Sooooo....

Were doing "diagnostics"...

Right now dad thinks its the oil pan.. although this IS the second time we've put a gasket on the pan..... Its coming from the front of then engine and its a huge leak. I think its something bigger but We'll see...

Any of you SBC guys have an idea?

BTW, its stinkin quiet stupid "smog" exhaust..... Sounds like a 4 cylander... grrrrrrrr *takes hack saw* Mmmmm much betta...

The radiator has a wierd leak... when there is no pressure/vacume (ie radiator cap is off), the water will squirt out the blow off on the radiator cap... when running, all is peachy...... add a vacume plug with zip tie, no leak...

Got 2 mins on the cam... maaaybe... soooo 18 mo mins of run time, and I get to see my lumpy cam!!!!

the radiator fan is hard wired with a switch.. when the temp switch is installed it will be used as a ground, with the switch being a backup.

Anyone answer my oil question??

Ya, I have video.. lata....

My guess is that the fuel pump blockoff plate is leaking. This would be on the front right side (passengers) of the block. It may look like the front of the engine is leaking. For my sbc 914s, I've tapped the hole for the plunger and screwed in a pipe plug to positively seal this area. I never liked those blanking plates. I thought I would go for the not so obvious "front seal" response that you may get from others. DLee

We'll its got a plate on it... and its pretty drn tight..... with a gasket on it. Soooo I Dont think its the plate, but I'll look at it to see if it loosened itself up.

Might be the timing chain cover/gasket?

-Junior

hi Andyrew,
i typed out a nice long reply, but when i hit "send", my browser shut down!

I'm tired, so i'll paraphrase:
the usual suspects
-seal in timing chain cover ( aka front seal)
- ridge worn on harmonic balancer where above seal rides
- rubber gasket between timing cover and oil pan shifted slightly during assembly
- area where above gasket meets the gasket between oil pan and block. ( need to be on target with some silicone, and make sure nothing shifts during assembly)
- overtightened oil pan bolts have warped the oilpan mounting flange.

max

Oh and btw, it was spewing out....

We'll take everything into consideration, and dad will fix it by the time I get back thursday!

If its not the timing cover front seal then you didn't get the front main seal sealed up properly, did you "speedy sleeve " you balancer???
I've built dozens of Chevy small blocks and they DO NOT LEAK..ever..

Speedy sleave? Explain?

We did all the tricks for the no oil leak... but what do ya know... it leaks (pours, spews... Im thinking big words here..)

Which front pulley did you use? The Renegade one has a spacer that you need to use.
Chrome timing covers tend to squish out the gasket when you crank on the bolts. De chrome the back side or get an alum one.
I have had 2 SBC in my 914 and both leaked at the front main seal. The first one can from Renegade and the second one was prof installed also, and it still leaked.
I am not sure what the cause is but I have had a heck of a time with it.
Be sure you don't have too much oil in the crankcase. I know this is obvious but it can happen. Also be sure the crankcase breathing is addressed. You will be revving that motor higher more often than when it was in its original application and without smog equip sometimes the crankcase breathing is overlooked. You also have a newly rebuild engine. Is there more blowby until the rings seat?
Just stuff to check out, hope it helps.

George

I'll make sure dad see's your post.. he's a bit more informed about everything going on with the engine currently....

Ya, I have Rennegade's spacer.. and its pully/balancer thing..

I hate chrome (to bling bling fo me..only thing chrome is my air cleaner.. just cus I dont want to paint it...) I used a stock timing cover that I painted.

I dont think I have to much oil in it... It wasnt even full...

PCV valve is being worked with... Currently both valve covers are running with nothing in the holes (ie open air)

Blowby? Heck we havent gotten the cam broken in yet....

No you didn't do "all" the tricks or it wouldn't leak..
The speedy sleeve fit over the balancer snout and covers the grooves on it, you should use one UNLESS you have a New balancer, but the leak your describing sounds like a front main...are you POSITIVE you used the correct seal???...you gasket kit came with 2, if you use the wrong one you will have a leak

I dont THink it came with two... Dads the one that installed it so i dont know.......

If you bought a standard Felpro SBC engine gasket set it came with 2, it should have been fairly obvious, but I've seen it happen, did you use the rubber seals on the front & rear of the intake manifold??

Yes, either that or silicone.. Or both... I think seals though.

dads typing message...

Well then...there is another good place to look for the leak. I NEVER use those POS rubber seals... Sillycone ONLY!!!!! RTV Black!

my 2 cents.

We 'washed' the area down with carb cleaner. It was dry.

We started the engine and ran it for approx 20 secs. Oil was leaking.

We stopped the engine and I crawled under the car for a closer look. Avoiding a stream of oil...

The area between the crank and the pan was DRY. ie: the timing cover. The area above the pan was dry. The fuel pump cover was dry. Oil was dripping steadly from the front of the oil pan.

I'll be dropping the pan sometime in the next few days (if I feel like it). Of course if I do, I'll also be taking it for a test drive...
All I have to do is hook up the clutch cable, shift the tranny into 3rd and see how she goes!

So... anyone try these new 1 piece oil pan gaskets from FelPro?

Felpro 1 Piece..

Front oil pan seal!!!
I'll bet its the wrong one...

How?

The timing cover is completly dry.

I'm serious. I'd like to know. Because, I REALLY don't want to pull the pan...

You don't need it, just make sure you use the correct one and use RTV under it and at both sides where the side gaskets mate to it. Did you by chance use a chrome oil pan?

The main seal is NOT the seal in the front of the timing cover its the one that the front of the oil pan pushes up aginst at the bottom of the cover.

No chrome.

Just an old stock pan. May be part of the problem.

Whether or not I need it, I'll probably still end up getting a 1 piece if the pan comes off.

I read your reply wrong.

Yes, I agree it's probably the front pan seal. But if I remember right the other set was way off. No way it would work.

Well, I think I'll spend some quality time with the wife and let Andrew fix this one...

No Please don't use a chrome pan, stock is perfect.
Well you can buy it if you like, but again, I'll bet you already have the correct seal laying in the gasket box, I'm not trying to be a smart ass, ( its a natural talent ) but the only other way it could leak that much is if the the seal is cut or ripped,
Did you RTV all around the ends of the seal??

Yup RTV all the ends....

There is no Reason for this huge leak... but its definately there!

Dad, no quality time. Get workin on that seal!!!! <_<

Yes there is, I've already told you what I beleive it is.

When I first got my V8 914 running it was dry as a bone, no leaky.
I bragged about it, shame on me.
After a canyon run I pulled it into the garage and noticed it leaking. Actually it was Dave Darling that pointed out the leak. Thanks Dave.
I ended up dropping the engine aways and replacing all the gaskets on the timing chain cover, oil pan, and front main seal.
It still leaked.
On the second go-around I discovered the problem.
The PO installed the front pulley and used a bolt that was too long. It was bottoming out in the threads before the pulley was seating all the way.
I installed a shorter bolt and tightened up the pulley correctly, then had to adjust the alternator and water pump for proper belt alignment, then everything was good as gold.
Prolly not the same as your problem, I just wanted to share.

Oh Sammy good job...you reminded me of a good posibilty.
There is a bolt the goes into the front of the block just to the left of the fuel pump, if it is missing oil will poor out the hole

Oh Sammy, Thanks for reminding him!

And Levi, thanks for remembering!

It's been 20 years and these things have a way of hiding in the brain. Would that be the bolt that holds the Fuel pump pushrod up while you do the Fp install? Then you pull it out and replace it with a short bolt?

It did seem to coming from that area. I have to take the wifie out for some one on one dinner date time. But, I'll check as soon as she goes to sleep...

Yuppers that's the one, I'll keep my fingers crossed....

Well, we're back to door number 1...
That bolt is one that is used to hold the alternator bracket.

I did some poking around. Seems I can slip a small piece of metal (a return spring) into the area that should be gripping the front of the pan. So.... I was wrong! and you were right!

Air gap seals just don't work...

But, the good news is we're only an hour or 2 away from a sealed up engine.

Muchas Thankies Levi for leading us in the right direction.

Your Very welcome...but I'm sorry I was correct about the seal, I was hoping it was the bolt...less messy...

Much ado about nothing. Droped the front of the pan down. The gasket was still very plyable, so... Cleaned it up. Replaced wrong seal. Gooped it up and slapped it back together. Cost was $0 about 40 min of back time.

It will either work or not. It can't be any worse...

Hey, maybe we'll be driving this booger soon. We need to have a car naming contest... I was thinking Elmo, but it's the wrong color and I think it's taken. Pumkin is taken. Andrew is thinking VprKlr. Hmm..

Name? howz about "the evil stepchild".

red headed step child (andyrew has red hair)

Name it Pita....

P-ain
I-n
T-he
A-ss

Here is my research so far..

Orange Crush Soda
Sunkist
Agent Orange
Minute Maid
Orange Nehi - my favorite
Fire something or other...

I found this list with a search for 'orange names' I like #8
top new names for orange like colours

26. Moldy orange [clamen]
25. Washed-out blood-red [clamen]
24. Oops i washed the tomato sauce stain in hot [sprite]
23. Stale marmalade [ralph]
22. Lunch from TasteOfIndiaoops. [bumba]
21. Microsoft™ Orange®©(SM) [eli]
20. Shocking school lunch tray orange [sprite]
19. Tater tots are vegetables too orange [sprite]
18. Verbillion (inflation, you know) [jf41@ANDREW.CMU.EDU]
17. Sweet potato puree [ralph]
16. Guess we should throw it out now jack-o-lantern orange [sprite]
15. macaroni"cheese" [eli]
14. Last redecorated in the 70's carpet orange [sprite]
13. Permanently-saffron-stained orange [jch]
12. Congealed at the top of beef-barley-and-carrot soup orange [sprite]
11. oranjava. [mhemy]
10. Petrified Velveeta [clamen]
9. Pizza grease [sprite]
8. Extreme rust [sprite]
7. fluorescent price tag [sprite]
6. Metal-fleck carrot-vomit. [visigoth]
5. help-I'm-drowning-and-all-they-gave-me-was-this-lousy-life-jacket [jch]
4. inflammed zit [mhemy]
3. dyed edge of old paperback [sprite]
2. supernova [jch]
1. acid rain [clamen]

:finger2: Time to go break-in the Cam!

If the fix doesn't turn out right, maybe Oily Orange...

Actually, Carrot top was my nickname in school. No one would guess that now

i like agent orange,

but i'd call it TANG!

or "Wild Tang"

MiniPeal (RH)

Anita's Nightmare (Bryant for us old timers)

"The juice"...is worth the squeeze (Girl Next Door)

Congratulations Andy and Dan!

Felix

BTW, mine current engine leaks like a sieve...

Well, whatever he decides, it will be shorter than your's Felix.

Although we could probably add, kragenhomedepotlowesoshacepepboystheguydownthestreetandafewmore...

I like Wild Thang, but I'm not sure how his Mom or the teachers at his Christian school would take it. (different connotations pop to mind..)

I almost have the cam broke in. I keep having to stop to tweak the cooling system. I added a thermostat and a higher pressure cap 20# for the radiator, leaving the 16# cap back at the engine compartment.

The water gauges seem to be inconsistant. One seems to read low, the other not at all. Both mechanical. Could be the one bad cap I just changed.

The best news is there is No visible oil leak.