While You Are in There...?

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jau126

jau126

'65 Dart GT 273 904
Joined
Jun 7, 2020
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Location
Salt Lake City, UT
I crawled under the my car the other day investigating the transmission filler situation but noticed a decent amount of oil built up on the outside of the flex-plate and some on the bottom of the oil pan. I am assuming and hoping that it is just the oil pan gasket. If it is the timing cover gasket, well I will leave that until after winter starts as I might be putting a cam in anyway. If it the rear main... that will also have to wait.

So the question is.... If I am dropping the oil pan to do the new gasket what things should be done while I am in there? ('65 273)

(If it was not clear already the motor is staying in the car for this. It will have to go to an exhaust shop though because the previous owner welded the factory y pipe directly to their duals with no flange in sight.)
 
Are you sure the oil isn't coming from the back of the intake manifold? Common source of oil leak found on the underside. 65'
 
Plymouth 65 said:
Are you sure the oil isn't coming from the back of the intake manifold? Common source of oil leak found on the underside. 65'
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Intake manifold gasket should be good. (replaced a few weeks ago and looks dry.)
I know the distributor hold down gasket it leaking. I am pretty sure I have one on hand but am a little nervous to pull the distributor all the way out. I am not sure how that would end up on the front side of the flex plate though.
 
You can replace the rear main without dropping trans. Remove pan and rear main cap. If it's a rope seal, use a "Sneaky Pete" and thread it into rope seal and pull out while turning crank. If it's a hard seal, you can use a drift and carefully tap one side into block while the other side pokes out. Grab and pull while tapping other side. Rope seal can be pulled in with 'ol Pete. If your life depended on it, it can be done on your back with trans in car. All oil will drip to lowest point. Mark base and pull distributor out, it doesnt turn when removed like a Chevy. Replace gasket and drop back in. Line up marks and tighten. Simple.
 
pishta said:
You can replace the rear main without dropping trans. Remove pan and rear main cap. If it's a rope seal, use a "Sneaky Pete" and thread it into rope seal and pull out while turning crank. If it's a hard seal, you can use a drift and carefully tap one side into block while the other side pokes out. Grab and pull while tapping other side. Rope seal can be pulled in with 'ol Pete. If your life depended on it, it can be done on your back with trans in car. All oil will drip to lowest point. Mark base and pull distributor out, it doesnt turn when removed like a Chevy. Replace gasket and drop back in. Line up marks and tighten. Simple.
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My life doesn't depend on it but my wallet would certainly appreciate me laying on my back.
Forgive my lack of knowledge but I am not sure what your are referring to when you say "Sneak Pete" and ol' Pete?
Thank you
 
jau126 said:
My life doesn't depend on it but my wallet would certainly appreciate me laying on my back.
Forgive my lack of knowledge but I am not sure what your are referring to when you say "Sneak Pete" and ol' Pete?
Thank you
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Lisle Tools used to make it. Sneaky Pete!
 
Is the oil pump to obvious or do I not understand what I will find when I open it up? Could be either. First time opening up the bottom of a small block mopar. The life of a newbie.
 
pishta said:
You can replace the rear main without dropping trans. Remove pan and rear main cap. If it's a rope seal, use a "Sneaky Pete" and thread it into rope seal and pull out while turning crank. If it's a hard seal, you can use a drift and carefully tap one side into block while the other side pokes out. Grab and pull while tapping other side. Rope seal can be pulled in with 'ol Pete. If your life depended on it, it can be done on your back with trans in car. All oil will drip to lowest point. Mark base and pull distributor out, it doesnt turn when removed like a Chevy. Replace gasket and drop back in. Line up marks and tighten. Simple.
Click to expand...
yep, i've done rear seals in situ on various v8's. i usually loosen all the main caps as the little bit of extra 'slack' where the crank lowers very slightly makes swapping out the seal easier. it's no problem to loosen and retorque all the mains so if it makes it easier.....
also it could be worth undoing an end cap or 2 to check the bearings. on the ends it's the bearing in the rod that'll show the most wear and the mains it's the bearing in the cap. as with the rear seal you can swap out bearings in situ.
neil.
 
Well with the pain in the butt it will be to do this and then possibly finding out the bearings are in bad shape maybe I just pull the motor this winter and rebuild. Not really what I had planned with a slightly over 61,000 mile engine but it would let me drop in the egge high compression pistons.
 
jau126 said:
Is the oil pump to obvious or do I not understand what I will find when I open it up? Could be either. First time opening up the bottom of a small block mopar. The life of a newbie.
Click to expand...
I made this video....
 
Another common source of an oil leak is the oil pressure sending unit. If you pull the pan, I'd take a good look at the strainer in the oil pickup. All kinds of crud can get trapped in that thing, eventually restricting the oil flow. I don't envy you at all doing that job! Not an easy project on that car without a lift.
 
Thank you for all the creative less obvious oil leak suggestions.
If I end up doing all this in the car I will eventually update what a pain in the butt it was.
It does look like I can rent an engine hoist for 51 dollars and buy a harbor freight engine stand for cheap. From what work I have done on it already it seems like a days job to get the motor pulled.
 
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