oil leak Options

[JimW]

Yesteday afternoon I started the 914 (74 1.8 engine in a 76) backed out of driveway
when i got out to shut the gate I noticed a lage oil slick in driveway I look under the car oil was pouring out of the back of the engine. the oil light just came on when i got back in the car and I shut it off and took the van to work. Today I drained about a quart of oil that was left in the engine. I have the engine out of the car I have removed the the fly wheel. on the right side of the Crankcase is a plug about 15mm that has come out of the engine. It looks like the plug is pressed in an a expansion disk in the center of the plug is driven in to seat and seal the plug. There are three of these plugs one on the left side two on the right. of the two left in the engine it seems the one on the left is in backwards and Iam guessing the one that came out was also in backwards. now my question is where can i get new plugs (what are they called)
I am very lucky this happened at Idle in the driveway and not at 70 down the highway.

[ArtechnikA]

...where can i get new plugs (what are they called)

I am very lucky this happened at Idle in the driveway and not at 70 down the highway.

they're just called oil gallery plugs but the hot setup is to replace them with tapped pipe plugs. i do not know if that can practically be done with the engine together without getting aluminum shavings into the oil gallery. the T-IV experts here will have an opinion on that one, as well as a list of the plug, drill, and tap sizes.

all the guys who build motors will have a line on replacements - they're commonly removed at rebuild time to better and more completely clean the oil passages.

startup on cold oil may actually produce more oil pressure than a freeway run, so the chances of it happening like it did are actually pretty good. either way, i'm glad you were able to save the engine!

[Jake Raby]

You have just become a statistic!

This happens all the time and IS the reason why any quality engine build will include getting rid of this risk.

You can do it with the engine together, BUT you will need to remove the corressponding plug up front and then pressurize the galley with air while drilling and tapping the hole that has the issue. When it is drilled and tapped and flushed move the air to that end and reverse the flow.. Then you can do the plugs up front...

[JimW]

Thanks for the help. I did a couple of practice holes in a 3/4 ich thick piece of alluminun. I drilled a 3/8 hole though and 9/16 hole 9/16 deep ran the 3/8 npt tap in and then ran a 3/8 npt bottoming tap I made from a regular 3/8 npt tap (cut off about a 1/2 inch) work good I am using steal allen socker head plugs about 3/8 inch thick.
should be able to do the engine on monday.