HawkRod is doing the 2023 Hot Rod Power Tour!

[qkcuda]

You are probably right, but I couldn't feel my leak either. IF you still have a leak after the latest pan work, it would be easy enough to change the covers and take it for another run. Any chance the dip stick got bumped?

 

[HawkRod]

You are probably right, but I couldn't feel my leak either. IF you still have a leak after the latest pan work, it would be easy enough to change the covers and take it for another run. Any chance the dip stick got bumped?

Fair enough. I am certainly not infallible, so I realize I might be missing something. If I still have the leak after this round I will swap out the valve covers just as a check. It certainly can't hurt!

I have checked the dip stick mounting area - dry as can be...

 

[Richard Cranium]

I know that this is after the fact, but a good way to check for a pan leak is to fill the engine up with oil while still on the stand and rotate it about 45 degrees one way. Let is sit for an hour or so, then repeat the other side.

 

[HawkRod]

I know that this is after the fact, but a good way to check for a pan leak is to fill the engine up with oil while still on the stand and rotate it about 45 degrees one way. Let is sit for an hour or so, then repeat the other side.

Seriously, that's a great idea. I never thought to do that but I will for the next engine I do.

 

[Don Frelier]

View attachment 1475264

Seriously, that's a great idea. I never thought to do that but I will for the next engine I do.

If you've got a 2 post lift you can jack up one side of the whole car and tip it pretty good.

 

[Darter6]

I have to say this..... It ain't a MOPAR if it don't LEAK !!

 

[eldubb440]

Hawk seems to love the drama of wrenching in the 11th hour...... he has a history

 

[Don Frelier]

Hawk seems to love the drama of wrenching in the 11th hour...... he has a history

Let's not forget, here is where the trouble began:

My 1970 is sporting the "born with" stock 383 engine with 92,000 miles on it. It runs well, but is a bit tired. It simply WON'T do for the Power Tour!

What a terrible thing to say... now the poor thing just sits in the corner like a bad child.

 

[1969VAGTX]

@HawkRod don't worry about the leak. Just come find me and we can leak all over the highway, parking lots and everywhere in between. My rear main leak has been driving me crazy and I still haven't resolved it. It just decided "F" it for the Tour. I'm going to ride it all summer, fill up with some oil when I need to, and pull the motor and try to properly address it this winter. Frankly, the burnt oil on your exhaust may not have actually been that much, it just looks that way. Did you check the oil level to see if you had even lost any noticeable amount of oil volume after your long cruise?

 

[Darter6]

rear main leak

You can always make a diaper tray mounted to the 2 lower converter cover bolts and or the clutch cover bolts.Made mine out of aluminum sheeting.
Install a female maxie pad that will have a slight crush when you tighten the bolts.Them things hold allot of drippings.
Put them on my cars/truck and replace during oil changes.Been doing it for years.No joke.
Also helps for rear pan leaks. Anything front of that sorry, can't help.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Mark your territory, tire marks fade away. Oil stains last for ever!

 

[HawkRod]

OK, so here is tonight's update.

I still have the exact same type and characteristic of a leak coming from the front of the engine near the bottom of the timing chain cover. Nothing from the rear.

Now let's assume I am a complete bumbling idiot who can't seal and install an oil pan to save my life (ok, @eldubb440 no wisecracks here...). I have now done this THREE times with the EXACT SAME volume and location for the oil leak. I think the odds are essentially zero that I could screw up three times and keep the leak acting the exact same way. At this point I am convinced it must be the timing chain cover. There is oil wetness at the seam and just above it. But about an inch or so up the timing chain cover it is dry as a bone. I have extensively checked the engine above this and can't see any other potential source for this oil.

Here is my plan: Tonight I will clean and smear the $**t out of that area to try and seal it in RTV. Then tomorrow I will drive the car and test it again. I give this maybe a 10% chance of success. If it works, at least well enough to significantly slow the leak down, I will leave it that way for the Power Tour. If it doesn't work, then I will start digging down and pulling off the front of the engine to get to the timing chain cover. I will pull it off, checking front seal before I do to see if there is evidence of that or if it is coming from the corners. Then I will smear it up and throw it all back together. If THAT fails, I guess I'm in my backup car, the "RoadKill Runner".



Some responses to my esteemed colleagues:

If you've got a 2 post lift you can jack up one side of the whole car and tip it pretty good.

True, but now it is easier and more fun to simply drive it for 15 minutes.

I have to say this..... It ain't a MOPAR if it don't LEAK !!

Hawk seems to love the drama of wrenching in the 11th hour...... he has a history

But hey - putting ridiculous timelines on myself help me get **** done!

Let's not forget, here is where the trouble began:

What a terrible thing to say... now the poor thing just sits in the corner like a bad child.

Actually Don, my 383 is not in the corner like a bad child - it is being protected like the precious, irreplaceable engine that it is

@HawkRod don't worry about the leak. Just come find me and we can leak all over the highway, parking lots and everywhere in between. My rear main leak has been driving me crazy and I still haven't resolved it. It just decided "F" it for the Tour. I'm going to ride it all summer, fill up with some oil when I need to, and pull the motor and try to properly address it this winter. Frankly, the burnt oil on your exhaust may not have actually been that much, it just looks that way. Did you check the oil level to see if you had even lost any noticeable amount of oil volume after your long cruise?

I hear you, but this is enough that it would make a total mess of my car. I lost 1/3 to 1/2 a quart in 300 miles. So going 2000+ miles, especially with most of it on the highway, would mean a minimum of two quarts would blow all over the undercarriage and burn off headers and exhaust. It would pretty well trash the bottom of the car and make a total mess of the engine. I'm gonna try first to address it if I can.

You can always make a diaper tray mounted to the 2 lower converter cover bolts and or the clutch cover bolts.Made mine out of aluminum sheeting.
Install a female maxie pad that will have a slight crush when you tighten the bolts.Them things hold allot of drippings.
Put them on my cars/truck and replace during oil changes.Been doing it for years.No joke.
Also helps for rear pan leaks. Anything front of that sorry, can't help.

Unfortunately, my leak seems to be from the front. I like the idea, and if I still have some kind of leak after I try to fix it, I may try some kind of thing like that. The other backup plan is to take my "RoadKill" 73 Road Runner.

 

[Bee1971]

I chased this issue for years on my 383 Magnum

I must have had the oil pan off and rear main seal a half dozen times prior

However

When the engine builder put the factory timing chain cover on back in the day , the holes in the timing chain cover must have caught those dowel pins in block when he tightened down the bolts and pushed those areas around the dowel pins outward on the timing cover itself

The dowel pins where through the holes but the damage was done


It was plain as day when I pulled everything apart and put a metal straight edge on the timing chain cover flat sealing area

Those two areas where dimpled outward pretty bad , especially the passenger side hole on timing chain cover
Smoothed everything out , cleaned up those two holes , just a simple clean by hand with the proper size drill bit

Still running that factory timing chain cover on my 383/432 Stroker today

Superformance gaskets installed dry on oil pan and timing chain cover

Why I didn’t or never thought oil would travel like that is beyond me back then

 

[68BabyBlue]

@HawkRod don't worry about the leak. Just come find me and we can leak all over the highway, parking lots and everywhere in between. My rear main leak has been driving me crazy and I still haven't resolved it. It just decided "F" it for the Tour. I'm going to ride it all summer, fill up with some oil when I need to, and pull the motor and try to properly address it this winter. Frankly, the burnt oil on your exhaust may not have actually been that much, it just looks that way. Did you check the oil level to see if you had even lost any noticeable amount of oil volume after your long cruise?

Back in 1978, when I was considering the purchase of my first 18 wheeler, I was weighing the choice of Detroit Diesel or Caterpillar for my engine. I went with an 8V71 Detroit, I overhauled it for $2500, and the engine leaked a gallon a day like clockwork. Fast forward 30 years, and the second time around, I went with a C15 Caterpillar. Zero leaks. My last engine overhaul cost $24,000. The problem is sometimes cheaper than the cure.

 

[Darter6]

Detroit Diesel

Well known for leaking oil out of everywhere ! Same as old Harleys !!

 

[eldubb440]

Well known for leaking oil out of everywhere ! Same as old Harleys !!

the automatic chain oiler on the old bikes made it look worse than it really was....

Hawk....... if I thought there was anything I could do to help, I would........ not sure I have a miracle for that one

oh, and Happy Birthday!........ maybe the Birthday Gods will smile upon you

 

[qkcuda]

I feel your pain Hawk. When I tried to bleed the new brakes today I had leaks everywhere! I think I have them all fixed now. Fingers crossed

 

[Darter6]

We built this 'Cuda in 2007 for the Power Tour, based out of Pa.
I drove my 67 Dart from Nevada to Pa thinking they would have most of the car done.
When I got there the car was a painted SHELL. 3 weeks before we had to head for the start in Ohio (I think)
Yep another what the f&%k ! But we got it done did the entire long haul with both cars and ended up in Alanta.
YOU CAN DO IT !!!!

 

[HawkRod]

..... maybe the Birthday Gods will smile upon you

Here was them smiling at me - a breaker bar for my damper bolts slipped off and the end of the breaker bar caught me in the forehead. The safety glasses did NOT help...

But seriously, the day has had some positive aspects. I drove around this morning and the leak was significantly reduced by my RTV experiment. The problem was, I could see that the oil had made its way through patches where I didn't get good RTV coverage. With the damper in place, I missed whole areas because I couldn't smear RTV there. Also, some RTV (after about 12 hours of curing) was still wet. I had gobbed it on too thick in the corners.

When I pulled off the RTV, it is obvious that the bottom corners of the timing chain cover are the culprits. I'd love to really pull the whole timing chain cover and I will do that later in the year, but I am out of time for now. So I pulled the damper off so I could get good access to the area. I then cleaned the area way better than last night, and then strategized on how to put a thin but unbroken layer of RTV all around the problem areas.
I know the picture below looks bad, and I wouldn't suggest this to anyone as a proper fix. But I'm hoping this round, done very carefully, will keep the leak at least slow enough to allow us to take the car on the journey.

Given that the last batch wasn't even dry after 12 hours, I will not even test this until late tomorrow. At that point, it is do or die. It'll work or it doesn't. I am out of time for more fixes. If it is unacceptably bad, then I'll have to go to my beater backup, the RoadKill Runner:

Thank you to all for following along so far and for the suggestions and well wishes. They truly help!

 

[Richard Cranium]

Been there, done that .... more than once.