After all the work done on my engine and car I finally put the two together, fire it up and step back to take a look. Everything looks great, no leaks, temps check out fine, good job. I run the engine up to about 2500 rpms and I notice smoke coming off the driver side headers. I shut it down and begin on a three day quest to find the oil leak.
I replaced the valve cover gaskets. No good. I retorqued the intake manifold. No good. I tightened the oil pan bolts. No good. I checked the freeze plugs. No good. I finally narrowed it down to the dipstick. It must not be sealing properly so I used about half a roll of teflon tape and still nothing!
By this time I had started the engine several times and always saw the smoke from the headers. I gave up and phoned a friend.
After about 45 minutes of looking and probing every inch of the engine he looked up at me and asked... What's this? I hadn't seen it before (not even during the nine months it was sitting on an engine stand) so I got down to take a closer look. Whodathunkit! A hole in the block perfectly suited for the original dipstick ( I am using the dipstick that mounts into the side of the Canton oil pan). Well, I'm no rocket scientist but I firmly believe that an unrestricted hole in the block with access to the oil reservoir is a great source for an oil leak.
Three days of wasted time to have someone else come over and find what should have been obvious. Today it's my turn to be a dumb ass. Anyone care to take over the reigns for tomorrow? I could use the break.
Lee
I replaced the valve cover gaskets. No good. I retorqued the intake manifold. No good. I tightened the oil pan bolts. No good. I checked the freeze plugs. No good. I finally narrowed it down to the dipstick. It must not be sealing properly so I used about half a roll of teflon tape and still nothing!
By this time I had started the engine several times and always saw the smoke from the headers. I gave up and phoned a friend.
After about 45 minutes of looking and probing every inch of the engine he looked up at me and asked... What's this? I hadn't seen it before (not even during the nine months it was sitting on an engine stand) so I got down to take a closer look. Whodathunkit! A hole in the block perfectly suited for the original dipstick ( I am using the dipstick that mounts into the side of the Canton oil pan). Well, I'm no rocket scientist but I firmly believe that an unrestricted hole in the block with access to the oil reservoir is a great source for an oil leak.
Three days of wasted time to have someone else come over and find what should have been obvious. Today it's my turn to be a dumb ass. Anyone care to take over the reigns for tomorrow? I could use the break.
Lee