Oil Leak

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dustermaniac

dustermaniac

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I cant seem to get a break on my engine. It just keeps giving me fits. The latest is I have an oil leak around the base of the distributor where the dizzy drops into the block. There is a chunk of metal missing from the area in the picture i have attached where the metal is gone and I am losing oil from this spot. I have tried replacing the O Ring gasket and the dizzy base gasket without success. I tried some Permatex great stuff around the dizzy and it did not leak at idle but leaks when a load is put on the engine. I am going to try some JB Weld and try to build back up the area and see if I can get it to seal. Anyone out here have any suggestions? Short of having the block welded, I am at my end with this. This picture is from the web and is for reference only.
 

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I've used JB Weld for two stroke engine cases and four stroke engine cases and if you do it right, it will seal. Watch it though when it starts to heat up ( after mixing ) it will flow easily in to places you might not want it to go!
 
I have blocked off the opening of the distributor and I am going to try to build it up in layers to get the contour of the block back.
 
Two things come to mind,

1. Did you get the shaft short enough? It may still be holding the dizzy up some.

2. Do you have crankcase ventilation?
 
I have crankshaft ventilation, and as far as I can measure, I believe the shaft is short enough. I am going to re measure the distance tomorrow and see if there is any variation which may be causing the dizzy to not seat all the way down.
 
Is the crack on the inside edge of the hole or on the outside edge like the Reference Pic shows. The missing chunk in the picture would not cause a leak from an O-Ring near the hole. I would suspect the O-ring is not "Seating" in the correct location or possibly Failing/torn/too small.
 
O ring is seated in the groove and is brand new. I have removed and inspected the groove and the O ring and both are free of any defects or damages. The break is on the outside edge and extends just to the edge of the machined groove that the dizzy sits in.
 
Instead of measuring, just for giggles, set them on the shaft end side by side, and compare deck to deck. See if the new one is a tad higher.

Did the old dizzy leak?
 
Then the JB weld should work if you get nice and flat and Flush. I would advise against "layering" JB weld unless you need it really thick. I used it to repair a crack on a Kawi Engine block.it has lasted for years and may last forever (hopefully). Also maybe just a thin film of silicone. Good Luck
 
I am wondering if the new oil shaft may be a tad taller than the stock one which broke. I am going to pull it out of the block and check it against the old shaft and see if there is any differences. The new shaft is from Melling and I have heard of some quality issues with Melling parts.
 
Well, if the old distributor didn't leak, then it has to be the problem. Yeah I'd measure again to double check. If nothing else shave a little more off. Do you have another pump drive laying around, maybe you could check it for fitment in there, make sure it's seating in the hole like it should.
 
I only have the broken one. When I get it back together I may try to put some paper towels around the back of the manifold and around the distributor after its bolted down and see if I can see where the oil is leaking from. It looks like it is coming from the dizzy as there is oil leaking down onto the bellhousing from the area at the back of the dist. It did not leak from here before and this is the only area on the engine that I have any leakage. I have a performer manifold and used a 1/4" bead of great stuff on both ends of the manifold and torqued the bolts properly and in correct sequence when I assembled the intake.
 
Tom the O-ring does not seat against the block nor is there any gasket used to seal the dist. The O-ring seats into a groove on the dist. housing and when the dist. is installed the O-ring ends up down inside the block a little so there's no possible way the crack or broken chunk in that picture can cause a leak at the dist. unless it's broken completely through the block, which it doesn't look like it is. I apparently didn't catch the issue involving the oil pump driveshaft but it sounds like you had to replace it. If it is too long it can hold the dist. up so that the O-ring is not seating down in the block.

I attached a picture of a dist. I sold a while back. It's not a close up of the O-ring but if you look closely you can see the O-ring seats into a groove.

Numerous time in the past I've seen the dist. blamed for leaking when it was actually a leaking oil sender unit. It's right next to the dist. so if it leaks oil ends up in the same area. You might want to check that.
 
fishy68 said:
Tom the O-ring does not seat against the block nor is there any gasket used to seal the dist. The O-ring seats into a groove on the dist. housing and when the dist. is installed the O-ring ends up down inside the block a little so there's no possible way the crack or broken chunk in that picture can cause a leak at the dist. unless it's broken completely through the block, which it doesn't look like it is. I apparently didn't catch the issue involving the oil pump driveshaft but it sounds like you had to replace it. If it is too long it can hold the dist. up so that the O-ring is not seating down in the block.

I attached a picture of a dist. I sold a while back. It's not a close up of the O-ring but if you look closely you can see the O-ring seats into a groove.

Numerous time in the past I've seen the dist. blamed for leaking when it was actually a leaking oil sender unit. It's right next to the dist. so if it leaks oil ends up in the same area. You might want to check that.
Click to expand...

Tracy, I do understand what you are saying regarding the O ring seal that sets in the groove around the dist. and how it sets against the sides of the opening in the block. the chip in the casting around the block does not extend through to this area so the dist MUST be leaking around the base due to not seating down properly. I have taken off the sender at the tube for the gauge and have used liquid Teflon on it so I am 99% sure it is not leaking at the sender. The intake manifold by all indications looks to be sealing well also at the base of the back edge where it meets the block. That only leave the dist not sitting flush in the hole in relation to the shaft. If the oil pump shaft is the culprit than how could I go about getting the dist to sit flush. Example: I know the oil pump shaft is down as far as i can seat it into the pump and it is meshed into the camshaft gear, and I know that the slot is into the grooved hole in the oil shaft but the larger shaft on the distributor is "bottomed out" against the top of the oil pump shaft and the dist is twisted into the gear and is still sitting too high so as not to seat down flat against the block surface. What could i do about this? because I am starting to believe that this is the cause of the oil leaking. There is defiantly a leak at the dizzy and it kind of seems like this may be the cause of it. I tried to pull the oil pump shaft out using a large flat bladed screwdriver but the antenna magnet I was trying to pull it out with does not have enough power to hold the shaft as i pull up and it lets go and drops back into the spline. i tried two magnets and still no success in pulling it out.
 
If you determine the oil pump shaft is too long, you can take it to a machine shop and anybody that knows how to run a valve grinder can chuck it up and knock a little off the end of the male "slot". I would also double check that the oil pump drive gear is all the way down in the bushing as far as it will go. Should be pretty easy to determine if the distributor is being held up out of the sealing groove by using a mirror and looking at the distributor flange to see if it is flush against the block.
 
StrokerScamp said:
If you determine the oil pump shaft is too long, you can take it to a machine shop and anybody that knows how to run a valve grinder can chuck it up and knock a little off the end of the male "slot". I would also double check that the oil pump drive gear is all the way down in the bushing as far as it will go. Should be pretty easy to determine if the distributor is being held up out of the sealing groove by using a mirror and looking at the distributor flange to see if it is flush against the block.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the help Rob. Wife has a small mirror and i am going to put it to use and check.
 
StrokerScamp said:
If you determine the oil pump shaft is too long, you can take it to a machine shop and anybody that knows how to run a valve grinder can chuck it up and knock a little off the end of the male "slot". I would also double check that the oil pump drive gear is all the way down in the bushing as far as it will go. Should be pretty easy to determine if the distributor is being held up out of the sealing groove by using a mirror and looking at the distributor flange to see if it is flush against the block.
Click to expand...


Good idea using the mirror.
 
dustermaniac said:
Tracy, I do understand what you are saying regarding the O ring seal that sets in the groove around the dist. and how it sets against the sides of the opening in the block. the chip in the casting around the block does not extend through to this area so the dist MUST be leaking around the base due to not seating down properly. I have taken off the sender at the tube for the gauge and have used liquid Teflon on it so I am 99% sure it is not leaking at the sender. The intake manifold by all indications looks to be sealing well also at the base of the back edge where it meets the block. That only leave the dist not sitting flush in the hole in relation to the shaft. If the oil pump shaft is the culprit than how could I go about getting the dist to sit flush. Example: I know the oil pump shaft is down as far as i can seat it into the pump and it is meshed into the camshaft gear, and I know that the slot is into the grooved hole in the oil shaft but the larger shaft on the distributor is "bottomed out" against the top of the oil pump shaft and the dist is twisted into the gear and is still sitting too high so as not to seat down flat against the block surface. What could i do about this? because I am starting to believe that this is the cause of the oil leaking. There is defiantly a leak at the dizzy and it kind of seems like this may be the cause of it. I tried to pull the oil pump shaft out using a large flat bladed screwdriver but the antenna magnet I was trying to pull it out with does not have enough power to hold the shaft as i pull up and it lets go and drops back into the spline. i tried two magnets and still no success in pulling it out.
Click to expand...

Hey Tom, Ok. The reason I mentioned the sender is I have also seen them leak oil out through the plastic, not just from the threads. I bet I've changed at least 100 over the yrs. that were leaking. Plus since you said it doesn't leak at an idle, only when you rev it up (when the oil pressure goes up) that made me think it was possible a leaking sender. Using a mirror like Rob mentioned is a great way to see exactly where it's coming from. If you determine it is the oil pump shaft is too long and not letting the dist. fall all the way in let me know as I have a dist. shaft that I know is the right length I can measure to let you know how long it needs to be. Your using the same method I use to get the shaft out but it sounds like you just need a stronger magnet. I have one I got from Sears that's super strong and it snatches them out every time. It also has a light on it so you can see what your going after. You might check into one as their real handy. Good luck
 
To get the shaft out I have used a loop of string to get partially around the gear after backing it out as far as it will turn with a large screw driver.
 
Use JB Weld. But go get the JB Weld STICK it is not all runny like the regular JB. Autozone etc has it. I used it to fix a Timing Cover where the Damper came apart and left a 1" x 2" hole, After it started to set I shaved it with a blade. When I was done I painted it and you could never tell it even happened. It NEVER leaked either! Good chittt.
 
I filed/sanded down the area I used the JB on and was able to reshape the distributor flange around the block. I used a ball of duct tape and reversed the tape on the top and it caught all the filings and vacuumed the rest with a shop vac. Nothing got into the intake. I then put a light bead of sealer around the base of the dist, dropped the dizzy back into the block and bolted it down and fired it up and there appears to be no leaking. I revved it up and watched around the dist/manifold area and saw no oil leaking. I drove the car around the block and back in the driveway and opened the hood and no leaks. I will take the car out on the open road tomorrow and see how it looks. I am using a copper tube on my oil sending gauge so there should be no issues with that line. That JB is the stuff. It is nice that you can work with it and actually form it and adheres to steel so strong, I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to fix anything steel. I will post back tomorrow on how it is looking. The Distributor looks like it is seating flat to the block and the mirror works awesome to verify this. Thanks Rob and Tracy and everyone else for your advice and assistance. Man I would be lost without FABO!!!!!
 
The four minute Kwik Weld is good for saving slighly cracked interior plastic pieces. Just put it on the backside where it won't be seen!
 
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