used permatex black, blue and red, and even "The Right Stuff" by permatex. The Right Stuff is good, but expensive. Still not very sticky though, dipstick comes right off.

The only way I've ever been able to apply silicone so that it's neat is with my fingers........

Sometimes I even remember to put on latex gloves.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Not much more than you'd pay for any good-quality brand at a parts store. $5? $6? I don't remember, and I pay in Canadian dollars these days.
Ridiculous. It can't be worth it.
Agreed.

Um...why are you trying to glue in your dipstick tube with RTV...?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

What else would you use? I don't want to epoxy it in because I want to be able to remove it again.

Is there a different goop I can use for keeping it down securely? Or are they just supposed to be press fit? I can pull the tube out with little effort required.