Hello all,

Just as I was patting myself on the back for a leak free rebuild and install, I watched a drop every 10 seconds leak spring from the area of the rubber gasket to oil pan under the bolt hole closest to the passenger side of the engine front. IN other words between the timing chain cover and the oil pan at the oil pan surface and under the bolt in the corner of the oil pan on the front of the passenger side.

Not a squirter, just an aggravating drip. SO I brake cleaned real good, drained the oil (less than 10 miles on engine) loosened the bolt and the the one on either side, and layed clear silicone to the outside for the pan joint, Let dry 24 hours, then tightened to torque spec. New oil in, idle to warm and oil oozed out of top of my silcone patch near bolt hole in front to timing chain cover. SO, drain oil again, take out bolt, make a load spreader out of 1/4 inch plate steel, get new longer bolt and attach through spreader, screwing into the timing chain cover threads, and apply nut to top of longer bolt. Apply 40 ft lbs torque, brake clean, and add more caulk. Now looking like a fist on the corner of the two pans. Wait 24 hours, drive around, things look pretty good, but a small leak, an oozer, slowly occurs. Replace PCV valve and breather and drive some more, just wet oil this time, but still a leak.

I haven't steeled myself yet to remove radiator, fan, hoses, balancer and remove the timing chain cover yet and try another cover, cause I am uncertain after reading Doc's article at
http://www.slantsix.org/articles/gasket ... n-seal.htm

whether I have remove the oil pan, or not, or if I can remove the timing chain cover alone, and if I need new rubber gasket under the cork and lots of sealer on both sides of the gasket. You can be sure if I remove the timing chain cover I will be certain it is flat, flat flat!

Dunno exactly what to do next, except ask here. I am concerned about what must be pressure in the crank case if this leak is occurring, but don't see how with new engine and new PCV and breather. This is a '76 block with a small plug head of uncertain date.

Thanks
rock
64d100

Ahhhhh the new engine blues. The harder we try to make it perfect .....the less we can handle the little things that would have seemed trivial before the rebuild.

Until the rings seal you will get more blowby and crankcase pressure than you will later after the rings seat. Until all the gaskets "take a set" you will get the occasional drip.

After a while you quit looking....the road dust /lower crankcase pressure seals off the dribble.....

When changing the front cover I loosen all the pan bolts AMAP and scoot out the front cover,,,,,,

Make sure your breather actually breathes.......

Make sure your PCV sux.

This will only last till something more dramatic takes your attention...

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Sandy,

Well I gotta laugh....yeh, mine is so pretty (red and chrome) and sets so spectacularly in its shiny black POR15 nest that the tiny leak got me right worked up! Plus it is the first one I ever did "right"! Yes, thanks for reminding me that just because I put on new PCV and new breather doesn't mean either is working as intended..I will check NOW. But I sure hope it doesn't take long to seat. I got very concerned about the crankcaske pressure buildup because I once rebuilt the top of an iron duke 4 cylinder not knowing the ventilation system was plugged and was awed by the geyser out of the dipstick when I fired the engine up!

Thanks again,
rock
'64d100

If you are thinking about using silicone on the leak again, it would be worth using the newer "ultra grey" or "ultra black" type. Ultra grey being my first choice. These set up firmer, stick better and really stand up to oil. I have used them on Mopar and Chevy v-8s with total success as well as on my Buick turbo v-6 which in the past was hard to get sealed. In all cases the pans are now weep free, totally dry around the pan. I would give the area to be sealed a razor or knife scraping and good hosing out with brake cleaner or contact cleaner first.

I've seldom ever had good results using a thick coat/glob/blob of RTV anywhere. It seems to work best when applied sparingly to moderately. If you find yourself trying to stop a leak by glopping on a ton of RTV, it's an effort doomed to failure; you need to go back and fix it right. That's my number-two rule for effective use of RTV.

The number-one rule? They are not all the same, not even close, so I never, ever bother using any brand other than Mopar. I have no idea who makes it for Chrysler, but Chrysler has an excellent material spec for RTV; I have tried a bunch of different brands and colours, and the clear trend is very simple:

Mopar RTV = good, durable seal and no mess.
Any other brand = good, durable mess and no seal.

I keep on hand a tube of black (general purpose, p/n 5010884AA, about $5/tube) and a tube of grey (high-temp, p/n 4883971, about $8/tube).
They also make a grey engine and transmission extra-oilproof version p/n 8230034 (about $9/tube), and a red gear oil resistant formula, p/n 5013477AA, about $17/tube, intended especially for sealing diff covers against chemically-aggressive gear oils; I have not had occasion to try either of these.

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

I have had some luck in similar situation with my timing cover.

It leaked from the Dowel Pin area after this winter's rebuild.

I used the ultra Grey/black stuff.

***********Just be sure to clean the area down real good with Laquer thinner or some equivaliant cleaner!!!!!!!!!



I did this and no more leaks at all.


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

Dan, Greg and another six..

Guys.....THanks! I will get the Mopar stuff. As you all have probably figured out from my postings over the last year my inclination is as Dan states...do it right once! The idea of gooping on instead of knowing the problem and then FIXING the problem, not the symptom, is how I go about things. And it is good to know others have had the same problem and I am not attracting the only black cloud that ever came around a slant project!

I was bummed out enough with the leak to try the goop on method, with predictable lack of success, but lessening enough of symptom to be able to ride around again. It looks as if the 100 degree days might back off to mid 90's, so this weekend I was planning to attack again. This time, off with the radiator, be sure springs are in hoses, off with the fan, and really get my nose into the sealing location. I am still hesitant to pull the timing cover but will do it next if the Mopar stuff doesn't work. The new PCV and breather cap are pulling hard enough to very satisfying and the leak wasn't a gusher after a 75mph freeway spin of 50 miles. Hope springs eternal thanks to you all!
rock
'64d100

I will also add/clarify:

I have never solved a leak by applying any amount of any sealant to the outside of the assembled junction. If oil (or whatever other fluid) is getting past the gasket, it will also get past whatever external gookum you apply. My comments on RTV apply when assembling cleaned parts.

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

I believe I've come across a correction for the Mopar engine & transmission sealant part #. The 'extra oil resistant' type should be part # 82300234.

P/Ns for Mopar RTV sealants have been changing every few years for quite awhile. And the P/N is different in Canada!

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

Have had this problem before. I made tabs as wide as the pan rail...one two holes across the front and one three holes down the side taper cut and beveled the ends. This gave me more even pressure across the area, similar to a brand X valve cover.
Never leaked again.
Will

Once, out of many other tries, I was able to seal a leak in that area with a big gob of ultrablue permatex (without dropping pan). I would loosen front and few of side bolts, squirt silicone into the joint, tighten immediately, then wait 24 hrs. If you wait for it to dry before tightening, it will just be solid and come loose when you tighten.

I like Will's idea...

I am with Sandy. I just live with oil leaks up to a certain rate... I have better things to spend my time on.

Lou

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