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Front oil leak project; initial findings.

I cleaned up the area dry and fired up the motor to see where the leak was coming from. Although I could see what looked to be a little glisten from the bottom of the pan arch and maybe the cork timing cover gasket, it didn’t build to anything. Then it happened, a streak starts coming down from the “horizontal ledge” of the front plate.

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When I proceed to pull the fasteners off, the timing cover fastener nearest this corner relieves a “bow” in the front plate. Meaning it doesn’t sit flat if that screw isn’t tight.

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I get the timing cover removed and notice for one thing is that the oil squirter hole is not pointed in the direction per the FSM. It’s also screwed all the way in. Measurements with the calipers shows this is slightly bottoming out.

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So my plan is to now remove fuel pump, dist, pushrods, rockers, and cam and pull that front plate off unless anyone sees anything else going on. Not sure there’s a smoking gun yet.
 
It also looks like “#2” should be 8mm long, and it’s closer to 12mm, and I’m assuming jacking that plate off the block. So that’s not good either.

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Very good observations Shane. Jim C noted decades ago how often the machine shops ‘discover’ the oiler after the plate is installed, panic because they can’t stake it in the correct position now that the plate is installed, so they bottom it out, causing the plate to stand proud of the gasket.

Your VM said you had factory replacement gaskets. Can’t do better than that for this job.

Carry on.😊
 
65swb45 said:
Very good observations Shane. Jim C noted decades ago how often the machine shops ‘discover’ the oiler after the plate is installed, panic because they can’t stake it in the correct position now that the plate is installed, so they bottom it out, causing the plate to stand proud of the gasket.

Your VM said you had factory replacement gaskets. Can’t do better than that for this job.

Carry on.😊
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Thanks Mark. Eventually I will post my “review” of this motor but needless to say I’m not happy with these issues.
Maybe when I get this fixed I’ll forget about it.
 
royal cake said:
Thanks Mark. Eventually I will post my “review” of this motor but needless to say I’m not happy with these issues.
Maybe when I get this fixed I’ll forget about it.
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You begin to understand why I gave up offering rebuilt engines a decade ago.
 
Here’s a question for you guys- the oil pan gasket sits proud of the front of the block. When I mock up the front plate and paper gasket, it doesn’t sit flush (paper gasket is not as thick as the pan gasket sticking out).
Do you trim the pan gasket flush to the block surface?

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So this is one of those two-steps backwards posts. Hopefully not off a cliff.
When I pulled the cam I noticed on one journal only (second from back) was this “scoring”. The rest of the cam looks to have had some green paint or other lube on it that was wearing away and nice shiny underneath.
My only excuse for not remembering to post this before I put it back together was late night fatigue? Anyway, just curious was you all think - is my motor about to let loose or run as-is?
When I drained the oil it all looked new, clear and no metal.
I’m having too much fun driving it but I don’t want to risk further damage if this is an issue. I’ve emailed the builder as well to see how we got here.

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I’m venturing out a little further each time I’m driving and noticed today that after driving and letting it sit for 10 minutes or so, it’s a harder start. When I got home I popped the hood and noticed with the engine off the gas in the sight glass is bubbling. That normal?

 
Seems like somewhat nominal routine but maybe I’m just too close to the block. I could try throwing some insulation on that line to see if it makes a difference.

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I wrapped my fuel line in hose and then wrapped in alum tape to reflect, and I can still see some boiling fuel.
I started to think about the heat riser: I took this out since it was only a shaft left thinking that having the heat riser valve removed would always run “cold” - is that true or is it the opposite and I’m cooking my carb?
 
I did the pedal to the floor on hot start thing and seems to work. I guess that means it’s flooded after sitting when hot? I’ve noticed the boiling in the window as it’s running after I’ve been driving, so it seems that carb is just cooking in general…
 
royal cake said:
I wrapped my fuel line in hose and then wrapped in alum tape to reflect, and I can still see some boiling fuel.
I started to think about the heat riser: I took this out since it was only a shaft left thinking that having the heat riser valve removed would always run “cold” - is that true or is it the opposite and I’m cooking my carb?
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Yeah, you would need a block off plate with no heat riser flap. Cruiser Outfitters sells one.

Are you burning ethanol fuel? It will boil at lower Temps than non ethanol and its worse for your carb, etc.
 
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