oil pan leak

**Joseph L.** · April 23, 2021, 06:57 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Is the leak from the balancer seal? There was a recent thread in the last week or two concerning this issue.

**Mark E.** · April 23, 2021, 11:41 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Clean up the engine really well, then try to see where it's leaking. It might be the front seal or timing cover. The fan will blow the oil around so determining the leak source can be difficult.

Using a black light might help.

**Bruce W.** · April 24, 2021, 06:43 AM

Re: oil pan leak

Mark, i replaced the harmonic balancer and timing chain cover. They were leaking but that is corrected. the leak is coming from the front seal on the pan. this has the 2/38 radius so since it is a 65 I assume this is a replacement pan. do you know if these are prone to leak more than the original
i have even tried the fel pro single gasket? I am at my wits end. This is not rocket science but it sure seems to be. Any suggestions??
Bruce

**Mark E.** · April 24, 2021, 04:50 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Bruce,

I'm afraid the nuances of mid-year oil pans are above my pay grade. Maybe one of our experienced engine restorers will chime in.

My only advice is to be sure you know the source of the leak. I've seen leaks from valve covers that I initially swore were from the oil pan. Oil gets around.

**John L.** · April 24, 2021, 05:59 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Bruce
Another thought is oil blowing down from the fuel pump or the bolt hole that goes into the fuel pump push rod hole

**Bruce W.** · April 24, 2021, 09:13 PM

Re: oil pan leak

John, thanks I will look at the fuel p[ump. There is oil on top of it. I thought it was being slung by the fan but maybe not?
Bruce

**Keith R.** · April 25, 2021, 10:43 AM

Re: oil pan leak

Bruce, I've been fighting this battle on my '60 with a large radius pan for some time now. I've probably gone through three FelPro one-piece gaskets on the first pan I had on the car which was a NORS that came from the engine builder. We tried Ultra Black RTV just in the corners per Fel-Pro's recommendation - it leaked. We popped it off and added more RTV to the corner rail areas and in the "U"s - it leaked. We had a metal fabricator check the straightness of the pan and he adjusted it somewhat. We put another gasket on it after it was straightened and it leaked. After dropping it again, we noticed that the front of the pan was pushing the gasket to the rear and the way the RTV pushed out along where it fit against the time cover confirmed this. At that point, I bought the bullet and bought a brand new original stock, very expensive (and correct) high-horsepower baffled oil pan and put it on the car with a FelPro 1880 one piece gasket as before. Prior to doing so we carefully straightened and closed the timing cover channel where the gasket fits - it leaked once again but less than with the previous pan. My latest attempt was to take some red RTV and pack it in by hand along both sides of the gaskets from the front two pan bolts all the way along the timing cover channel. During the most recent engine run it leaked once again - but less than before. This time I am going to try and pack even more red RTV in the same areas and see what happens. I've also bought a Mahle one-piece gasket to try as it is constructed a bit differently than the FelPro. It has wider side rails, different "U" channel configuration with tabs that hold it in place in the channels and does not have the metal reinforcement although it does have the torque limiters at each bolt hole. This is frustrating but not an uncommon saga apparently for these old cars.

**Bruce W.** · April 25, 2021, 02:36 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Keith,
I don't have to tell you how frustrating this problem can be. i am about to try an nos pan but after your experience it might not make any difference. I don't know what to do. please tell me if that gasket makes a difference. this is getting rediculous. this isn't rocket science I thought!!!
Bruce

**Keith R.** · April 25, 2021, 05:56 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Originally posted by Bruce Wilcox (29338)

Keith,
I don't have to tell you how frustrating this problem can be. i am about to try an nos pan but after your experience it might not make any difference. I don't know what to do. please tell me if that gasket makes a difference. this is getting rediculous. this isn't rocket science I thought!!!
Bruce

Yes Bruce, it is frustrating. This is the second time that I pulled the second (new) NORS pan, the first time we installed it with just RTV in the corners per FelPro's recommendation. The gasket came away from the block without issue when we dropped the pan and we added plentiful RTV to both "U"s at the front and rear of the gasket as well as about two inches or so from each corner along the rail and around the larger bolts. The leak improved but did not stop. Today I took it out on a PV test circuit and ran it up to 90% of redline twice. When I got back to the garage, it took 3 minutes for a drip to form and drip onto the catch pan. There was also a single drip from the rear - much better than before but still minor leaks. The good news is that I was able to tell where the leak at the front was coming from. The driver side was dry. Oil was gathering along the top of the gasket on the passenger side by the front bolt. I am going to carefully clean off that area real good before adding more red RTV tomorrow then let it cure 24 hours and do a test drive again. I am hesitant to pull the pan again and try the Mahle gasket but I may do so as I am leaving for the Scottsdale mini PV on the 10th of next month. BTW, I did read in the forum of another owner who had the same problem and he changed to a four-piece gasket and it fixed his problem. This is counterintuitive to me though as the old style gaskets had four potential leak points.
Driver side pan.jpg passenger side pan.jpg

**Ed S.** · April 25, 2021, 07:37 PM

Re: oil pan leak

I am following this thread for the purpose of learning something and, I have to ask...... do you have any idea what the cause of the leak at the front of the pan is caused by? I've read about the efforts taken by you all to correct it - what is it that all of a sudden makes this gasket want to leak? Was it ever so slightly damaged during a previous removal or installation, defective (poorly manufactured) gasket? This is not a criticism - just trying to understand what factors contribute to this systemic problem. My rebuilt 64 L76 does not leak at that location - I have a slow drip at the rear main - I want to understand what to consider regarding the front if I decide to remove the pan with an aim towards repairing the rear seal leak.

**Keith R.** · April 25, 2021, 10:19 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Boy, I wish I knew Ed. It has me scratching my head in bewilderment. I've gone through three or four FelPro 1880 gaskets and tried two NORS pans. I had the first pan straightened slightly by a metal fabricator who is a metal wizard. I've used a little RTV, some more and a LOT thereby rendering the gasket broken and unusable when it wouldn't come cleanly away from the block. I've tried a FelProOS 34510 gasket which has a different carrier which I think is non-metallic - we just cut off the passenger side dipstick hole - it's what is on the car now. Both pans are straight - bolt holes and rails are not deformed So, if you eliminate the pans and the gaskets from the problem what is left? In my particular case, the only difference between the driver and passenger side is that there is a vertical hole drilled in the bottom of the block which has a threaded hole intersecting it at a right angle. This larger vertical hole rests on the gasket and I don't know if it exerts a different force on the gasket at this point or not but honestly, I am just grasping at straws. One of my chapter members suggested switching to a 20W-50W racing oil and I might give that a try.

**Ed S.** · April 25, 2021, 10:41 PM

Re: oil pan leak

Thanks for the reply - I hope you solve the problem and when you do - we all want to know what caused it. That said, I am wondering if the oil pump the correct unit for that engine? Is it by chance rated higher than the original unit and is producing higher pressure than factory spec? If that were the case the front main journal would be receiving more pressure than the area around the front gasket is designed to seal. Just guessing here.

**Bruce W.** · April 26, 2021, 06:52 AM

Re: oil pan leak

Keith,
I am now wondering if it isn't the timing chain cover? I replaced mine with one from CC. I am certain it was made in china which makes me wonder if there is something wrong with it. The leak only comes it appears from that front rubber. I will have to see if I can find an NOS one? I don't think changing your oil will solve your problem. Keep me posted.
Bruce

**Keith R.** · April 26, 2021, 08:20 AM

Re: oil pan leak

Oil leaks can be deceiving. While it may appear that it is coming from the timing cover area, the leak could be originating from the top and wicking it's way along the gasket to the low point on the cover where it gathers. It c uld be the timing cover if it's a cheaply one made in China with the galley spot-welded on. It's my understanding that the cover can leak where the spot welds are. If that's the case, it's probably worth replacing with an original or NOS. I read on another forum that leaks can also occur at a bolt hole and the solution is to clean out the bolt hole and seal the bolt threads with Permatex non-hardening gasket sealant, non-hardening thread sealant or RTV. I guess that it's possible that the oil could wick along the threads.

oil pan leak

oil pan leak

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