The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 350 V8 leaking oilpan in my bolt =(

Hi,

It might be somewhat normal on those old truckt but in Germany you can't have an dripping oilpan!

So here is my problem:

I have a 1979 350 in my bolt and have trouble to get it to not leak any oil. Put on a fel-pro gasket and the original oilpan and it was stil leaking at the front seal. So I gave it an other try and put an good aluminum oilpan on it, again with a new fel-pro gasket and it is still leaking at the front seal.

Its the right front seal, and a good sealand, just if you wondering. It has a cheep chrome timing chain cover on it and I tought if that might be the problem since sealer and chrome are not the best match.

I tought of getting a aluminum timing chain cover, sand the earea where the front seal goes and put the one piece oilpan gasket from fel pro on it, what do you think?



http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2909754280104893966FOYLPT

Could the leak be coming from the timing cover seal that seals around the harmonic balancer? They are prone to leak. If it is in fact the oil pan gasket, they made a change around that vintage in the thickness of the oil pan front seal. It might take the thick one & you may be getting the narrow one in the gasket set. Its a good idea to put some rtv sealer in all the corners where the gaskets run together.

Take that chrome timing cover and throw it as far as you can! They're notorious about leaking. Find an original-equipment Chevy cover, and install it, using just a little brush-on sealer like Permatex Super 300 on the gasket, not RTV. Use a new lip seal on the vibration damper, of course. Be sure there's not a groove worn into the damper hub area. The fit between the pieces of the pan gasket are critical. I don't like the 1-piece gasket unless you also have the pan designed to use it. I clean all the mating surfaces with something like acetone or lacquer thinner, then I glue the gaskets in place with 3-M yellow trim cement, the stuff NASCAR engine builders call "Gorilla Snot". Be sure to straighten out any distortion around the bolt holes in the pan with a hammer and a body worker's dolly block. With the gaskets glued into position, put a small bead of RTV at the corners where the rubber meets the cork, and snug all the bolts just enough to take any slack out of the assembly. Then go back and tighten all the bolts another 1/4 to 1/3 turn. Your leak should be under control.
Jerry

Thanks, for some good advice

I alrady thought that those chrome timing vovers are crap, but what about those aluminum one's? I just got one cheap from ebay-germany and thought if I just sand it a little and then put the rubber-seal on it with a little sealer to get it not leaking anymore.

Any nummber of that 3-M yellow trim cement so I can get that stuff here in Germany? What kind of RTV is the best since I do not want to change the oilpanseal again!!

Do you have inspections to check for oil leaks? If so, your country is even farther gone than ours.

I would say it is impossible to stop all oil leaks on any Chevrolet engine of that vintage.

Don't know if anybody think's of this much,but to me it's common sense.When using any sealer,let it dry at least over night.I've seen to many slap em together and run em,still leaks.You have to let the sealer set up properly.Also if it's leaking from the seal,the mating surface should be smooth,no grooves.They make a speedy sleeve for repairing them.My 2 cents Tom

I'm a fan of the one piece oil pan gasket. My old 350 had the same problem until I replaced the multiple piece gasket with the one piece. I had a stock oil pan and stock timing cover though.

Is there no sealer with the one piece oil pan Gasket?

If you need sealer where does it go, how much and what type, RTV?

Thanks

Bernd