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scorpion1110
09-02-2018, 10:02 AM
So working on the cursed 55 Chevy Handyman Wagon. Its definitely possessed.

So a couple of weeks ago, I decide to swap out the headers for rams horns. The headers just didn't fit right and the engine compartment was crowded. Then I ditched the flex fan for a spal electric. Moved the alternator to the passenger side with an Alan grove bracket. Everything lined up nicely, more room under the hood and everything looks cleaner. Even installed a winters shifter which is far better than the vague column shift.

So,

Started it up last week and noticed oil under the motor. It looked like the Exxon Valdez. hmm I say. So I go around and tighten everything that I could. Clean up the spill and start her up. It looks like the Valdez again.

This is a drivers side issue. Hmm again.

Pulled the valve cover and resealed and started her up. Ran for a few minutes. Oil again. So I pull the rear carb and start looking around. Distributor dry. Valve cover dry. Intake dry. Oil galley and gauge feed fitting dry. Little puddle of oil on the clock casting at back of block, running down bellhousing and dripping off block at the corner by old filter.

Its a lot of oil quickly, relatively speaking so that was telling me it was under pressure but the oil galley to gauge was dry. At this point I am getting a bad feeling about this.

So I get a dye pack and an infrared, clean the block, reinstall carb, add the dye and start her up. Run her for ten minutes and start looking. Distributor still dry. Valve covers dry. Oil feed dry and then.....

I see the old pooling on the plug that blocks the oil galley under the head near the corner of the intake. Are you frigging kidding me? I had my machine shop I have used for years do the block fully including plugs and cam bearings and it looks like a plug leak. Great.

I built the motor, so any kind of warranty work is an impossibility. I doubt they will claim responsibility in any way. Just the way that goes.

So unless you guys have an answer it looks like:

Pull carbs
pull manifold
and horns
and heads
and hair out
and new head gaskets and fix galley and
more $$$$$$$$$ in this cursed 55 chevy.

Starting to hate this car. Actually I already hate it. If someone showed up with $17k I would take my $10k loss and walk away.

I have easily $3500+ in the small block in that car which has fought me for months and in the meantime I threw together an SBC for my 73 chevelle based on a craigslist $250 long block and a bunch of leftovers. Runs like a top with great oil pressure.

O guess I am pretty well pulling the top end? I guess I pull that plug, reseal and stake the damn thing.

Oh and the temp sender for the spal fan leaks incessantly as well, but thats a leak for another day.

S

scorpion1110
09-02-2018, 12:01 PM
Do you guys think that I could clean up the plug with brakecleen, blow it out with compressed air, getting the area clean and then use a high end epoxy putty to fill the space above the plug. Since its partially under the head that should keep it contained there. Just trying to avoid pulling the head and intake for a while. I think the machine shop might have gone in slightly too far with the plug. I think the epoxy could fill the gap.

its an SBC so I can live with a little oil, just not a huge pool on my garage floor.

This car has been a constant redo. If theres no quick fix then the car is going to the corner of the shop and getting a cover.

S

BamaNomad
09-02-2018, 01:26 PM
I think I need a photo or diagram of WHERE the oil is leaking; from your description I'm confused even to whether it's at the front or rear of the engine, and from the block or the head?

Depending on the era of your small block, the oil pressure sending unit can be located in different places. If an older SB, it's at the rear adjacent to the distributor. If your leak is large and at the REAR of the engine, then I'd suspect your oil pressure sending unit is leaking (OR if the engine is newly rebuilt, maybe someone forgot to install one and it is MISSING?

Check out these photos and diagrams... https://www.google.com/search?q=Chevy+oil+pressure+sending+unit+photos&rlz=1C1EODB_enUS531US531&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=9tLdDyS_GuoUiM%253A%252CfNGodoLGEz9EXM%252C_&usg=AFrqEzesryKFs71EnxWfooPPk6Tv9v14IQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjhpWDk53dAhUMWa0KHZ-TBMcQ9QEwB3oECAUQEg#imgrc=9tLdDyS_GuoUiM:

Gary

scorpion1110
09-02-2018, 01:45 PM
9160

Bama, heres a pic I grabbed from the web. High pressure under head as arrowed. Adjacent to firewall. I would like to clean it and put some epoxy above the plug to try and stop the leak rather than pull the intake and head. From what I have read sometimes the machine shop sets the plug too low though I have never had a leak here on any SBc I have built and I always have the shop do the cam bearings and plugs.

Is that possible or am I tearing most of the top end off that motor.

Thx, S

scorpion1110
09-02-2018, 01:59 PM
I am running an AN braided line from the stock oil galley boss with an NPT to AN adapter in the block going to a 2 5/8 gauge. No leak here. The florescent dye is showing the galley under the head pooling at back of block and rolling down adjacent to the old filter.

Heres a pic- dry. Its the next galley over partially covered by the head on the drivers side. Tried to show:

9161

Cant get a good pic, its too tight. I need to use a mirror and bounce my UV light off of it.

S

Rick_L
09-02-2018, 02:09 PM
I'd say the epoxy fix is a low odds crap shoot, and it will make the correct repair more difficult. There's simply no effective way to assure cleanliness.

Are you absolutely sure that the manifold end gasket isn't leaking?

scorpion1110
09-02-2018, 02:29 PM
Rick, I could not see anything above that oil galley. I can see it running down from that plug fitting and its fairly quick that it starts to leak so it feels like a high pressure leak. The manifold would be a low pressure leak wouldn't it?

I want the leak to be at the manifold because thats an easier fix, but I dont think it is.

S

scorpion1110
09-02-2018, 03:10 PM
So more web reading and read about pressurizing the crankcase. This motor had a vent draft with a can in the lifter valley. I plugged the block, eliminated the can and have a pcv on the passenger valve cover with a breather on the driver. Air gets pulled from driver side cycles through motor out the pcv to the carb correct? Or am I creating too much pressure so that oil is seeping past that fitting.

Oil pressure is 60 at idle and drops to 55 after it warms up.

Would a road draft tube drop the pressure and eliminate that high pressure leak?

thx S

Rick_L
09-02-2018, 03:18 PM
its fairly quick that it starts to leak so it feels like a high pressure leak. The manifold would be a low pressure leak wouldn't it?

Good observation. If you can clean it up, start the engine, and immediately see a leak, it's indeed high pressure - which is what's behind the plug, full oil pressure. On the other hand, the manifold end gasket and/or the blocked off road draft tube hole are subject to crankcase vapor pressure, not full oil pressure. And you won't see that leak immediately, or at idle speed (unless you have big engine problems.

What did you use to block the road draft tube hole? A freeze plug is the usual fix, and shouldn't leak. You would see oil around it if it was leaking.

With a pcv system that's operating properly, you should see a slight vacuum in the crankcase at idle.

scorpion1110
09-02-2018, 04:28 PM
Thanks Rick.

The oil starts puddling about 15 seconds after start.

I cleaned it up. Finagled a mirror in back, started it up and could see the oil bubble right at the plug.

I used a freeze plug to plug the road draft. No oil. Motor is dry except at that pressure plug. So I guess its pull the intake and pull the head. Even super clean its going to be impossible to get any seal with silicone right?

Going back to a road draft would not help either would it? Maybe slow it down?

Just looking for options. Dealing with the Big C times two and sometimes this stuff wears me out a little. Surgery number 8 in the last 18 months next Tuesday.

Thanks S

Rick_L
09-02-2018, 05:17 PM
The pcv, operating correctly, is better than the road draft tube. It also has nothing to do with that passage that is leaking.

Silicone won't seal it.

If you've diagnosed this correctly, and from your description you have - then your only option is to pull the head and fix what's wrong with the plug.

scorpion1110
09-06-2018, 07:30 AM
Hello Everyone.

I just wanted to close the loop on this.

Once I had identified the problem with everyone's help, I called the machine shop. I spoke to the owner and he said those oil galleys are a problem. They are a deep set and even though there is a taper, regular thread sealer isn't the best way to go; as it can squeeze out of the threads and eventually the oil pressure can cause a leak (likely my case at 60lb). When he himself does a block he actually uses an industrial type epoxy sealant that is removable on any rebuild and block vatting. I think the machinist who did my block was simply unaware of the issue, and I believe the issue arose because Chevy discontinued those plugs in 2013 so they are sourcing differently.

Anyway, I decided to simply have him pull the heads and fix the problem. The cost was nominal and he spent some time tuning the motor and checking things over, tightening and adjusting as necessary.

Saw the car this morning. No leaks, runs great and the machine shop said my build of the motor was spot on.

Car is on a rollback heading home right now.

So if that oil galley plug has to come out for any reason, make sure it goes in with something more than thread sealer.

S

Rick_L
09-06-2018, 07:55 AM
I have seen blocks where the plug just had a plain flat top. To remove it you'd have to drill a hole in it and use an EZout or similar means. I guess the plug was installed before the block was machined at the factory, as the top of the plug was at the same height as the deck.

Also on most blocks even where there is a female hex or square drive for the plug, the plug can be very difficult to remove, indicating that a powerful hardening sealant was used. Also, when you attempt to put a new plug in, it just seems to all of a sudden bottom out, the feel when you torque it is not the same as when you torque a typical good pipe plug into a typical good tapped hole. I always run a tap into that hole a turn or turn and a half if I remove the original plug, and also use a new plug. Because of all this many machine shops don't even remove this plug when they vat and overbore a block.